Study title

The defence budget is influenced by the ,Bundeswehrplan’, i.e. the basic plan for the German Federal Armed Forces. Generally speaking, the defence budget ranges permanently between the military requirements as concerns the army`s defence mandate and the financial and economic possibilities which are politically justifiable. These considerations are the starting point for the empiric and descriptive study in hand, analysing the development and structure of Germany`s defence spending since the formation of the German Federal Armed Forces. Doubtless the level of defence spending correlates with the scale and intensity of the armed forces` tasks. Hereby, the analysis focuses not only on the military aspects, but also on the political, economic, and social determinants, which influence the scale of the defence tasks and, thereby, the amount of defence spending. Furthermore, any possibility to rationalise the maintenance of the German Federal Armed Forces, which could be effected by an internal optimisation and by a privatisation of services wherever useful, are weighed up with regard to the political objective of a “Slim state”. Due to the exponential increase of costs as to any project development and procurement, armament cooperations with partner states have become necessary for the implementation of major armament projects in the face of reduced budgets and a decreasing national production. In addition, the intensive involvement of the Federal Republic of Germany in international defence structures brought about new aspects and demands, which comply with the interests of all people seaking security. However, the morality and acceptance of a future Security Policy within our society will depend essentially on the satisfaction of such need for security, and on the functions of military force hereby, applied within the scope of peace securing measures.” (Hintz, F. K., 2000: Entwicklung und Struktur bundesdeutscher Verteidigungsausgaben aus staatswirtschaftlicher...