ABSTRACT
In the German historical experience, ideological conflict and polarization have been severe and common. As a decisive ideological factor in traditional German foreign policy, conservatism contained four major elements that were central to its philosophical makeup: a realpolitik-based conception of international politics and foreign policy, an illiberal political ethos, a nationalist frame of reference, and a focus on military power. The two basic factors that served to guarantee continued national orientations in the Western-oriented Federal Republic (FRG's) foreign policy culture after 1949 were the Federal Republic's pursuit of increased sovereignty, emancipation, and leverage in international affairs, and the question of German reunification. The chapter explores the importance of military security issues in West German foreign policy thinking after 1949. The role of the military extended from foreign policy to domestic politics, where it had a prominent social function as Ordnungsfaktor in Germany's polarized political life.
