Full Description
The post-Cold War era has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the German political consensus about the legitimacy of the use of force. However, in comparison with its EU and NATO partners, Germany has been reticent to transform its military to meet the challenges of the contemporary security environment. Until 2003 territorial defence rather than crisis-management remained the armed forces' core role and the Bundeswehr continues to retain conscription. The book argues that 'strategic culture' provides only a partial explanation of German military reform. It demonstrates how domestic material factors were of crucial importance in shaping the pace and outcome of reform, despite the impact of 'international structure' and adaptational pressures from the EU and NATO. The domestic politics of base closures, ramifications for social policy, financial restrictions consequent upon German unification and commitment to EMU's Stability and Growth Pact were critical in determining the outcome of reform. The study also draws out the important role of policy leaders in the political management of reform as entrepreneurs, brokers or veto players, shifting the focus in German leadership studies away from a preoccupation with the Chancellor to the role of ministerial and administrative leadership within the core executive. Finally, the book contributes to our understanding of the Europeanization of the German political system, arguing that policy leaders played a key role in 'uploading' and 'downloading' processes to and from the EU and that Defence Ministers used 'Atlanticization' and 'Europeanization' in the interests of their domestic political agendas.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Figures and Tables
List of Abbreviations
Chapter 1. Explaining the Paradox of German Defense Policy 1990-2005
Germany in Context: Military Reform in Britain and France
Explaining the Paradox: Leadership and Culture as a Political Resource
The Concept of Policy Leadership
Leadership and Policy Studies in Germany
Chapter 2. The Bundeswehr in its Historical and Structural Context: The Scope for Policy Leadership
The Bundeswehr Policy Subsystem
Interlocking and Nested Policy Subsystems: Defense, Security, Foreign, and Budgetary Policy
The Three Coalitions in Defense and Security Policy During the Cold War
The Post-Cold War World: Unification, New Security Threats, and Responding to U.S. Power
Conclusion
Chapter 3. Policy Leadership and Bundeswehr Reform During the Kohl Chancellorships: The Art of Varying and Sequencing Roles
From the Gulf War to Sarajevo: Helmut Kohl as Policy Leader
Developing the Crisis Intervention Role of the Bundeswehr: Volker Rühe as Policy Entrepreneur and Broker 1992-94
The Structure of the Bundeswehr and the Politics of Base Closures: Volker Rühe as Policy Broker and Veto Player 1994-98
Leadership within the Defense Ministry: Denkverbot and the Control of Policy Learning
Contenders for the Role of Policy Entrepreneur on Bundeswehr Reform: Klaus Kinkel, the Foreign Ministry, the FDP, and the Greens
Adapting to Rühe: The SPD and the Deferral of Bundeswehr Reform
Conclusions
Chapter 4. Policy Leadership on Bundeswehr Reform During First the Schröder Chancellorship 1998-2002: Managing "Government by Commission"
Fanning the Flames of Policy Learning: The Weizsäcker Commission
The Strategic Context of Bundeswehr Reform: Base Closures, Social Policy, and the CDU/CSU Opposition
Rudolf Scharping as Policy Leader: The Marginalisation of the Weizsäcker Commission and the Control of Policy Learning
Policy Leadership and the Unsuccessful Implementation of Reform
Conclusions
Chapter 5. Bundeswehr Reform During the Second Schröder Chancellorship 2002-05: The Art of Combining Leadership Roles
The Parameters of Reform: Domestic Politics and the "Need for New Think"
Struck and the Defense Policy Guidelines (VPR): "Germany Will be Defended on the Hindukush"
Combining Leadership Roles to Build Consensus at the Macropolitical Level
Struck as Policy Veto Player on Structural Reform: Political Timing and the Control of Policy Learning
Conclusions
Chapter 6. Military Reform, NATO, and The Common European Security and Defense Policy: Between Atlanticization and Europeanization
Theories of Europeanization and German Defense and Security Policy
The EU and German Defense and Security Policy During the Kohl Chancellorship
Fischer, Scharping, and Europeanization: The Legacy of Opposition
Europeanization versus Atlanticization in the Defense Ministry: The Problem of Institutional Credibility
Conclusion: A Disjointed Discourse
Chapter 7. A Laggard in Military Reform: The Arts of Policy Leadership and the Triumph of Domestic Constraints over International Opportunity
Leadership and the Triumph of Domestic Constraint
The Implications for German Leadership Studies
The Concept of Strategic Culture: Resource as Well as Constraint
Europeanization: Leadership and the Management of 'Fit'
Bibliography
Index
