Falling into line? Kosovo and the course of German foreign policy

Abstract

Germany's role in Operation Allied Force has been described as a watershed in its foreign policy. It remains perhaps the pinnacle of Germany's security and defence policy transition after the Cold War. Germany's participation in Operation Allied Force was the first aggressive use of force by the Bundeswehr since the Second World War and, remarkably, was undertaken without a United Nations Security Council mandate. The deployment of German forces in 1999 suggested that German reluctance to burden‐share in crisis management alongside NATO allies had been overcome. Yet Germany remains a cautious actor when it comes to the deployment of offensive military force. In this regard, Germany has maintained a considerable degree of continuity in its foreign and security policy after unification, a theme which this article will outline.

With or Without Force: European Public Opinion on Democracy Promotion

“…On the other hand, there are several reasons to expect significant variance among citizens in different European countries that cannot be explained by the discussed socio-economic or political variables, but rather by particular country contexts. For instance, among major European powers, France and the United Kingdom have utilised the military to intervene on a regular basis, whereas Germany has remained a much more cautious actor when it comes to the deployment of military force (Miskimmon 2009). Emerging democracies in Eastern Europe have also been identified as engaging in democracy promotion, but at the same time tend to be more reluctant to participate in military interventions (Jonavicius 2008).…”

With or Without Force? European Public Opinion on Democracy Promotion

“…Instead, there are reasons to expect significant variance among European countries that cannot be explained by the discussed individual‐level variables. For instance, among major European powers, France and the United Kingdom have used the military to intervene on a regular basis, whereas Germany has remained a much more cautious actor when it comes to the deployment of military force (Miskimmon, ). Emerging democracies in eastern Europe have also been identified as engaging in democracy promotion, but at the same time tend to be more reluctant to participate in military interventions (Jonavicius, ).…”

Managing Convergence: German Military Doctrine and Capabilities in the 21st Century

“…84 US pressure for more robust involvement led Germany to take command of Regional Command North in June 2008 and to participation in higher-intensity operations like Operation Harekate Yolo II (October 2007). 85 The operation involved offensive military action and highlighted the Bundeswehr's deficiencies in undertaking COIN, particularly its inability to effectively integrate low and high-intensity tasks. 86 These conclusions have been underlined by Operation Eagle that provided security in Kunduz before the Afghan elections in August 2009 and involved the use of heavy artillery and the Luftwaffe in close ground-support.…”