Will Germany rearm quickly enough?

28 Aug 2025 11:30 AM

EXPERT COMMENT

‘Zeitenwende’ has transformed German attitudes to defence. But it will take more than increased spending to deliver a more effective military.

Germany is participating in a series of military exercises during August and September – training to defend NATO’s eastern flank. That follows May’s activation of a Bundeswehr armoured brigade that will be stationed long term in Lithuania as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. 

That deployment is perhaps the earliest visible manifestation of ‘Zeitenwende’ – loosely translated as ‘turning point’ – the security policy shift announced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that year was a wake-up call for all European NATO members. But for Germany, the invasion meant much more. Zeitenwende represents a transformational cultural and political shift for a country that was rebuilt on a pacifist and demilitarized legacy after the Second World War. 

The attitude of other European countries towards Germany has also changed significantly following the invasion. Only 30 years ago other European governments worried about German reunification, concerned it might create an over-powerful nation. Now, in the context of US disengagement from European defence, the same countries are eager for Berlin to expand its armed forces.

Germany has made unprecedented strides in the three years following Scholz’s speech. But significant challenges lie ahead to make its rearmament effort efficient, effective, and enduring.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.