Starting from literally zero military personnel, within two years of its accession West Germany was able to contribute tens of thousands of additional forces to NATO’s ranks. When the Federal Republic of Germany joined NATO on, its membership eventually translated into a very substantial contribution to the Alliance’s military strength in Europe. NATO Intelligence reports of possible Soviet military campaigns into Western Europe, 1953 ( The Soviet bloc strength and capability) Through its membership of an alliance, a controlled and integrated rearmament was possible, while West Germany regained national sovereignty and became an Ally among Allies. But strategic considerations eventually prevailed: NATO Allies knew they needed more troops to form a credible deterrent and West Germany knew it needed protection from communist influence. German rearmament, although prohibited after the war, seemed the obvious solution to counterbalance the Soviet military build-up however, there was overwhelming opposition – both externally and within Germany itself. But where would these additional troops come from? For the next 40 years, West Germany was the front line of the Cold War in Europe – hosting NATO troops to deter aggression from the East, contributing one of the largest militaries in the Alliance and ultimately reunifying with East Germany in 1990.įor the Alliance, parallels between North and South Korea, and East and West Germany were too obvious to ignore: without a strong military presence in West Germany, NATO would leave both the Federal Republic of Germany and its own Western European Allies vulnerable to invasion from the East. Just like NATO itself, the Federal Republic of Germany (also known as West Germany during the Cold War) was created in 1949 as a result of rising tensions between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany speaking at the accession of West Germany to NATO Paris, The objectives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – in particular its purely defensive tasks – are, in view of the world wide political tension, in full harmony with the natural interest of the German nation which, after a dreadful experience gained in two World Wars, is longing as ardently as any other nation in the world for security and peace.
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