benherrmann
New Member
Hello all...
To preface my remarks, allow me to give you a bit of my background so you'll be able to see where I'm coming from (and what I'm getting at in this posting).
I was born in Germany (Bavaria) in 1949 - the son of a WW II Wehrmacht Panzer Officer, and my mother served as a secretary with the German General Staff. We emigrated to the US in the mid 1950's. Upon graduating from high school, my father suggested that I join the "toughest" outfit that the US has - the Marine Corps - and so I did back in 1967. After doing two tours in Vietnam, I decided to make the Marine Corps a career (for 26 years) and served in a variety of scenarios to include tours as a Recruit Drill Instructor, US State Department Duty, and in a half dozen other posts. I subsequently retired from the Corps in 1993.
Alright, so where am I going with this posting? Since retiring from the Corps, I've been steadfastly keeping up with what is going on with the German Bundeswehr (the modern day Germany Army), researching their various doctrines, keeping up with units, weapons, and mostly with personnel matters. Why? Well, call it a bit of "harkening back to the Fatherland" mindset, which I still have, and also because I've always enjoyed military history, particularly, German military history.
So now I come to the nature of this posting - the status of the Bundeswehr. Having been in discussions over the years with many other military historians, they all seemingly talked about how the modern German Army would still maintain the traditions, discipline, training, and military equipment that once made them a force to be reckoned with in the past. But is that really true anymore? Members of the Bundeswehr are told that they are a "Parliamentary Army," so as to distinguish themselves from the Armies of the past (under Hitler, or the Kaisers from WW I and prior). The reality is - in my opinion - they may very well be a Paper Tiger. Let's look at a few brief categories below.
1. German Military Docrine and Attitudes about the military in general. The German attitudes towards their Bundeswehr are completely unlike what we experience here in the US with our military. In the US, we (society) for the most part, look at our military personnel with respect and we hold them in high esteem. The Germans, on the other hand, don't want to give off the wrong impressions for fear that any focus on their military may signal a rise of militarism (WW II and its aftermath is still firmly embedded in the minds of the German politicians - and their society in general). It is not unusual to see large groups of far left demonstrators literally trying to "shout down" any local German military ceremonies like recruit graduations, or other small time ceremonies. The Germans don't hold any large scale parades (i.e. national parades) - rather, their ceremonies are maintained to smaller unit level affairs or evening tattoos referred to "Zapfenstreichs."
2. Weapons and Equipment. Although the Germans still make some of the finest generalized weapons in the world today (yes, they still make superb small arms, armor, ships and other generalized equipment....), they have an extremely small budget to maintain all of that gear. The end result has now led to many units being heavily cannibalized so that the few so called combat "ready" units have what they need. Recently, a few companies of German Panzer Grenadiers were sent to one of the Balkan countries as a show of NATO force towards Russia - and all of their equipment and weapons were on loan from other units. The state of repair and equipment combat readiness of most German Army units is atrocious by many standards.
3. Military Discipline. Contemporary German army disciplinary standards are such that all efforts are maintained to ensure that any references or comparisons to German armies of the past should not be made. I've always maintained that an Army must not only look good - but that it must have the "will to fight." The Bundeswehr today is a voluntary military and the way their military is marketed in Germany is that they are presented as "the largest job providers" in Germany. They also sell the experience of "camaraderie," which has always been a German hallmark, but the discipline that once molded Germany soldiers into being some of the most well respected soldiers around the world is no more.
4. Military Appearance Standards. When you look at the Bundeswehr today, the Germans seemingly take great pride - or so it seems - in being able to have beards, longer hair, and a good percentage of their military members are overweight and slovenly in appearance. Although they still maintain some of the most attractive, colorful, and stylish uniforms, they just don't wear them with the pride that once personified the German Armed Forces prior to 1945. Additionally, just so they could fit in, the Germans even adopted the beret and unfortunately, most of them don't even know how to wear them properly. One has to only to watch the many You Tube videos about Bundeswehr units to see what I'm referring to here. Why does everybody have to wear berets now-a-days? Even many criminal street gangs around the world wear berets. Really!!!!!!
5. An Exception to the rule - the German Guard Battalion. One German unit exceedingly stands out of the crowd - and masterfully so - and they are the Bundeswehr Wachbattailon (or Guard Battalion) located in Berlin and Freiburg. This 1800 man battalion is used for ceremonial purposes and they look absolutely stellar. You won't see overweight folks there, nor will you see beards or long hair being tolerated. These troops look outstanding and their uniforms are maintained to razor sharp perfection. They even use the old K98 Mauser rifle as their ceremonial rifle along with the old style German jack boots (but with trousers bloused over the boots). To watch them march is to smile and the sound of their leather heels striking the deck is music (well, to my ears, that is). I would love to see some of these standards filtered across the remainder of the Bundeswehr.
