THE GERMAN SOLDIER AND RIGHT-WING NATIONALISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: THE IMPACT OF THE ALTERNATIVE FÜR DEUTSCHLAND ON GERMAN CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS

Since the end of World War II, Germany has integrated into Western political, economic, and security institutions, which has fueled its prosperity today. The national government has emphasized cooperation in lieu of competition in governance, economics, and military. However, as a wave of right-wing populist movements cascade across Europe, new political forces threaten to forget the lessons learned following the destruction from two world wars. Instead of embracing the freedom and security Germany has enjoyed since the fall of the Third Reich, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) resurrects values, prejudices, and language that have been deeply buried by Germany society. Fueled by nativist attitudes toward new immigrants—coupled with years of protracted foreign wars and a cultural divide between a militarily skeptical civilian population and the armed forces who swear an oath to protect the population—the AfD is pulling tricks from pre-1949 German governments and rallying support for their cause. Understanding the lessons from Prussian militarism and Nazi perversion, the Federal Republic of Germany was able to successfully integrate its military into civil society for the first time in its country’s history. However, the AfD aims to reshape the Bundeswehr with policies that reject its founding principles and can have a ripple effect throughout Germany, Europe, and the transatlantic security alliance.Major, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. distribution is unlimite