The Politics of German Defence and Security

Zusatztext "Taking the focus away from ideological considerations Dyson manages to add to the discussion a refined analysis of the domestic political network which influences the outcome of foreign and security policy to a great extend. The relations between the different political subsystems explain policy outcome far better than any ideological approach will ever do." · German Politics "Tom Dyson provides a well-researched overview of the German military in the post Cold War era...The analysis allows the reader not only to follow the evolution of German security and defense policy more broadly from after the Wende through the Schröder administration! but it also permits a rare look into internal party politics in this area. The book in this way interestingly crosses the domestic/foreign policy lines of most authors whose expertise is one or the other without the background to present the analysis undertaken in this exhaustive! to be recommended! book." · German Politics & Society Informationen zum Autor Tom Dyson is a Lecturer at the University of Surrey, having previously worked as an ESRC Research Fellow at the International Relations Department, London School of Economics and as a Visiting Lecturer at the LSE's Department of Government. He has published articles on German foreign and security policy in European Security and the British Core Executive in the Second World War in Contemporary British History . Klappentext The post-Cold War era has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the German political consensus about the legitimacy of the use of force. However, in comparison with its EU and NATO partners, Germany has been reticent to transform its military to meet the challenges of the contemporary security environment. Until 2003 territorial defence rather than crisis-management remained the armed forces' core role and the Bundeswehr continues to retain conscription. The book argues that 'strategic culture' provides only a partial explanation of German military reform. It demonstrates how domestic material factors were of crucial importance in shaping the pace and outcome of reform, despite the impact of 'international structure' and adaptational pressures from the EU and NATO. The domestic politics of base closures, ramifications for social policy, financial restrictions consequent upon German unification and commitment to EMU's Stability and Growth Pact were critical in determining the outcome of reform. The study also draws out the important role of policy leaders in the political management of reform as entrepreneurs, brokers or veto players, shifting the focus in German leadership studies away from a preoccupation with the Chancellor to the role of ministerial and administrative leadership within the core executive. Finally, the book contributes to our understanding of the Europeanization of the German political system, arguing that policy leaders played a key role in 'uploading' and 'downloading' processes to and from the EU and that Defence Ministers used 'Atlanticization' and 'Europeanization' in the interests of their domestic political agendas. Zusammenfassung The post-Cold War era has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the German political consensus about the legitimacy of the use of force. However, in comparison with its EU and NATO partners, Germany has been reticent to transform its military to meet the challenges of the contemporary security environment. Until 2003 territorial defence rather than crisis-management remained the armed forces' core role and the Bundeswehr continues to retain conscription. The book argues that 'strategic culture' provides only a partial explanation of German military reform. It demonstrates how domestic material factors were of crucial importance in shaping the pace and outcome of reform, despite the impact of 'international structure' and ...

Autorentext

Tom Dyson is a Lecturer at the University of Surrey, having previously worked as an ESRC Research Fellow at the International Relations Department, London School of Economics and as a Visiting Lecturer at the LSE's Department of Government. He has published articles on German foreign and security policy in European Security and the British Core Executive in the Second World War in Contemporary British History.

Klappentext

The post-Cold War era has witnessed a dramatic transformation in the German political consensus about the legitimacy of the use of force. However, in comparison with its EU and NATO partners, Germany has been reticent to transform its military to meet the challenges of the contemporary security environment. Until 2003 territorial defence rather than crisis-management remained the armed forces' core role and the Bundeswehr continues to retain conscription. The book argues that 'strategic culture' provides only a partial explanation of German military reform. It demonstrates how domestic material factors were of crucial importance in shaping the pace and outcome of reform, despite the impact of 'international structure' and adaptational pressures from the EU and NATO. The domestic politics of base closures, ramifications for social policy, financial restrictions consequent upon German unification and commitment to EMU's Stability and Growth Pact were critical in determining the outcome of reform. The study also draws out the important role of policy leaders in the political management of reform as entrepreneurs, brokers or veto players, shifting the focus in German leadership studies away from a preoccupation with the Chancellor to the role of ministerial and administrative leadership within the core executive. Finally, the book contributes to our understanding of the Europeanization of the German political system, arguing that policy leaders played a key role in 'uploading' and 'downloading' processes to and from the EU and that Defence Ministers used 'Atlanticization' and 'Europeanization' in the interests of their domestic political agendas.

Inhalt

Acknowledgements
Figures and Tables
List of Abbreviations

Chapter 1. Explaining the Paradox of German Defense Policy 19902005

• Germany in Context: Military Reform in Britain and France
• Explaining the Paradox: Leadership and Culture as a Political Resource
• The Concept of Policy Leadership

• Leadership and Policy Studies in Germany
  Chapter 2. The Bundeswehr in its Historical and Structural Context: The Scope for Policy Leadership

• The Bundeswehr Policy Subsystem
• Interlocking and Nested Policy Subsystems: Defense, Security, Foreign, and Budgetary Policy
• The Three Coalitions in Defense and Security Policy During the Cold War
• The Post-Cold War World: Unification, New Security Threats, and Responding to U.S. Power

• Conclusion
  Chapter 3. Policy Leadership and Bundeswehr Reform During the Kohl Chancellorships: The Art of Varying and Sequencing Roles

• From the Gulf War to Sarajevo: Helmut Kohl as Policy Leader
• Developing the Crisis Intervention Role of the Bundeswehr: Volker Rühe as Policy Entrepreneur and Broker 199294
• The Structure of the Bundeswehr and the Politics of Base Closures: Volker Rühe as Policy Broker and Veto Player 199498
• Leadership within the Defense Ministry: Denkverbot and the Control of Policy Learning
• Contenders for the Role of Policy Entrepreneur on Bundeswehr Reform: Klaus Kinkel, the Foreign Ministry, the FDP, and the Greens
• Adapting to Rühe: The SPD and the Deferral of Bundeswehr Reform

• Conclusions
  Chapter 4. Policy Leadership on Bundeswehr Reform During First the Schröder Chancellorship 19982002: Managing "Government by Commission"

• Fanning the Flames of Policy Learning: The Weizsäcker Commission
• The Strategic Context of Bundeswehr Reform: Base Closures, Social Policy, and the CDU/CSU Opposition
• Rudolf Scharping as Policy Leader: The Marginalisation of the Weizs…