Nina-Birke Glonnegger: In its most ambitious military reform of all time, Germany has decided to suspend conscription this July in favor of an all-volunteer force. With this step, Germany is on a path familiar to many other NATO member states.
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Editorial Team: Germany is ready to take on its share of responsibility in matters of international security. Not least to this end, the country’s military is to be reformed and turned into an all-volunteer force. That is easier said than done, however, since conscription constitutes an integral part of Germany’s post-war identity. Not surprisingly, the Bundeswehr reform proposed by the Minister of Defense zu Guttenberg is turning into a passionate debate on the country’s role in an increasingly globalized world and its vision of the future.
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