[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bundeswehr_drinking.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Well, they still made it [[TheWarOnTerror further east]] than their [[WorldWarII grandfathers]]...]]

->"[[GodwinsLaw Heil- ''hail'' the Wehrmacht-I mean the Bundeswehr...]]"
-->-- '''Music/TomLehrer'''

The military of WestGermany and the [[TheBerlinRepublic reunified Germany]]. The ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defence Force) was founded in 1955 on initiative by the Western Allies/NATO and is most notable for two things: Not being the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons Wehrmacht]] and not appearing in fiction very often. Its primary purpose seems to be giving heart attacks to everyone in Europe, and being completely forgotten in the rest of the world.

During the ColdWar, the Bundeswehr, like their {{East German|y}} counterpart, spent most of their time waiting for WorldWarIII to break out and occasionally helped out after natural disasters. They didn't see combat until TheNineties. Since the reunification, the Bundeswehr has undergone an extensive reform process from ''two'' land forces built to attack each other into one international crisis intervention force. Quite a task, considering its budget is steadily shrinking and among the lowest military budgets in the {{NATO}} (in terms of share of GDP) due to the low popularity of TheWarOnTerror and [[DoesntLikeGuns the military in general]][[hottip:*:Mostly for [[WorldWarII historic reasons]]. It is currently engaged in a [[ElephantInTheLivingRoom "situation similar to war"]] in Afghanistan. It is keen not to be seen as a successor to the Wehrmacht, and for this reason it is only permitted to consider the original ''freikorps'' who fought for Germany's freedom in the NapoleonicWars and the July 20 plotters, who attempted to assassinate AdolfHitler, as its political antecedents.

The Bundeswehr is split into the three main fighting branches (Army; Navy; Air Force) as well as several supportive and organisational braches. The commander-in-chief of the Bundeswehr is the Minister of Defense (Newly former Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, because [[OverlyLongName Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg]] stepped down), except when a state of emergency is declared, then it's the [[TheChancellorsOfGermany chancellor]]. Comparing the Bundeswehr to the Wehrmacht is a major BerserkButton for both members and the Germans at large. The Bundeswehr does not consider itself a continuation or replacement for the Wehrmacht (instead, it maintains it is an entirely standalone organization), and the only pre-existing German military figures it allows itself to emulate are the military reformers of the early 19th Century (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Clausewitz, etc.),its own traditions since 1955, and the German military resistance to AdolfHitler.

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!!General notes about the Bundeswehr