6. Close Order Drill. One well known aspect of German Armies of the past was not only how they wore their uniform and their personal grooming standards, but also how well they marched. The old German "goosestep," as it was named by western countries, is really known as the "Stechschritt" in German and it was originally designed to be used as a marching style beginning around 50 yards prior to approaching the reviewing stand, and then for another 50 yards or so past it. This "goosestep" style of marching is no longer allowed (hasn't been since WW II - but the East Germans while in the Soviet Bloc used it extensively). Now look at the unified German Army of today. Other than the Wachbattaillon, seeing the majority of German units in any type of parade or ceremony often winds up being a casual embarrassment. Many of the troops can't keep in step - they often appear as if they're casually walking and to anyone that has studied military history, one can only shake one's head in disgust. The once proud Roman Legions held fast to the belief that "you must be as good on parade as in battle." In my professional opinion (IMO), contemporary German soldiers look better just standing still in formation. It's when they try to move in an organized fashion, that it can become disorganized.
Alright - so all of this sounds like I'm crying for long lost times - who knows, maybe I am (we can dream, can't we?). At the same time I'm a realist. German society today is a far cry of what it once was. All countries are joined at the hip via economies, technology, communications, entertainment, etc., and as a result, national identifies cross-pollinate and begin to diffuse. And Germany is no different. Most of the contemporary German military mindsets were learned and copied from us - the Americans. Even the German language has been vastly changed with many, many American words now being considered part of their language. The Germans have even - and now get this - copied the US Navy's theme song, "Anchors Aweigh" as their theme song, rather than use their traditional "Unser Marine" (Our Marine) theme song which dates back over a 100 years (remember, can't have any comparisons to past German armies, now can they...).
In closing, as someone originally born in Germany (and a proud American I might add), I am growing increasing wary about the Russian military threat to all of Europe. The Russian military standards are very tough and they are proud organization (and can be ruthless in combat), along with maintaining some of the finest equipment in the world. Within all of Europe, the absolutely requirements for a strong, well trained, and ready Germany and France are a "must" against this growing Russian threat. Unfortunately, when you're a Paper Tiger, as Germany has become, there's not much you can do other than preach "patience" with the Russians as German Chancellor Merkel has done.
Would love to hear some of your comments - especially those of you who have observed the Bundeswehr over the years.
OK gang...I'm done with my rant.
Have a great day!!!
Semper Fidelis,
Bernd Werner Herrmann
Master Gunnery Sergeant
US Marine Corps (Retired)
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina USA
Moderator Edit. Font colour changed because red is reserved for Moderators use only.
To preface my remarks, allow me to give you a bit of my background so you'll be able to see where I'm coming from (and what I'm getting at in this posting).
I was born in Germany (Bavaria) in 1949 - the son of a WW II Wehrmacht Panzer Officer, and my mother served as a secretary with the German General Staff. We emigrated to the US in the mid 1950's. Upon graduating from high school, my father suggested that I join the "toughest" outfit that the US has - the Marine Corps - and so I did back in 1967. After doing two tours in Vietnam, I decided to make the Marine Corps a career (for 26 years) and served in a variety of scenarios to include tours as a Recruit Drill Instructor, US State Department Duty, and in a half dozen other posts. I subsequently retired from the Corps in 1993.
Alright, so where am I going with this posting? Since retiring from the Corps, I've been steadfastly keeping up with what is going on with the German Bundeswehr (the modern day Germany Army), researching their various doctrines, keeping up with units, weapons, and mostly with personnel matters. Why? Well, call it a bit of "harkening back to the Fatherland" mindset, which I still have, and also because I've always enjoyed military history, particularly, German military history.
So now I come to the nature of this posting - the status of the Bundeswehr. Having been in discussions over the years with many other military historians, they all seemingly talked about how the modern German Army would still maintain the traditions, discipline, training, and military equipment that once made them a force to be reckoned with in the past. But is that really true anymore? Members of the Bundeswehr are told that they are a "Parliamentary Army," so as to distinguish themselves from the Armies of the past (under Hitler, or the Kaisers from WW I and prior). The reality is - in my opinion - they may very well be a Paper Tiger. Let's look at a few brief categories below.
1. German Military Docrine and Attitudes about the military in general. The German attitudes towards their Bundeswehr are completely unlike what we experience here in the US with our military. In the US, we (society) for the most part, look at our military personnel with respect and we hold them in high esteem. The Germans, on the other hand, don't want to give off the wrong impressions for fear that any focus on their military may signal a rise of militarism (WW II and its aftermath is still firmly embedded in the minds of the German politicians - and their society in general). It is not unusual to see large groups of far left demonstrators literally trying to "shout down" any local German military ceremonies like recruit graduations, or other small time ceremonies. The Germans don't hold any large scale parades (i.e. national parades) - rather, their ceremonies are maintained to smaller unit level affairs or evening tattoos referred to "Zapfenstreichs."
