Opinion of the German Military - Essay Example

? Public opinion of the German military in the present day German society The ambivalent character of the military makes it the target of sociological research. The German military has not had a good reputation because of its involvement in World War II and the holocaust. Civilians in Western nations like the United States and United Kingdom are always proud of their military forces and often refer to them as heroes. However, the situation is different in Germany. In their efforts to secure the borders of their countries, the military has sometimes acted in a non-democratic manner. In some cases, the military has used its power to overthrow governments. This has been witnessed the world over, from Africa to Asia to Latin America and even in the West. Nevertheless, the military has played a central part in the protection of democracy. The duty of the military to date remains protecting the nation against foreign invasion. Changes in international relations, expectation from the society, the quick drawdown of the military and the increasing nontraditional roles of the military have been responsible for the changed public opinion of the military. Central to this change in opinion has been international relations that affect the military. Changes in public opinion over the military began in the aftermath of the First World War when ideological differences were played out in the international arena leading to interstate conflict (Kummel, 2001). Alliances were formed, and the conflict continued leading up to World War II. After WW II, the dynamics changed and the conflict began to dominate international politics. Globalization and international developments have increasingly put the military under pressure to be morally accountable and increase its participation in transparency and the flow of information. As a result, the German military has increased its peacekeeping missions as seen in the missions of German-American corps, German-French brigade, German- Netherlands Corps and the German-Danish-Polish Corps. The ghosts of past wars are still haunting the German military. The military’s involvement in the promotion in the Second World War and the holocaust keeps does not seem to have been forgotten even by German citizens. The creation of the Bundeswehr in the mid 1950’s and the rearmament of Germany came because of the Cold War and the threat posed by the Korean War. However, the German’s did not agree with the armament initiative a came up with a movement known as ‘Without me’, it opposed the rearmament of the German military. The world events at that time shifted the support towards the armament of the German military. This was largely supported by the need for the establishment of a big army in Europe to counter the threats posed by communism. Bundeswehr was pivotal in the concept of Innere Fuhrung whose elements stressed the need for the army to participate in democratic activities. It also allows soldiers to oppose orders that are seen to be violating laws and human rights. Despite the opposition it received at its inception, Innere Fuhrung is one of the best political reforms to have been instituted in Germany. The initiative gave soldiers the right to exercise their democratic rights and was also supported by a majority of civilians. The shift and rift between the military and the public came in the 1960’s when the new generation of post-World War II Germans questioned the Socialist past of the country and expressed their disgust in the way German authorities eliminated Jews in the holocaust. As a result, changed were instituted to include the introduction of compulsory higher education for the military. To this end, two Bundeswehr universities were established giving rise to the German soldier scholars who are degree holders. Germans held their soldier in high esteem, but the situation changed when more people began to oppose the how the Bundeswehr was discriminating against women. Due to the past of their military, Germans have always been antimilitarism. The German public has always been against their military’s involvement in international missions and any other external use of their forces. Germany began to take more responsibility in international relations after unification of east and western Germany. After decades of war, Germany came up with a law that only forbids getting into the war with an exception in cases of defense. However, public opinion still opposes the involvement of the German military in external mission despite its being the largest economy in Europe. Its military responsibilities are not commensurate with its status. When Germany wanted to cut government spending in 2010, a public opinion survey revealed that 76 percent of the Germans wanted a larger portion of the budget cuts to be done in defense. Public opposition to its military involvement in the war has largely been influenced by the past actions of the military and their contribution to past wars. Germans’ World War II generation is dying out, and there is a need for the country to encourage its post war generation to take pride in the country’s historical past and merge it with the present and advocate for an increase in military participation globally (Kummel and Leonhard, 2005). Policy makers in Germany have also seen the need to change the public opinion of the country’s military. Public opinion on the military got better after unification but still needs to be improved. A survey in 1991 revealed that 62 percent of Germans agreed that the country should take a more active role in international activities while 77 percent wanted their country to take a leading role in European foreign policy. In 1992, 53 percent of Germans stated that the military action is only justified if the principles of international law and human rights are violated. German citizens are still skeptical of their military’s involvement in multilateral military missions. Only 33 percent of Germans supported military involvement in NATO. Most Germans saw that NATO would give the government an excuse to go to war under the disguise of peacekeeping. Public opinion of the military was rife in the late 1970s and 80s when pacifist and anti-military sentiments rose. The society turned its back on the military. There were demonstrations with demonstrators blocking barracks. At some point, Germans considered NATO significant for their security. At the centre of support and objection for external military involvement was the rift between West and East Germans with the western dominating the country’s policy making. In a bid to increase public opinion of the military, the German Defense