* The Bundeswehr was the first {{NATO}} member to get their hands on WarsawPact military equipment after reunification; and not just the cheap export versions, as the [[EastGermany GDR]] got all the latest, coolest Soviet toys because of its key role in any potential WorldWarIII. Most of it has been decommissioned and scrapped or sold to other countries by now.
** (W) Germany being very capable of supplying their own much fancier military equipment within the NATO standards. German thoroughness and reliability you know... what would you rather drive; a Mercedes or just about anything else? Same goes for their weapons and equipment; when it is German it WORKS, but at least costs twice what anybody else is charging.
** But a squadron of [=MiG=]-29 fighters were kept for more than a decade. They were much appreciated in NATO manoeuvres for playing Team Red. Additionally, they were the most capable dog fighters until the Eurofighter arrived.
* ''The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSG9 GSG 9]]'', Germany's elite counter-terrorist unit, is often lumped with the Bundeswehr, but is actually a part of the ''Bundespolizei'' (Federal Police). They are known to be ''[[{{Badass}} very]]'' [[{{Badass}} good]] at what they do and have turned up a lot in of military related fiction and VideoGames such as ''VideoGame/{{Counter-Strike}}'' and served as the inspiration for [[GhostInTheShell Section 9]]. They even had their own TV series in Germany, ''GSG 9 - Ihr Einsatz ist ihr Leben''. (''GSG 9 - Their Mission Is their Life'')
** GSG 9 was formed in response to the fiasco at the Munich Olympics. The Bundeswehr was not allowed to act inside Germany and the police had no specialized anti-terror unit or even snipers.
** Their first and most remembered CrowningMomentOfAwesome is the freeing of all 86 hostages from a hijacked Lufthansa plane in Somalia without any losses (except 3 of the hijackers).
*** The hijackers were armed with handguns and grenades, so the freeing of the hostages without losses is really quite impressive. This was done by luring the hijackers into the cockpit and shooting from the outside.
** The German military counterpart to the GSG 9 is the ''KSK'' (Kommando Spezialkräfte). They are somewhat less known due to being founded several decades after the GSG 9 and being shrouded in secrecy.
* Most [[TheMedic medical personnel]] of all three fighting branches were assigned to a centralized support branch, the Joint Medical Service (''Zentraler Sanitätsdienst'').
* CoolGuns everywhere. Before they got their cool guns, they were armed mostly with a combination of Wehrmacht and American arms.
** [[CoolGuns/BattleRifles The G3]] is the German counterpart of the FAL (before that, the West Germans used the G1 or Gewehr 1, which were purchased FALs), created because FN (Belgian) either refused to let them make their own or were not willing to lower the licensing fees. It is still in service in modern countries such as Iceland and Norway, where its ruggedness and power are appreciated.
** The [[CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns MP5 is a miniaturized G3]], which set the world standard for a CQB weapon until the advent of compact assault rifles.
** [[CoolGuns/AssaultRifles The G36]] it the G3's successor. strangely, it often only shows up in fiction in its compact configuration. It's based on the AR18 and its futuristic appearance makes it a favorite of shows set in the future, or just want to make a point that they're on the cutting edge.
** [[CoolGuns/{{Handguns}} The H&K USP]] is a very common fixture in modern war games, frequently a favorite of tactical operators. Its most common caliber is 9x19, although it's more commonly shown in the 45ACP version.
*** As with the [=UMP=], in 9mm Luger or .45ACP, a submachinegun with the same design philosophy as the G36; more composite materials in its construction that are resistant to the elements. Like the G36, they are made with accessories in mind.
** [[CoolGuns/SniperRifles The H&K PTR-91]] is a G3 with a silly load of metal added to it. It is an exceptionally accurate semiautomatic sniper rifle.
** [[CoolGuns/MachineGuns the MG3]] is pretty much an update of the WW2 era MG42. Yes, the design was so good that even the stigma of ThoseWackyNazis couldn't kill it.
* An unusual aspect of the German army is that its soldiers are obliged to refuse any order that might violate human rights or dignity. No doubt this is because they do not want a repeat of [[WorldWarII well you know...]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Heer (Army) ]]


Traditionally, the Heer is the strongest part of the German military and made up the backbone of the NATO's ground forces in Europe during the ColdWar. It features many [[TankGoodness fancy tanks and other armored vehicles]].
* The first time German ground troops have been in combat against an organized enemy since WorldWarII was [[TheWarOnTerror 2002 in Afghanistan]].
* The Army's main infantry weapon is the G36. As a {{cool gun|s}}, it has appeared a few times in SpeculativeFiction.
* The army is also the primary user of the Leopard 2 tank, one of the best main battle tanks in the world, often considered equal to or even superior to the American Abrams.
** As it likely should be, considering that the Abrams and the Leopard are [[NotSoDifferent both descendants]] of the aborted MBT-70 tank project of the 1960s.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Marine (Navy) ]]


The Marine was usually the [[TheScrappy least recognized]] part of the German military, except [[ImperialGermany under the Kaiser]] where it was a CreatorsPet. Its main objective during the ColdWar was to defend the access to the Baltic Sea against the WarsawPact and to escort the vessels of the "real" NATO navies.
* [[AxisPowersHetalia Together with Italy]], Germany developed the first class of non-nuclear submarines with hydrogen fuel cells and operates 4 of them.
** An urban legend in the naval community concerns a one such German submarine not only sneaking up on a US Carrier Battle Group undetected but also taking a photograph of the ships with its periscope camera, and then mailing it to the Pentagon [[IfIWantedYouDead with a firing solution written on the back]]. Both sides remain tight-lipped, but if this really happened, it is a serious CMOA for the Germans.
** Germany still exports rather good U-boats as well, producing the highly-capable 209 class exclusively for export. As part of the ongoing "We're really, really, ''really'' sorry" relationship the Germans have with UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}, the German government donated two highly-modified (for the better) 209s (the Type 800 or ''Dolphin'' class) to the [[IsraelisWithInfraredMissiles Israel Defense Forces]] (Israel has since purchased four more, with one delivered), whose armament can be modified to carry nuclear weapons.
* Due to political reasons, the German Navy avoids calling any of their post ColdWar types of warships ''Destroyers''. Instead the Type F124 and [[CripplingOverspecialisation F125]]) are designated as the world's largest ''Frigates''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Luftwaffe (Air Force) ]]

* [[TheMoreYouKnow "Luftwaffe" (lit. "Air Arm") is just the German word for "Air Force". Compare to Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy]]. [[OverlyLongGag No, it's not the Wehrmacht!]]
* The first time the Luftwaffe saw combat since WWII was during the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NATO_bombing_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia Kosovo War]] in March 1999.
* The Luftwaffe still has F-4 Phantoms in service, which are scheduled for decommission in 2013.
* Between 1990 and 2004 there were several [=MiG-29s=] with the Luftwaffe. These have been passed on to Poland.

