| German Army Deutsches Heer |
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|---|---|
Logo of the German Army |
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| Active | 1955–present |
| Country | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Role | Land force |
| Size | 73,823[1] |
| Motto | To protect, help, moderate, and fight Schützen, helfen, vermitteln, kämpfen |
| Colors | Blue, Grey and White |
| Anniversaries | November 12, 1955 |
| Engagements | United Nations Operations in Somalia Aftermath of the Balkan Wars 1995-1999 |
| Decorations | Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr Military Proficiency Badge Badge of Marksmanship Service Medal Flood Service Medal |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lieutenant General Werner Freers |
| Notable commanders |
General Ulrich de Maizière General Ernst Ferber, COMAFCENT 1973–1975 Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm, later Undersecretary of Defense |
The German Army (German: Deutsches Heer, Heer pronounced [ˈheːɐ̯] ( listen)) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force. In the aftermath of the German reunification of 1990, the National People's Army of the former German Democratic Republic was integrated into the (West) German Army.
A unified German Army dates from 1871, and the unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia. From 1871 to 1919 the title Kaiserlich Deutsches Heer or Imperial German Army was the official name of the army. This was the title the army carried during the First World War. From 1921 to 1935 under the Weimar Republic the army's title was the Reichsheer or National Army. Since 1935, armies of successor German states have been involved in the Second World War, NATO Allied Forces Central Europe deterrence duties during the Cold War, peacekeeping operations in Somalia, and since 2002, fighting with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Traditions can be traced between the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht Heer. However after the Second World War the architects of the new Bundeswehr Heer deliberately denied all linkages between the Nazi-era army and the new army of the Federal Republic of Germany. The only permitted historical antecedants for today's Bundeswehr Heer are the Prussian military reformers and the servicemen who carried on an underground resistance against Adolf Hitler during the Second World War.
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Since Germany first became a modern unified state in 1871, previous names of German unified ground forces have included:
After the reform movement of the Prussian Army following a series of disastrous defeats at the hands of her enemies in the 18th century, internal analysis of the lessons learned had informed Prussian civilian and military leadership that, while individual soldiers were first rate, command structures, staff organisation and generalship was a hit-and-miss affair, more dependent on the martial skills of the King and the individual members of the German nobility who dominated the military profession. Too often, military talent was brought together only after the Nation faced a crisis. There was little effective organizational work in between wars. The rise of the German General Staff, an institution that sought to institutionalize military excellence, brought the German Army back from years of atrophy and the humiliation of Napoleon's capture of Berlin. With membership in the officer corps extended to all qualified German-speaking men via national examinations, the improved education of the military schools, and selection from the top 1% graduates of the Kriegsakademie, a new class of top-notch leaders arose, and the German Army was set on a course for near-total dominance in Europe.
Following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo the Prussian Kingdom had years of military successes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Every able bodied man between the ages of 17 and 45 was liable for military service. There were 4 classes of service - Active (Aktiv), Reserve, Landwehr and Landsturm. The Landwehr and Landsturm were only called up at times of war. The basic unit of the army at this time was the Regiment. Regiments were typically raised and supported by a specific city or region. Each regiment was then stationed near its home city. The Reserve regiment was often made up of past members of the local regiment. The Landwehr and Landsturm units were also organized the same way. An individual could spend all 22 years of military service surrounded by friends and family. While this system created close ties within regiments, it also meant that the entire population of young men from a city or region could be wiped out in one battle.
The German Army that fought in World War I was not a truly single, unified army. Before unification, each monarchy (for example, the Great Dukedoms of Hesse and Baden) had its own army. The unification of Germany in January 1871 and the formation of the German Empire brought most of them under the command of the Prussian army, which became the nucleus of the Armies of the German Empire (Deutsches Reichsheer), though each continued to wear its own uniforms and insignias. Furthermore, the four German kingdoms that existed after the Napoleonic era - Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony and Württemberg - kept their own armies until the end of WWI. The peacetime commander-in-chief of each army was its king. After the declaration of war, the emperor (Kaiser) became the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces.
In 1914 the German army fielded 50 active divisions and 48 in reserve. By 1918, the number of divisions had risen to a total of 251.
Following the end of World War I and the collapse of the German Empire, most of the German Army (Heer) was demobilized or simply dissolved. Many former soldiers drifted into small paramilitary groups known as Free Corps (Freikorps). The Free Corps were generally groups of 100 men or fewer that protected a neighbourhood or town.
On 6 March 1919 an army known as the Provisional German Defence Force (Vorläufige Reichswehr) was formed with about 400,000 men, many drawn from the Free Corps. On 30 September that same year, the Transitional Army (Übergangsheer) was created from the Defence Force and the Free Corps.
