Fearing war, German youth hesitate to join the army

Young men like Max Mueller were recruited by the German army, but they did not want to join the army due to fear of war.

As a young, athletic student studying sports in Frankfurt, Germany, Max Mueller, 23, was a natural fit for the German army. But he had no intention of enlisting, especially since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.

"If war breaks out here, we will have to go to the battlefield. I will probably die then," Mueller said. Many young people in this country share his views, not interested in military careers, creating a big challenge for the recruitment efforts of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr).

Attracting new talent is seen as an urgent task for the Bundeswehr, as the force tries to increase its numbers and reform after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

German infantrymen in the village of Bad Reichenhall in Bavaria, March 23, 2016. Photo: AFP — German infantrymen in the village of Bad Reichenhall in Bavaria, March 23, 2016. Photo: *AFP*

Decades of underinvestment have left the Bundeswehr in a “worrying” state. The German parliament ’s defence commissioner, Eva Hoegl, said the Bundeswehr was “lacking everything”, worse than before the war in Ukraine broke out.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government last year announced a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) budget to strengthen and fix problems in the country’s military, but Hoegl said the funds had not yet been used.

Meanwhile, Germany has provided a lot of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, raising concerns about the risk of the country's ammunition reserves being depleted.

The Bundeswehr’s recruitment drive began before the war in Ukraine began. A few years ago, the German military set a target of increasing its troop strength from around 181,000 to 203,000 by 2031.

But German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who took office earlier this year, has admitted the target is “too ambitious”. He recently revealed that applications to join the Bundeswehr fell 7% in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, despite an increase in requests for military advice.

“The human challenge is even bigger than the material one,” Ms. Hoegl said in April, citing the high dropout rate of German recruits and slow response by military recruitment centers to requests for advice from potential candidates.

Faced with this situation, the Bundeswehr has launched a media campaign on online platforms to attract new recruits.

A military career consultant gives an interview to the press in Essen, Germany, on August 22. Photo: AFP — A military enlistment consultant gives an interview to the press in Essen, Germany, August 22. Photo: *AFP*

Attracting young people to join the army is also more difficult, as this group is used to a "comfortable life" in Germany, a country that has long supported a stance of peace and post-war prosperity.

Lisa Hoffmann, a nurse, is considering joining the German military medical force for more opportunities, but she recognizes the military's difficulties in attracting young people.

"Barracks life scares a lot of young people these days," said Hoffmann, 23. "Not having the same level of comfort as before makes many less motivated to serve. Our generation is a little more pampered."

Germany is one of the countries that has provided the most weapons to Ukraine, but has not directly participated in the war. However, what is happening in Ukraine has "awakened old fears that were buried for decades after World War II" among German youth.

The German military has called for troops to be deployed to NATO's eastern flank to provide security, but the number of volunteers is "very small". According to a recent Spiegel survey, only one in five soldiers are willing to join the combat-ready brigade that Germany plans to deploy in Lithuania.

Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr's recruiting resources are shrinking as society ages.

“The changing demographics are a big challenge. As the older generation gradually retires, we have fewer young people looking for jobs and more recruiters,” said Captain Heiko, a military recruitment adviser in Essen, Germany.

Duc Trung (According to AFP )

Source link