ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the foundation of the Bundeswehr. It presents the current shape of the Bundeswehr and explores the financial framework of the armed forces. The chapter introduces the structure of West Germany’s military organization and the main features of its legal base. The constitutionally determined tasks of the Bundeswehr and their translation into military terms. The debate on security and defense in the Federal Republic of Germany is characterized by a pattern of hills and valleys of public interest. One of the pernicious problems associated with the defense budget of West Germany is the growing weight of operational costs compared with investments. The political reconstruction of Germany was deeply influenced by the idea that the Germans should learn from the political mistakes of the Weimar republic. “The use of the Bundeswehr against parts of the West German population would always be a sign of the failure of West Germany’s political leadership.”