Finally, on 1 January 1921 the 100,000 man Army of the Weimar Republic (Reichswehr) was formed with seven Infantry Divisions and three Cavalry Divisions. It was troops from the Army of the Weimar Republic who crushed Adolf Hitler's Munich Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923.
Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was only allowed 100,000 men split between the Army and the Navy. Following the 1932 German elections the Nazi Party came to power and began to abrogate the treaty. The Army was made part of the Wehrmacht in May 1935 with the passing of the "Law for the Reconstruction of the National Defence Forces". The Wehrmacht included not just the Army and Navy but also a third branch known as the Luftwaffe. Initially, the Army was expanded to 21 divisional-sized units and smaller formations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands of smaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945 close to 16 million served in the Army. Over 3 million were killed and over 4.1 million were wounded. Of the 7,361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honor of World War II, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 4,777 were from the Army, making up 65% of the total awarded. The Allies dissolved the German Army on 20 August 1946.
Just one year after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany and its increasing links with the West under the policy-making of Konrad Adenauer, the Consultative Assembly of Europe began to consider the formation of a European Defence Community with German participation on 11 August 1950. Formerly high-ranking German Wehrmacht soldiers outlined in the Himmeroder memorandum for the first time an outline of a new "German contingent in an international force for the defense of Western Europe." For the German land forces the memorandum saw prior to 1952 the formation of a 250,000 strong army. The military saw the need for the formation of twelve Panzer divisions and six corps staffs with accompanying Corps troops, as only armored divisions could muster a fighting force to throw back the numerically far superior forces of the Warsaw Pact.[3]
On 26 October 1950 Theodor Blank was appointed "officer of the Federal Chancellor for the Strengthening of Allied Troops questions". This Defence Ministry forerunner was known somewhat euphemistically as the Blank Office (Amt Blank), but explicitly used to prepare for the rearmament of West Germany (Wiederbewaffnung).[4] By March 1954 the Blank Office had laid plans for the new German army. Plans foresaw the formation of six infantry, four armoured, and two mechanised infantry divisions, as a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe in the framework of a European Defence Community.[3] Following a decision of the London Nine Power Conference of 28 September to 3 October 1954, Germany's entry into NATO with effect from 9 May 1955 was accepted as a replacement for the failed European Defence Community plan. Only after accession to NATO in 1955 was the Blank Office was converted to the Defence Ministry after the Bundestag on 8 February 1952 had approved a German contribution to the defense of Western Europe. Also necessary for the creation of a Defence Ministry was the amendment of the Basic Law, since 26 February 1954, with the insertion of an article regarding defence of the sovereignty of the federal government.[5] Theodor Blank became the first Defence Minister. The army formed the nucleus of the V Branch of the Department of Defence. Subdivisions included were VA Leadership and Training, VB Organisation and VC Logistics.
The actual history of the army began in 1955. The first soldiers of the army began their service on 12 November 1955 in Andernach.[6] In April 1957, the first conscripts were called up. The army saw itself explicitly not succeeding the defeated Wehrmacht, but as following the Prussian military reforms and military resistance against National Socialism, such as the Wehrmacht group which mounted the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944. Nevertheless, the officer corps was made up especially of Wehrmacht officers for lack of alternatives for a long time. The first Chief of the Army was the former General der Panzertruppe Hans Rottiger, who had been involved in the drafting of the Himmeroder memorandum.
From the beginning, the new army was firmly embedded in the NATO structure and was planned to field in 1959, as part of Army Structure I, twelve army divisions. To 1966 saw the NATO strategy of massive nuclear retaliation in the event of an attack on conventional forces in Europe against superior Soviet forces. In 1956 the first troops of the Army set up seven training companies in Andernach and began the building of schools and army troops. On 1 April 1957, the first conscripts arrived for service in the army. The first military organisations created were instructional battalions, officer schools, and the Army Academy, the forerunner to the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in Hamburg.[5] The total of twelve planned armoured and infantry divisions now began to be established, the existing units were split approximately every six months in two groups. However the creation of all the planned twelve divisions did not take place until 1965. At the end of 1958 the strength of the army was about 100,000 men. The army was equipped first with American material, such as the M-47 Patton main battle tank. Three corps were formed from 1957 - the I Corps, II Corps, and the III Corps.
