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," Mueller said. Many young people in this country share his views and are not interested in military careers, creating a major 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 attempts 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
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 boost the country’s military and fix its problems, but Hoegl said the funds have yet to be 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 goal of increasing its troop strength from around 181,000 to 203,000 by 2031.
But German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who took office earlier this year, has admitted that the target is “too ambitious.” He recently revealed that applications to the Bundeswehr fell 7% in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, despite an increase in requests for enlistment 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 from 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 adviser 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 peaceful stance and post-war prosperity.
Lisa Hoffmann, a nurse, is considering joining the German military medical service 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 largest suppliers of military equipment to Ukraine, but is not directly involved in the war. However, what is happening in Ukraine has "awakened old fears buried decades after World War II" among German youth.
The German military has called for soldiers 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 the country's society ages.
“The changing demographics are a big challenge. As the older generation gradually retires, we have fewer young people looking for work and more employers,” said Captain Heiko, a military recruitment adviser in Essen, Germany.
Duc Trung (According to AFP )
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