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The Bundeswehr is currently undergoing large-scale transformations. Part of the change, which began in January 2001, is that women previously confined to noncombat roles (e.g., medical service; military bands) are now eligible to all classifications and trades within the German armed forces as a consequence of a ruling of the European Court of Justice in January 2000. This seems to indicate that the gender order in Germany, as well as in modern societies in general, is subject to change. Nevertheless, the literature on the integration of women in the armed forces suggests that this step does not meet with fullscale approval. A survey of male Bundeswehr soldiers reveals a good deal of ambivalence, although the data in general seem to document a relatively integration-positive climate in the Bundeswehr. Anticipated positive effects are accompanied by reservations in some segments, and in some more than others. Such attitudes have two sources: one is the traditional image of the soldier, the military and gender roles, and the other is status inconsistency, i.e., a fear of the competition presented by women soldiers. Making female integration a success despite these views requires an unmistakable signal from the political and military leadership that integration is wanted and that it is based on the principles of equality of treatment and of equal opportunity.

In this article, we distinguish between a 'game code of conduct', an 'ethical and/or legal code of the military profession', 'codes of social intercourse', and a 'code of respect', and we assess to what extent these codes are reflected in the chivalrous behaviour we see today. Chivalry has developed from archaic medieval game codes of conduct into a codification regarding the laws of war and humanitarian law, but also in behavioural standards that are formalized in books of etiquette. However, these forms of moral codes of conduct do not overcome the problem of benevolent sexism, due to the fact that 'chivalry' is in essence a masculine ideology that excludes women from the military profession. Eventually, chivalric codes of social intercourse might develop into a code of respect, which may solve this issue.

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