The influence of the US and other NATO states on German policy and deployment of the Bundeswehr in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan

This dissertation focuses on Germany policy concerning the deployment of the Bundeswehr within the ISAF mission in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014. These issues will be examined in the context of the German army's foreign engagement after 1990. The main goal will be to assess how the decision-making process of the German government and the members of the parliament was affected by their taking into consideration Germany's ties to the USA and other important NATO members. The German government strived to maintain its influence within the NATO alliance and, at the same time, its reputation of a reliable and responsible ally. The impact of this external (alliance-related) factor will also be analysed with respect to the "culture of restraint" ̶ Germany's traditionally restrained approach to its armed forces deployment. Thus in addition to concrete examples of the German government's decisions on strengthening its military engagement in Afghanistan in relation to their NATO partners, the dissertation will concentrate on some ISAF combat operations in which German troops were involved. In the end, this work will elaborate on the consequences of the ISAF mission for Germany's future policy concerning the deployment Bundeswehr abroad. The research methods applied in this dissertation include..