Abstract
Germany’s behaviour in the run-up of NATO’s 2011 Operation Unified Protector (OUP) in Libya came as a surprise to many allies since Germany did not participate in a military operation which fulfilled the criteria of a right cause (a ‘responsibility to protect’) and proper authority (a UN Security Council mandate), and which was supported by its most important European allies, France and Germany. Consequently, Germany was accused by the international media of moving away from ‘European unity’ while German commentators explained this decision with the country’s pacifist preference, immaturity in foreign and security policy and a preoccupation with domestic politics (Erlanger and Dempsey, 2011). German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also pointed to his country’s ‘tradition of [military] restraint’ as an explanation for Germany’s abstention (Der Spiegel, 2011).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Asmus, R. (1994) German Strategy and Public Opinion after the Wall, 1990–1993 (Santa Monica, CA: RAND).
Atlantic Council (2012) Anchoring the Alliance (Washington, DC: Atlantic Council).
Baumann, R. and Hellmann, G. (2001) ‘Germany and the Use of Military Force: “Total War”, the “Culture of Restraint” and the Quest for Normality’, German Politics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 61–82.
Berger, T.U. (1998) Cultures of Antimilitarism. National Security in Germany and Japan (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press).
Bertram, C. (2008) ‘Afghanistan ist kein Bündnisfall’, Die Zeit, 16 February, http://www.zeit.de/online/2008/08/nato-kolumne-bertram, accessed 26 September 2012.
Brössler, D. (2011) ‘Wir woollen nicht Kriegspartei warden’, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 17 March.
Buras, P. and Longhurst, K. (2004) ‘The Berlin Republic, Iraq, and the Use of Force’, European Security, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 215–245.
Dalgaard-Nielsen, A. (2003) ‘Gulf War: The German Resistance’, Survival, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 99–116.
Demmer, U. and Schult, C. (2012) ‘Unreliable Partners? Germany’s Reputation in NATO Has Hit Rock Bottom’, Der Spiegel, 17 May, http://www.spiegel.de (homepage), date accessed 2 July 2012.
Der Spiegel (2011) ‘Spiegel Interview with German Foreign Minister’, 21 March, http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,752164,00.html, date accessed 26 September 2012.
Dettke, D. (2009) Germany Says ‘No’: The Iraq War and the Future of German Foreign and Security Policy (Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press).
Duffield, J.S. (1999) ‘Political Culture and State Behavior: Why Germany Confounds Neorealism’, International Organization, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 765–803.
Erlanger, S. and Dempsey, J. (2011) ‘Germany Steps away From European Unity’, New York Times, 23 March.
Federal Ministry of Defence (2003) Verteidigungspolitische Richtlinien (Berlin: Federal Ministry of Defence).
Federal Ministry of Defence (2004) Konzeption der Bundeswehr (Berlin: Federal Ministry of Defence).
Federal Ministry of Defence (2006) German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr (Berlin: Federal Ministry of Defence).
Federal Ministry of Defence (2011) Defence Policy Guidelines 2011 (Berlin: Federal Ministry of Defence).
Federal Ministry of Defence (2012a) Neuausrichtung der Bundeswehr (Berlin: Federal Ministry of Defence).
Federal Ministry of Defence (2012b), TodesfälleimAuslandseinsatz, http://www.bundeswehr.de (homepage), date accessed 15 May 2012.
Haftendorn, H. (2008) ‘The View from Berlin: Germany as a Self-assured European Middle Power’, in Peter Schmidt (ed.) A Hybrid Relationship: Transatlantic Security Cooperation Beyond NATO (Frankfurt: Peter Lang), pp. 213–220.
Hallams, E. and Schreer, B. (2012) ‘Towards a Post-American Alliance? NATO Burden-sharing after Libya’, International Affairs, vol. 88, no. 2, pp. 313–327.
Hellmann, G. (2011) ‘Berlin, Great Power Politics, and Libya’, Commentaries, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, 22 September, http://www.aicgs.org/issue/berlin-great-power-politics-and-libya/, accessed 26 September 2012.
Hyde-Price, A. (2001) ‘Germany and the Kosovo War: Still a Civilian Power?’, German Politics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 19–34.
icasualties.org (2012) http://icasualties.org (homepage), date accessed 15 May 2012.
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (1992) The Military Balance, 1992–1993 (London: International Institute for Strategic Studies).
International Institute for Strategic Studies (2012) The Military Balance 2012 (London: International Institute for Strategic Studies).
Joffe, J. (2011) ‘Der neue deutsche Sonderweg’, Handelsblatt, 30 March.
Keller, P. (2012) ‘Germany and NATO: The Status Quo Ally’, Survival, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 95–110.
Kundnani, H. (2011) ‘Germany as a “Geo-economic” Power’, Washington Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 31–45.
Maull, H.W. (1990) ‘Germany and Japan: The New Civilian Powers’, Foreign Affairs, vol. 69, no. 5, pp. 91–106.
Maull, H.W. (1992) ‘Zivilmacht Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Vierzehn Thesen-füreineneue deutsche Auβenpolitik’, Europa Archiv, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 269–278.
Maull, H.W. (2000) ‘Germany and the Use of Force: Still a Civilian Power?’, Survival, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 56–80.
Mearsheimer, J. (1990) ‘Back to the Future: Instability in Europe after the Cold War’, International Security, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 5–56.
New York Times News Service (1999) ‘Schroeder Signals Shift, Calls Germany a “Great Power” ‘, 12 September, http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-09-12/news/9909120181_1_germany-german-foreign-policy-chancellor
Noetzel, T. and Schreer, B. (2008) ‘All the Way? The Evolution of German Military Power’, International Affairs, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 211–221.
Noetzel, T. and Schreer, B. (2009a) ‘NATO’s Vietnam? Afghanistan and the Future of the Atlantic Alliance’, Contemporary Security Policy, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 529–547.
Noetzel, T. and Schreer, B. (2009b) ‘Does a “Multi-tier” NATO Matter? The Atlantic Alliance and the Process of Strategic Change’, International Affairs, vol. 85, no. 2, pp. 211–226.
Paterson, W.E. (1996) ‘Beyond Semi-sovereignty: The New Germany in a New Europe’, German Politics, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 167–184.
Sarotte, M.E. (2001) German Military Reform and European Security, Adelphi Paper no. 340 (London: International Institute for Strategic Studies).
Schreer, B. (2009) ‘A New “Pragmatism”: Germany’s NATO Policy’, International Journal, vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 383–398.
Schröder, G. (1999) ‘Deutsche Sicherheitspolitik an der Schwelle des 21. Jahrhunderts’, Rede auf der 35. MünchenerSicherheitskonferenz, 6 February.
Stacey, K. (2012) ‘Germany Urged to Pay More on Defence’, Financial Times, 4 May 2012.
Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (2012) Military Expenditure Database, http://milexdata.sipri.org (homepage), date accessed 9 May 2012.
Szabo, S.F. and Hampton, M.N. (2003) ‘Reinventing the German Military’, AICGS Policy Report 11.
von Thadden, R. (2011) ‘Woist das deutsch-französischePaar?’, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 29 March 2011.
Wallace, W. (1995) ‘Germany as the Leading Power in Europe’, The World Today, vol. 51, no. 8/9, pp. 162–164.
Zelikow, P. (2003) ‘The Transformation of National Security’, The National Interest, 1 March, pp. 17–28.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2013 B. Schreer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schreer, B. (2013). The Reluctant Ally? Germany, NATO and the Use of Force. In: Matlary, J.H., Petersson, M. (eds) NATO’s European Allies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137035004_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137035004_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-44211-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-03500-4
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)