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!!The Bundeswehr in fiction
* ''RedStormRising''. Well, the WarsawPact does invade West Germany. [[TookALevelInBadass They kick some serious ass.]]
* Featured several places in Creator/JohnRingo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata''. The German military as a whole, from WorldWarII to TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, gets special attention from Creator/TomKratman, a co-writer in the series.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer Red Alert 2'' features German Tank Destroyers on the Allied side, and at least one mission requires you to cross from Germany into Poland to destroy [[MnogoNukes some Soviet nukes]]. Skirmish battles allow you to fight as Germany, granting you the Tank Destroyer.
** In ''Red Alert 1'', the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces was a general of the alternative WWII Wehrmacht, since in the ''Red Alert'' [[TheVerse Verse]], the Soviets, and not the Germans, were the bad guys.
* The ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} Battlefield 2]]'' mod ''ProjectReality'' featured the Bundeswehr as a playable faction in version 0.95.
** The ''Battlefield 2'' mod ''PointOfExistenceTwo'' was initially about the Bundeswehr vs. the Ukrainian army, but added the USMC later on.
* Creator/MichaelBay wanted to have Bundeswehr troops appear as part of NEST in the ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' sequel. The Bundeswehr was supposedly eager to do it too, but the idea was shot down by the German government.
** Damn you, [[StopHavingFunGuys Berlin!]]
* The KnightTemplar villain Herr Starr in ''{{Preacher}}'' is a former member of GSG 9, although by the time he appears in the story he's a member of a [[AncientConspiracy completely unrelated organization]].
* ''[[{{ARMA}} ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead]]'' featured the Bundeswehr operating in the fictional [[{{Qurac}} Afghanistan-like Takistan]], in a likely parallel to its real-world operations in Afghanistan. Turns out that it's also a thank you to German fans who supported ''ARMA 2''. Same goes for the Czech fans, with Czech military units appearing in-game.
* ''WorldInConflict''. The NATO faction features quite a few Bundeswehr units, from Leopard 2 tanks to Tornado jets.
* In ''[[RedArmyNovel Red Army]]'' the Bundeswehr are the principle adversary the [[RedsWithRockets Reds]] have to overcome.
* In one Episode of ''GhostInTheShell: StandAloneComplex'' Section 9 assists German military intelligence in capturing an international terrorist in Berlin. While the Germans are wearing contemporary Bundeswehr uniforms, such operations would actually be handled by the Federal Police. But being a CrapsackWorld, there might have been some considerable changes to the German constitution.
* The Bundeswehr gets brief but moving mention in ''WorldWarZ''.
* Bundeswehr forces are present in the wargame ''People's General''.
* Bundeswehr forces get beat up pretty badly in Ralph Peters' Literature/RedArmy.
* In a surprising turn of events, in ''ModernWarfare 3'' the Americans fight alongside the modern German military. This is the first time in the Call of Duty series that Germans are allies instead of enemies, against Russia no less which is now the opposing side.
** The German soldiers themselves aren't seen and only appear in one segment where a German tank column attacks Russian soldiers in Berlin. GratuitousGerman is spoken without translation or subtitles. Unfortunately, their involvement ends in about 2 minutes because the Russians literally decide to drop a building on them.
* The [[GermanMedia German movie]] ''Kein Bund fürs Leben'' (also known by the comparatively unimaginative international title ''Military Academy'') takes a [[GermanHumor humorous]] look into the lives of some average Bundeswehr soldiers (during the time when conscription was still in action). Also many WarTropes get spoofed when American soldiers from a nearby base come for a visit for a competitive maneuver exercise.
* The Bundeswehr is a playable NATO country in both ''[[VideoGame/WargameEuropeanEscalation Wargame: European Escalation]]'' and ''[=AirLand=] Battle''.
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