Ministry opened the Bundeswehr online television channel to the public in 2010. The channel gives updates on the country’s military forces. This aims to make the public more supportive of the military’s international missions. Bundeswehr is responsible for the management of the German military. Considering the country’s military past, it has been hard to convince the world and its citizens that Germany does not have militaristic ambitions for Europe. Bundeswehr has been forced to state clearly its mission, which is to protect the country, participate in the defense of Germany’s allies, and work towards stability and partnership in the international community and European integration. Countries engage in international relations in order to take care of the interests of their nation. National interests involve self-preservation, economic growth, military security, and influence on other countries. Country’s with similar international interest form alliances to gain from their collective strengths. Countries bordering war prone nations can form border security alliances to help them secure their borders and avoid an invasion. Alliances increase the negotiating power of nations. There are theories that govern international relations. These theories are realism, liberalism, idealism and the Machiavelli. In trying to get more involved in international military missions, Germany is inclined towards realism. Realism is of the opinion that the word is harsh, and a country can only be stronger by being allied to other states. That is the only way that they will be able to outdo their enemies and competitors. Realism is also of the opinion that states need to self-preserve, enforce global regulations that condemn and punish bad behavior. Realism has been practiced from the existence of nations. During Cold War, countries used the realism perspective of self-preservation to form alliances. Opposing sides were suspicious of each other and formed alliances to protect themselves and increase their military and political influence globally. It could be argued that Germany’s involvement in the Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghan wars was for self-preservation and to secure the interest of their allies. Germany and her allies are under constant threat from terrorism. It is, therefore, imperative for Germany to take part in international military missions that reduce the threat of terrorism to the country and her allies. The concern, however, is the number of soldiers that the country loses while supporting its allies. The public is more concerned over the loss of life of its citizens while fighting a war that is not theirs. However, this is vital for the country’s international relations, because her allies will also help in her time of need and distress. Realism does not only involve self-preservation but also punishment of violations against human rights (Slaughter, 2005). A case in point is the Syrian civil war. In August when weapons of mass destruction were used against civilians in Syria, Germany and her allies could not stand by and watch human rights violations take place. They had to pass a resolution to invade either the perpetrators or destruction of weapons of mass destruction. War would mean deployment of forces to the country and more deaths. Nevertheless, reason won and the regime agreed to destroy their weapons of mass destruction. Germans do not want their military to get involved in international missions that are not sanctioned by the UN. As part of its international relations in military participation, Germany has formed alliances with other countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Denmark, and France. The government and the German Defense Ministry are trying to come up with initiatives that will make the German public proud of their military’s overseas missions. When the military was deployed to Afghanistan, Germans were of the opinion that that war had nothing to do with them and that their soldiers should not have been sent there, and that fighting in the Afghan war would make them targets of terrorist attacks. They also stated that the military’s involvement in Afghanistan goes against the Bundeswehr’s job description as an exclusively territorial defense forces. Germans do not want to take part in the war and are more concerned about domestic policies that affect their daily lives. Then the state has to take part in international relations to bolster not only its security, but also to increase its participation in global decision-making and foster economic good economic ties with other countries (Sobel et al, 2003). Conclusion Even though Germans have a negative opinion of their military and do not support their involvement in international military missions, it is important for the government to form coalitions and alliances with likeminded nations. This will not only be beneficial to the country but will also earn the country assistance and help in its time of need. Germans’ opinion of the military is partly shaped by the country’s past war history and involvement in violations and atrocities. The military was wrongfully used in the elimination of Jews, World War, and Cold War. With such a bad history that earned the country suspicion and criticism; the public does not want its military to be misused again. By instituting laws that govern military actions and dictating when it can participate in international missions, the country is trying to avoid a repetition of the past. However, Germany exists in a highly globalized world and is the largest economy in Europe. It cannot isolate itself from the rest of the world. It needs to form coalitions with other nations in a bid to improve its position, and gain economically from these alliances. The public perception of the military should be improved to increase the support of international military missions. The public need to be educated on the importance of the military’s overseas missions. Since Germany is the largest economy is Europe, it is constantly under pressure to increase its international military missions commensurate to its position in the European Union. References Kummel, G. (2001). Civil-military relations in Germany: Past, present and future. Strausberg: SOWI Kummel, G, and Loenhard, N., (2005). Death, the military and society casualties and civil military relations in Germany. Strausberg: SOWI Slaughter, A., (2005). International relations, principal theories. Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 1, 1-28. Sobel, R., Shiraev, E. and Shapiro, R., (2003). International public opinion and the Bosnia crisis. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. Read More