Germany needs 75,000 new soldiers

(Patria) - Germany needs at least 75,000 additional soldiers to meet its NATO obligations, as the Alliance adjusts its defense planning to counter Russia, which it considers increasingly aggressive, the magazine Spiegel reported.

Calls for an increase in the number of soldiers could pose an additional challenge for the German government, which is trying to secure funds for increased defense spending since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and has discussed reintroducing some form of military conscription.

NATO leaders approved the first major defense plans since the end of the Cold War at last year's summit in Vilnius, concerning the Alliance's response to a potential Russian attack.

The decision represents a significant policy shift, given that NATO had not developed such plans for decades as it was only involved in smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and no longer considered post-Soviet Russia an existential threat.

NATO and member state military planners are now translating plans into concrete needs, recognizing a shortage of soldiers, weapons, and other equipment to defend against a Russian attack, which, according to the German military leadership, could occur as early as 2029.

Based on the needs, allies will have to negotiate which country will fill which gaps. Once an agreement is reached, the needs will then be translated into new NATO capability targets for each member state.

The new needs mean that the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) will require an additional 75,000 soldiers to fill the allied corps, divisions, and brigades necessary for the implementation of defense plans, Spiegel writes, citing confidential documents.

The German Ministry of Defense was not immediately available for comment. The Bundeswehr currently has about 180,000 soldiers and 80,000 civilian employees.

Defense spending has already become a problematic issue for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition in discussions about next year's budget.

In 2022, Scholz presented a 100 billion euro fund to rebuild the army. Germany will now, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, meet NATO's commitment to spend at least two percent of GDP on defense. However, the government is again haggling over military financing after the extraordinary 100 billion euros are spent.

Scholz has supported his finance minister, who rejected Defense Minister Boris Pistorius's requests to increase the defense budget, which is projected to be around 52 billion euros, by an additional 6.7 billion euros in 2025.

Pistorius has also tasked his ministry with exploring possible models for reintroducing some form of military conscription.