Germany Aims to Build Europe’s Most Powerful Army, Says Chancellor Merz

[Social Media]

 

Germany Aims to Build Europe’s Most Powerful Army, Says Chancellor Merz

 

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signaled a dramatic shift in the country’s military posture, announcing that Germany must develop the most powerful conventional army in Europe and pledging to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for NATO allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense. Speaking before the German parliament in his first major address, Merz declared, “We must make all the means available that the Bundeswehr needs so that it can become the strongest conventional army in Europe.”

 

 

The declaration represents a bold step away from Germany’s historically cautious military stance, rooted in the trauma of its Nazi past. By setting the ambition to outpace not only France and Poland, but also the United Kingdom, Germany is embracing a leadership role in European security not seen in decades. Johann Wadephul, Merz’s foreign minister, confirmed the government’s commitment, stating that Berlin would support the 5 percent defense spending benchmark urged by Trump, saying, “We will follow him there.”

 

 

While Trump has long criticized NATO allies for underfunding their militaries, only a few countries, such as Estonia and Poland, have pledged to reach the 5 percent mark. The United Kingdom, by contrast, is targeting 2.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2027. Merz’s announcement comes amid Germany’s broader effort to reassert itself as a military power, a response driven largely by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For decades, Germany allowed its military capability to atrophy, symbolized by soldiers once using broomsticks during NATO exercises due to equipment shortages.

 

 

Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz attempted to reverse this decline with a special €100 billion fund aimed at modernizing the Bundeswehr. Merz has gone even further, lifting strict fiscal constraints on defense projects, permitting unlimited spending on any initiative that exceeds 1 percent of GDP.

 

The government is also weighing a return to conscription—abolished in 2011—if a new volunteer service scheme fails to attract sufficient recruits.

 

Germany’s rearmament plans are ambitious, requiring a surge in troop numbers and a ramp-up in the production of military hardware such as Taurus missiles, Leopard 2 tanks, and IRIS-T missiles. Infrastructure improvements will also be necessary, including renovations to barracks and enhancements to the transportation network, which experts fear is currently too dilapidated to move troops and equipment quickly in an emergency.

 

The Bundeswehr currently fields around 180,000 regular troops, compared to over 135,000 in the UK. Including reservists, Germany claims nearly one million personnel, a holdover from its era of national service. While France and Poland maintain slightly over 200,000 active soldiers each, Germany’s armored capability has already outpaced Britain, with 296 battle tanks compared to Britain’s 213—of which fewer than 150 are believed to be operational. Poland leads Europe with 614 tanks, while France has 215.

 

Despite these developments, experts note that the British military retains an edge in combat experience and training quality. Britain also possesses a robust nuclear deterrent through its Trident program, with an estimated 60 nuclear missiles. Germany, by contrast, lacks its own nuclear arsenal and relies on U.S. nuclear weapons stationed on its soil—estimated at 20, though Berlin has no operational control over them. In naval strength, Britain also leads with 52 warships and nine submarines, compared to Germany’s estimated fleet of 30 to 40 warships and six submarines.

 

Germany’s military ambitions are also becoming more visible in its leadership of Task Force Baltic, a new NATO initiative focused on securing the Baltic Sea against potential Russian sabotage, especially threats to undersea cables. Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch of the German navy described Russian discomfort with German military activity in the region as a “good sign.”

 

However, not all German leaders are convinced the public is psychologically prepared for this renewed military role. Former German President Joachim Gauck recently expressed concern over the national mindset. “What concerns me is not just a military weakness but a mental one, that we are not sufficiently prepared—not just technically, but in terms of emotion, morality and politics. We need a new seriousness,” he said. His words reflect the tension between Germany’s evolving military ambitions and a society that has known peace and prosperity for generations.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-05-17

 

 

[daveAustin]

About time the Germans started putting more into their military again. France should also be spending more. Not too hard and gung-ho though; can’t have any of this reich business. 

[impulse]

Remind me what happened the last time Germany spent 5% of their GDP on the military?

 

[kiwikeith]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

Remind me what happened the last time Germany spent 5% of their GDP on the military?

 

Danger Will Robinson 

[ChipButty]

What again? they tried that twice before, look what happened, 

[Yagoda]

Germany will not be a military power as long as they still train their kids with Struwwelpeter and their amies with Kadavergehorsam.

 

 

[newbee2022]

The world is waiting: Germans to the front.

