The Bundeswehr’s International Crisis Management

International crisis management includes all measures aimed at preventing, containing or peacefully resolving an armed conflict between countries, different parts of the population or other conflict parties. The main objectives of international crisis management are the prevention and containment of crises and the stabilisation of affected regions.
The Bundeswehr’s international crisis management becomes apparent through operations abroad in multinational alliances and organisations. If the German government wants to send the Bundeswehr on an armed mission within the framework of international crisis management, the German Bundestag must approve the mission. This agreement by the German government and the German Bundestag helps military personnel see themselves as a parliamentary army on operations with broad support and approval.

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The Bundeswehr’s mission in international crisis management is to counter threats to Germany and its allies. To this end, the Bundeswehr makes military and civil-military contributions in cooperation with its allies. The focus is on the following tasks:

• Early identification of international crises
• Conflict prevention, crisis management, post-crisis rehabilitation, and stabilisation
• In international organisations, alliances and partnerships:
• Involvement in United Nations (UNUnited Nations) peace missions
• The fight against international terrorism
• Countering threats from cyber and information space, as well as new hybrid dangers
• Protection of sea routes
• Enforcement of embargoes and sanctions

In the Bundeswehr’s international crisis management, missions are conducted in compliance with international law. German servicemen and women cooperate with allies and partners from NATO, the EU, the United Nations (UNUnited Nations) and the OSCEOrganisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Ad-hoc cooperation programmes may also arise, for example to counter hybrid and terrorist threats.

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The end of the Cold War completely changed the Bundeswehr’s international crisis management: the Bundeswehr became the “armed forces on operations (abroad)” we know today. This development began with involvement in the UNUnited Nations mission in Cambodia from May 1992 to November 1993. This was followed by missions in Somalia, other African states, the Balkans and the Middle East. At present, the Bundeswehr is involved in the following missions:

Last updated: June 2024