Germany Hopes to Attract Tens of Thousands More Military Recruits as NATO Strengthens Defences

Over three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine spurred a military revival, Germany is intensifying efforts to bolster its armed forces, targeting tens of thousands of new recruits to meet NATO's heightened defence demands. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has positioned the country, with its economic might, as the leader for NATO's strongest conventional army in Europe, a departure from decades of post-World War II restraint. Recent exercises in the Baltic port of Rostock, simulating troop deployments to Lithuania—Germany's first long-term foreign brigade—highlighted the urgency, with Gen. Carsten Breuer, Bundeswehr chief of staff, stressing that "credible deterrence requires operational readiness" through equipment, personnel, and rigorous training.

The military grapples with intertwined challenges: outdated infrastructure and a shrinking workforce. Personnel numbers have stagnated near 180,000 since suspending male conscription in 2011, down from 300,000 in 2001, prompting goals of 260,000 active members and 200,000 reservists within a decade. A €100 billion modernisation fund launched in 2022 is procuring F-35 jets, Leopard 2 tanks, and frigates, but delivery delays persist. Experts like Thomas Wiegold of the Augen geradeaus! blog argue that inadequate barracks and equipment deter applicants, while a parliamentary report decried some facilities as "disastrous". Merz's coalition has eased debt rules to sustain funding, a shift for the historically cautious nation.

To address shortages without immediate conscription—opposed by coalition partners—the Cabinet approved a flexible service model last month, offering better pay, training, and terms for short-term volunteers. From 2026, 18-year-olds will receive questionnaires on service willingness, with mandatory medical checks for men starting in 2027, laying the groundwork for potential compulsion if recruitment falters. Sceptics in Merz's conservative bloc, including BundeswehrVerband head Col. André Wüstner, doubt voluntary growth, advocating a phased return to mandatory service.

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Public campaigns are elevating the military's image, scarred by Nazi history, through ads on pizza boxes and TikTok, personalised postcards to teens, and high-profile swearing-in ceremonies. Germany's first Veterans' Day in June further honours service members. New recruit Lina, 21, cited global tensions as her motivation: "If no one goes into this service, who will do it?" Fellow enlistee Vincent, 26, emphasised defending Europe: "I can't say that's important and not do something for it myself." As NATO allies commit to personnel hikes, Germany's recruitment drive signals a broader European rearmament amid Russian threats.

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