2. Weapons and Equipment. Although the Germans still make some of the finest generalized weapons in the world today (yes, they still make superb small arms, armor, ships and other generalized equipment....), they have an extremely small budget to maintain all of that gear. The end result has now led to many units being heavily cannibalized so that the few so called combat "ready" units have what they need. Recently, a few companies of German Panzer Grenadiers were sent to one of the Balkan countries as a show of NATO force towards Russia - and all of their equipment and weapons were on loan from other units. The state of repair and equipment combat readiness of most German Army units is atrocious by many standards.
3. Military Discipline. Contemporary German army disciplinary standards are such that all efforts are maintained to ensure that any references or comparisons to German armies of the past should not be made. I've always maintained that an Army must not only look good - but that it must have the "will to fight." The Bundeswehr today is a voluntary military and the way their military is marketed in Germany is that they are presented as "the largest job providers" in Germany. They also sell the experience of "camaraderie," which has always been a German hallmark, but the discipline that once molded Germany soldiers into being some of the most well respected soldiers around the world is no more.
4. Military Appearance Standards. When you look at the Bundeswehr today, the Germans seemingly take great pride - or so it seems - in being able to have beards, longer hair, and a good percentage of their military members are overweight and slovenly in appearance. Although they still maintain some of the most attractive, colorful, and stylish uniforms, they just don't wear them with the pride that once personified the German Armed Forces prior to 1945. Additionally, just so they could fit in, the Germans even adopted the beret and unfortunately, most of them don't even know how to wear them properly. One has to only to watch the many You Tube videos about Bundeswehr units to see what I'm referring to here. Why does everybody have to wear berets now-a-days? Even many criminal street gangs around the world wear berets. Really!!!!!!
5. An Exception to the rule - the German Guard Battalion. One German unit exceedingly stands out of the crowd - and masterfully so - and they are the Bundeswehr Wachbattailon (or Guard Battalion) located in Berlin and Freiburg. This 1800 man battalion is used for ceremonial purposes and they look absolutely stellar. You won't see overweight folks there, nor will you see beards or long hair being tolerated. These troops look outstanding and their uniforms are maintained to razor sharp perfection. They even use the old K98 Mauser rifle as their ceremonial rifle along with the old style German jack boots (but with trousers bloused over the boots). To watch them march is to smile and the sound of their leather heels striking the deck is music (well, to my ears, that is). I would love to see some of these standards filtered across the remainder of the Bundeswehr.
6. Close Order Drill. One well known aspect of German Armies of the past was not only how they wore their uniform and their personal grooming standards, but also how well they marched. The old German "goosestep," as it was named by western countries, is really known as the "Stechschritt" in German and it was originally designed to be used as a marching style beginning around 50 yards prior to approaching the reviewing stand, and then for another 50 yards or so past it. This "goosestep" style of marching is no longer allowed (hasn't been since WW II - but the East Germans while in the Soviet Bloc used it extensively). Now look at the unified German Army of today. Other than the Wachbattaillon, seeing the majority of German units in any type of parade or ceremony often winds up being a casual embarrassment. Many of the troops can't keep in step - they often appear as if they're casually walking and to anyone that has studied military history, one can only shake one's head in disgust. The once proud Roman Legions held fast to the belief that "you must be as good on parade as in battle." In my professional opinion (IMO), contemporary German soldiers look better just standing still in formation. It's when they try to move in an organized fashion, that it can become disorganized.
Alright - so all of this sounds like I'm crying for long lost times - who knows, maybe I am (we can dream, can't we?). At the same time I'm a realist. German society today is a far cry of what it once was. All countries are joined at the hip via economies, technology, communications, entertainment, etc., and as a result, national identifies cross-pollinate and begin to diffuse. And Germany is no different. Most of the contemporary German military mindsets were learned and copied from us - the Americans. Even the German language has been vastly changed with many, many American words now being considered part of their language. The Germans have even - and now get this - copied the US Navy's theme song, "Anchors Aweigh" as their theme song, rather than use their traditional "Unser Marine" (Our Marine) theme song which dates back over a 100 years (remember, can't have any comparisons to past German armies, now can they...).
In closing, as someone originally born in Germany (and a proud American I might add), I am growing increasing wary about the Russian military threat to all of Europe. The Russian military standards are very tough and they are proud organization (and can be ruthless in combat), along with maintaining some of the finest equipment in the world. Within all of Europe, the absolutely requirements for a strong, well trained, and ready Germany and France are a "must" against this growing Russian threat. Unfortunately, when you're a Paper Tiger, as Germany has become, there's not much you can do other than preach "patience" with the Russians as German Chancellor Merkel has done.
Would love to hear some of your comments - especially those of you who have observed the Bundeswehr over the years.
OK gang...I'm done with my rant.
Have a great day!!!
Semper Fidelis,
Bernd Werner Herrmann
Master Gunnery Sergeant
US Marine Corps (Retired)
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina USA
Moderator Edit. Font colour changed because red is reserved for Moderators use only.
