German Chancellor: We Need a Powerful Army

“Today, nobody can seriously doubt what we in Germany have been avoiding for a long time, namely that we need a powerful Bundeswehr.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this on November 10, the second day of a political-military conference in Germany.

“The peace order is in danger,” Scholz warned, highlighting the war between Hamas and Israel, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He strongly emphasized the need for a military upgrade to enable Germany to defend itself and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization against multiplying threats.

This year, Germany will finally hit nato’s defense spending target of 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, which it has failed to reach since the end of the Cold War. “We will guarantee this 2 percent in the long term, throughout the ’20s and ’30s,” Scholz said.

Backbone of Europe: The day prior, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius presented a document outlining the necessary reforms in Germany’s military.

“We must be the backbone of deterrence and collective defense in Europe. Our own population, as well as our partners in Europe, North America and the world, expect us to face up to this responsibility,” it said (emphasis added). Germany aims to reduce foreign missions and overcome “bureaucratic sluggishness” to make European and national defense “war-ready.”

Eastern threats: The document identified Russia as the greatest threat to peace and security in Europe, adding that China is also “increasingly aggressively claiming regional supremacy.”

Since 2014, the Trumpet has often said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is reshaping Europe, prompting its leaders to seek greater military power and stronger leadership. The war in Israel is now adding even more pressure.

The Trumpet and our forerunner magazine, the Plain Truth, have forecast for decades that Germany will lead a resurrected European superpower. In 1956, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

The Germans are coming back from the destruction of World War ii in breathtaking manner. Germany is the economic and military heart of Europe. Probably Germany will lead and dominate the coming United States of Europe.

Learn more: Read He Was Right.