The land forces of the Bundeswehr were first, the German Army, and secondly, the Territorial Army. The army was firmly situated within the NATO command structure. Later in 1957, the "Office for territorial defense" was established as the highest Territorial Army authority. The Territorial Defence was under the command directly of the Federal Ministry of Defence. In a narrower sense, the territorial defence was a separate organisation equal to the army, navy and air force. The units of the Territorial Defence was under national command and were not integrated into the NATO command structure. The main function of the Territorial Army was maintaining the operational freedom of NATO forces through providing rear area defence against saboteurs, enemy special forces, and the like.
The development of Soviet tactical nuclear weapons required the development of a new Army structure even before Army Structure I was fully achieved. To minimize the effects of attacks with battlefield nuclear weapons on the armed forces, 28,000 strong and semi-immobile classical Divisions were broken down into smaller and more mobile Brigades. These smaller units were also to be capable of self-sustainment on the atomic battlefield for several days, to be capable of to move out of defense and quick counter attacks. The new armoured and mechanized brigades were capable of combined arms combat. Each division was to be composed of three brigades. The armoured brigades consisted of an armoured infantry battalion, two armoured battalions, an armoured artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanized brigades consisted of a motorized infantry battalion, two mechanized infantry battalions, an armored battalion, a field artillery battalion and a supply battalion. The mechanized divisions were designated "Panzer Grenadier Division". By the end of 1959, a total of 11 divisions and 27 brigades had been set up.
After 1990, the Heer absorbed the army of socialist East Germany, a part of the Nationale Volksarmee. The former East German forces were initially commanded by the Bunderwehr Command East under command of Lieutenant General Jörg Schönbohm and disbanded on 30 June 1991.[7] In the aftermath of the merger, the German Army consisted of four Corps (including IV Corps at Potsdam in the former DDR) with a manpower of 360,000 men. It was continuously downsized from this point. In 1994 III Corps was reorganised as the German Army Forces Command. In 1996, the 25th Airborne Brigade was converted into a new command leading the Army's special forces, known as the Kommando Spezialkräfte.
The 2001 onwards restructuring of the German Army saw it move to a seven division structure – 5 mechanized (each with two mechanized brigades), 1 special forces, and one airmobile.
In 2003, three Corps still existed, each including various combat formations and a maintenance brigade. I. German/Dutch Corps, a joint German-Netherlands organization, used to control in peacetime the 1st Panzer and 7th Panzer Divisions as well as Dutch formations. The 1st Panzer would have reported to the corps in wartime while the 7th would be posted to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. II Corps was German in peacetime but would have exchanged a division with the V U.S. Corps in time of war (the 5th Panzer). 5th Panzer Division disbanded as of 30 June 2001. In peacetime it also commanded the 10th Panzer Division, which was allocated to Eurocorps and which parents the German half of the Franco-German Brigade. The 1st Mountain Division at Munich was also under this headquarters.
The IV Corps was headquartered at Potsdam in eastern Germany and controlled two Panzer-Grenadier Divisions, the 13th and 14th. The 14th Panzer-Grenadier Division also took control of units in Western Germany re-subordinated from the 6th Division when it lost its command function. It would have made up the German contribution to the Multinational Corps Northeast in time of war. IV Corps also used to have under its command the Military District Command I, the 1st Air Mechanised Brigade, and the Berlin Command (de:Standortkommando Berlin).
All corps have now been disbanded or transferred to a multinational level such as Multinational Corps North East. IV Corps was reorganized and on 31 March 2002 became an overseas deployment command, the Einsatzführungskommando der Bundeswehr, like the British Permanent Joint Headquarters.
A total of 73,823 soldiers are currently on active service in the German Army.[1]
A planned army reorganisation/reduction in 2012 will see the disbandment of the 13th Mechanized Infantry Division headquarters, a merge of the Airmobile Operations Division and Special Operations Division headquarters, the disbandment of the 1st Airmobile Brigade, and reshuffling of units between divisions. No heavy brigades will be disbanded, but the two remaining heavy divisions will command three rather than two brigades.
The German Army is commanded by the Inspector of the Army (Inspekteur des Heeres) based at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin and Bonn. The major commands are the German Army Office in Cologne and the German Army Command in Koblenz. In 2002 a number of army units and their personnel were transferred to the newly formed Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis) and Joint Medical Service branches.[8]
The German Army Office in Cologne (Heeresamt) is the superior authority for all supporting elements of the Army, such as schools and education centres. It is commanded by a Major General, currently MajGen Joachim Clauß.
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The German Army Command in Koblenz (Heeresführungskommando) exercises command and control over all combat units. It is commanded by a Lieutenant General. These units include two armour divisions, two mechanized infantry divisions, the Division for Specialized Operations and the Airmobile Division. Depending on their size and role, brigades can be commanded either by a Brigadier General alike or a Colonel. Unlike other European armies such of neighbouring Netherlands and France, regiments are not a common form of organization and are thus rare in the German army. Battalions are directly subordinate to brigades or to divisions as divisional troops.
