The Role of Innere Fuehrung in German Civil-Military Relations
Abstract
Germany celebrates two important 50-year anniversaries in the year 2005. On May 9, 1955, the Federal Republic of Germany became the 15th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), signaling that the country was ready to be considered an equal partner in the common defense of the Western Alliance. November 12, 1955, is the founding day of the German Bundeswehr. This is when the first 101 members of Germany's new armed forces received their letters of appointment from the new Minister of Defense, Theodor Blank, in an old vehicle warehouse in Bonn. This paper describes the important role that the concept of "Innere Fuehrung" has had, and continues to have, in the armed forces of Germany. The paper will first give a brief account of events and circumstances that preceded the inception of the post-World War II German armed forces. It will then outline the idea and underlying philosophy of Innere Fuehrung in the context of civilian-military relations theory by examining the importance of values and legitimacy as they relate to the "citizen in uniform." The paper will chart the objectives of Innere Fuehrung and their application on both the institutional and individual level to address the proper balance between the functions of the armed forces on one hand and the values of society on the other. The paper concludes that this 50-year old concept is still valid today, that its dynamic characteristics have allowed it to respond appropriately to developments in civil society, and that it may well serve as a model for emerging democracies facing the challenges of civilian-military tensions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA520984
Entities
People
- Petra Mcgregor
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School