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The Bundeswehr ( German: [ˈbʊndəsˌveːɐ̯] ⓘ, literally Federal Defence) is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Bundeswehr is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte) and a civil part, the military part consisting of the German Army, the German Navy, the German Air Force, the Joint Support Service ...
- 17
- 181,596, (2023) (ranked 30th)
- Wir. Dienen. Deutschland., ("We. Serve. Germany.")
After World War II, Germany was divided into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), which both formed their own armed forces: on 12 November 1955 the first recruits began their service in the West German Heer, while on 1 March 1956 the East German Landstreitkräfte der NVA (Land Forces ...
- 11 November 1955
- Bundeswehr
Mission and Tasks of the Bundeswehr. Since the end of the Cold War, the demands on German security and defence policy have fundamentally changed. More.
During the Cold War, this primarily referred to defence against a direct attack on the Federal Republic of Germany and its partners in NATO, as well as protection of the Alliance territory and the population against a potential aggressor.
The history of the German Army is a key element of the Bundeswehr’s history. Since 1950, when the “Blank Office” was founded, the German Army as the largest armed service has undergone many reforms as a result of changes in foreign and security policy. From the beginning, the German Army was incorporated into the NATO structures. The “Blank Office”
The German Military comes under the sole authority of the federal government and is made up of the Army (Heer), the Navy (Marine), and the Air Force (Luftwaffe), as well as the Joint Support Service and the Central Medical Service.
The rank insignia of the federal armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany indicate rank and branch of service in the German Army (Heer), German Air Force (Luftwaffe), or the German Navy (Marine). They are regulated by the "presidential order on rank designation and military uniform".