The German Army has eleven different branches of troops, designated as Truppengattungen. Each Truppengattung is responsible for training and readiness of its units and disposes of its own schools and centres of excellence for doing so. Optically this distinction can be made by the branch colour, called Waffenfarbe which is displayed by a cord attached to the rank insignia, and the colour of their beret with a specific badge attached to it.
Beret Colour (Army only and Security Units of Navy and Air Force)
Grey mountain cap (Bergmütze): Mountain Troops Gebirgsjäger
Waffenfarbe (Army and army support branch only)
The rank structure of the German army is adjusted to the rank structure of the NATO. Unlike its predecessors, the modern German Army does not use the rank of Colonel General. The highest rank for an army officer is Lieutenant General, as the rank of Full General is reserved for the Armed Forces chief of staff or officers serving as NATO officers. Officer cadets do not pass through all enlisted ranks, but are directly promoted to Lieutenant after 36 months of service.
Equivalent US Army ranks are shown below according to "STANAG 2116 NSA MC LO (EDITION 6) – NATO CODES FOR GRADES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL":
| Officers of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General (General) Gen |
Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) GenLt/GL |
Major General (Generalmajor) GenMaj/GM |
Brigadier General (Brigadegeneral) BrigGen/BG |
Colonel (Oberst) Oberst/O |
Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant) Oberstlt/OTL |
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| OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | |||||
| Officers of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major (Major) Maj/M |
Staff Captain (Stabshauptmann) StHptm/SH |
Captain (Hauptmann) Hptm/H |
1st Lieutenant (Oberleutnant) OLt /OL |
2nd Lieutenant (Leutnant) Lt/L |
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| OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-1 | ||||||
| Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant Major (Oberstabsfeldwebel) OStFw/OSF |
First Sergeant (Stabsfeldwebel) StFw/SF |
Master Sergeant (officer cadet) (Oberfähnrich) OFähnr/OFR |
Master Sergeant (Hauptfeldwebel) HptFw/HF |
Sergeant 1st Class (Oberfeldwebel) OFw/OF |
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| OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | ||||||
| Non-Commissioned Officers of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Sergeant (officer cadet) (Fähnrich) Fähnr/FR |
Staff Sergeant (Feldwebel) Fw/F |
Sergeant (Stabsunteroffizier) StUffz/SU |
Corporal (officer cadet) (Fahnenjunker) Fhj/FJ |
Corporal (Unteroffizier) Uffz/U |
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| OR-6 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-5 | OR-5 | ||||||
| Enlisted Ranks of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporal Specialist (Oberstabsgefreiter) OStGefr/OSG |
Specialist (Stabsgefreiter) StGefr/SG |
Lance Corporal (Hauptgefreiter) HptGefr/HG |
Private 1st Class (NCO cadet) (Obergefreiter UA) OGefr/OG |
Private First Class (Obergefreiter) OGefr/OG |
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| OR-4 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-3 | OR-3 | ||||||
| Enlisted Ranks of the German Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private 1st Class (officer cadet) (Gefreiter OA) Gefr/G |
Private 1st Class (Sergeant cadet) (Gefreiter FA) Gefr/G |
Private 1st Class (NCO cadet) (Gefreiter UA) Gefr/G |
Private 1st Class (Gefreiter) Gefr/G |
Private (Soldat) S |
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| OR-2 | OR-2 | OR-2 | OR-2 | OR-1 | ||||||
The German Army operates more than 320 helicopters. Nearly all were built in Germany while nearly 40% are indigenous designs. 80 Eurocopter Tiger and 80 NH90 helicopters have been ordered.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | Qantity[10] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack helicopter | ||||||
| Eurocopter Tiger | Europe | Attack helicopter | 11 | 80 (planned), entered service | ||
| Transport helicopter | ||||||
| NHI NH90 | Europe | Transport helicopter | NH90 TTH | 3 | 80 (planned) | |
| Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion | United States | Transport helicopter | CH-53G/CH-53GS | 101 | 110 built by VFW | |
| Utility helicopter | ||||||
| UH-1 Iroquois | United States | Utility helicopter | UH-1D | 82 | Being withdrawn; built by Dornier | |
| Bölkow Bo 105 | Germany | Utility helicopter | 105P | 104 | ||
| Eurocopter EC 135 | Europe | Utility helicopter | EC135 | 15 | ||
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