Let the Taurus fly😱

[FlorC]

An army to fight the enemy already within their borders ?

Or for the imaginairy Russians invasion ?

[BE88]

Here is the explanation why more and more new immigrants are needed in Germany. 

 

After failing twice, you try again the third time with the same final result.

[Tug]

24 minutes ago, FlorC said:

An army to fight the enemy already within their borders ?

Or for the imaginairy Russians invasion ?

They know they have no choice due to Russian aggression ,they are a member of nato and knowing that under trump the USA cannot be depended on.they along with the rest of Europe will have to stop Putin’s aggression.

[Yagoda]

22 minutes ago, Tug said:

hey along with the rest of Europe will have to stop Putin’s aggression.

About time I may add.

[Cameroni]

Unless Germany develops her own nuclear weapons what good will it do?

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Remind me what happened the last time Germany spent 5% of their GDP on the military?

 

 

The French lined the Champs-Élysées with trees.

[bendejo]

Germany Aims to Build Europe’s Most Powerful Army, Says Chancellor Merz

 

Oh no, not again!

 

[frank83628]

Did German just ban the opposition party claiming they were stopping fascism.... by being fascist

Not very a Democratic thing for a NATO country to do, seeing as upholding democracy is part of the NATO mantra

[Cameroni]

So Merz has expressly ruled out Germany obtaining nuclear weapons.

 

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-debates-issue-of-nuclear-weapons/a-71924424

 

If Germans win on the battlefield against Russian conventional forces, then Germany will be nuked.

 

How is this a sensible policy?

[connda]

Been there, done that - how'd that work out the last time, 'eh?  🤔 And I'd guarantee that that new army would take up where the old (Nazi) army failed.  Somewhere around Kursk on their march from Germany Eastward toward Moscow. Again. 

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has signaled a dramatic shift in the country’s military posture, announcing that Germany must develop the most powerful conventional army in Europe and pledging to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for NATO allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense. Speaking before the German parliament in his first major address, Merz declared, “We must make all the means available that the Bundeswehr needs so that it can become the strongest conventional army in Europe.”

Coming to the EU soon .......... Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!

[connda]

 

31 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Coming to the EU soon .......... Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!

Ein viertes (4th) Reich - The Fourth time's a charm.

Ein Führer in einem Kleid - A Fearless-Leader in a dress spitting hellfire and brimstone Eastward and rousing the dogs of war, but one you'll never see anywhere near the front. 

 

[JonnyF]

May as well.

 

They will have a lot of manufacturing capacity available now that nobody is buying German products.

 

[Task Master]

Today Germany, tomorrow the vorld!

[Bannoi]

When I joined the British Army we were about 350,000 strong now it's lesss than a third of that in fact all three services are only about 180,000  successive governments have hollowed out all three services their always an easy target for cuts and cost savings until they are actually needed. 

 

The UK government now has stated an ambition to reach 3% of GDP in the next Parliament that is still far too low and late it needs to be now and at least 5%.

 

I would also like to see some sort of conscription brought in even if it was only for say a choice of 6 months regular or 2 years reserve force

 

It takes time to fully train men and a lot longer to build the ships planes tanks etc. and all the equipment they need.

 

It's only through a position of strength we can deter aggression and maintain peace.

 

I have one son in the Royal Navy and another in the Royal Marines so I admit to being biased, everyone apparently being expected to do more with less

 

 

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

Remind me what happened the last time Germany spent 5% of their GDP on the military?

 

 

6 hours ago, impulse said:

Remind me what happened the last time Germany spent 5% of their GDP on the military?

 

There was enough in the budget to buy Prince Harry a uniform... 

[BLMFem]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

May as well.

 

They will have a lot of manufacturing capacity available now that nobody is buying German products.

 

Is that so, or is that a envious little rant from a disillusioned Brexiteer?

[candide]

3 hours ago, connda said:

 

Ein viertes (4th) Reich - The Fourth time's a charm.

Ein Führer in einem Kleid - A Fearless-Leader in a dress spitting hellfire and brimstone Eastward and rousing the dogs of war, but one you'll never see anywhere near the front. 

 

The EU has no military prerogative....🙂

[FlorC]

5 hours ago, Tug said:

They know they have no choice due to Russian aggression ,they are a member of nato and knowing that under trump the USA cannot be depended on.they along with the rest of Europe will have to stop Putin’s aggression.

Russian aggression , Putin’s aggression ?

 

Nonexistent.