Image of the Wehrmacht in Federal German Society and in the Tradition of the Bundeswehr
Abstract
This work concentrates on the manner in which the citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany have dealt with the symbolic and professional legacies of defeat in the past half century. This misunderstood subject commends itself to further reflection and analysis in an English-speaking world, which remains more transfixed upon the causes and course of the two world wars than on their effects on the latter half of the century. This story also suggests itself to students of civil-military reform across the face of the globe interested in the impact of images of the past upon contemporary civil-military debate, since all must deal with the legacies of the past in which the images of the armed forces are often extremely politicized. In view of the long and fundamental importance of the military in Germany, its entry into war and defeat twice in the century under very different situations in civil-military relations, and the long and ongoing debate about the position of the military in society, there should be "lessons" that are relevant for most new democracies. While we are aware that all countries have unique challenges and thus the responses must also be unique, the case of how Germany deals with its military legacy, and particularly the definition of the professional soldier, is so rich and complex that we are convinced that scholars and decision makers throughout the world will find much of relevance in the pages that follow. That there is a debate in Germany may encourage others to also debate their military legacies, which in many cases are publicly ignored to fester until a political crisis brings them to a head, often with disastrous results. The following pages interpret a little known debate within Germany about the nature of military professionalism and democracy in the wake of defeat, the rise of the Cold War, and the changing international and domestic-political aspects of Federal German civil-military relations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA484142
Entities
People
- Donald Abenheim
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School