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The reform of the Bundeswehr: Adaptation or fundamental renewal?

2001; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 10; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09662830108407491

1746-1545

Franz‐Josef Meiers,

Defense, Military, and Policy Studies

Abstract The article compares the major conclusions of the commission headed by former German President Richard von Weizsäcker, the former General Inspector of the Armed Forces General Hans‐Peter von Kirchbach, and Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping to bring the Bundeswehr into the era of crisis prevention and crisis management. Its major thesis is: measured against the two critical benchmarks of what constitutes a structural reform of the Bundeswehr, namely a significant reduction of the size of the Bundeswehr to 240,000 troops and a stabilization of defense expenditures, the reform measures proposed by Defense Minister Scharping fall far short of what they pretent to achieve.