Will Germany's Army Ever Be Ready for Battle?

On June 15, the German army's General Wolfgang Schneiderhan found himself in front of an audience of politicians and senior officers defending military policy - on sleeping bags... [snip]

Schneiderhan's blunt comments do a good job of portraying the German army, or Bundeswehr, as a bunch of whining softies. But there's a serious side to his exasperation. The German army as it stands today is a relatively young creation, born after a period of demilitarization following the end of World War II. A defensive army, the Bundeswehr has become increasingly engaged in international missions and is coming under pressure to step up its involvement in out-and-out warfare [Translation: actually fight].

After what Schneiderhan said last week, however, many are wondering whether it's up to the task...

[When next you hear some simple lefty point to Europe's social welfare and claim that it seems to 'work' by virtue of their not having completely bankrupted themselves (yet), remember: their quasi solvency has been achieved by mortgaging something critical - their defense. There now remains only a hand full of EU member states that could arguably repel a serious invasion, and none that can project any serious power (consider: the British Royal Navy is now comprised of 42 capital ships - 42). They've relied on the US to handle all their serious defense needs for several generations now.]

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