'We are no longer living in peacetime': Germany's race to be ready for war

The ground beneath him is cold.

Any other day it would be uncomfortable, but today he barely notices. Instead, he is focused on the gun in his hands - a G36 assault rifle. His eyes are fixed on the target he has been trained to hit.

Unblinking, he squeezes the trigger.

This time last week he was working in an office; today he's practising how to defend his country. 

He's one of the latest recruits to Germany’s Homeland defence or Heimatschutz. The current group includes a young mum Natalie, Kai who works in shipping and an IT consultant called David.

"We need to defend our community of countries. This is my small contribution."

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Germany vowed to transform its military.

That includes finding tens of thousands more soldiers and reservists, as well as creating at least six Homeland defence regiments with around 6,000 to 8,000 personnel by 2026.

"The situation in Europe has changed because of the war in Ukraine," explains Second Lieutenant Miguel, one of those responsible for training the recruits. "We need to get ready and fill up our reserves."

As well as shooting and survival, they are drilled in a variety of scenarios involving conflict and natural disaster.

The days are long and intense with very little sleep as the recruits lug heavy gear for many kilometres as they simulate combat.

"The last few days we were in the fields training. We were defending positions and camping," says David, who was inspired to apply for the Homeland defence when war returned to Europe.

David accuses Russia of "trying to undermine the world order", saying it has broken every red line created in the wake of the First and Second World Wars, including using rape and torture as weapons.

He's not the only one who was shocked into action by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

In 2022, as Russian troops rolled in, Germany was forced to reprioritise defence with the Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, announcing a €100bn fund to rearm and modernise his nation's armed forces.

Since then, the message from military chiefs has been clear: Germany needs to be ready for war, and fast.

During a NATO exercise in the spring, the German chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer, said his nation has "five to eight years" to prepare for a situation where "an attack against NATO territory might be possible".

That five-year timer is now ticking and it's not just Germany's defence on the line.

If the war in Ukraine escalated and NATO's eastern flank was attacked, Germany would have two key roles...

OPERATION DEUTSCHLAND

As part of its response to the new threat, Germany has a top-secret document called Operation Deutschland or the Oplan.

The 1,000-page dossier details the measures Europe's biggest power would take to protect critical infrastructure and mobilise its own forces, as well as aid with the mobilisation of NATO troops, in times of war.

"Since the Russian invasion into Ukraine, the situation has completely changed," says Lieutenant General Andre Bodemann, head of Germany's Homeland Defence Command and the self-described architect of the plan.

We are living in a "hybrid phase", he adds, with threats including "disinformation, cyber attack, espionage and sabotage".

When asked if this is the most dangerous period, in terms of risk of war for Germany since the Cold War, he replied: "Yes, definitely."

"I don't think we are in war, but we are no longer living in peacetime."

Last year, Germany honed its battle readiness including using war games to test how the military or civilians respond. But while ministers and military chiefs talk about the need to get "war ready" - years of deprioritising defence have made that task extremely complex.

Success involves the whole country rising rapidly to the challenge, according to Bodemann.

"Russia is reorganising, restructuring and boosting its forces... We have to speed up to be ready before it is," he warned.

In her annual report, Germany's armed forces commissioner, Eva Hogl, noted the nation's military, or Bundeswehr, faced significant personnel problems as well as continuing struggles with equipment shortages.

At the end of 2023, soldier numbers dropped by 1,537 compared to the year before with more than 20,000 vacant posts.

So how did we get here?

• After the Second World War, all of Germany's armed forces were disbanded.
• In 1949, Germany was officially divided into Communist East and Capitalist West. During the Cold War both sides grew their armed forces, bolstering ranks with conscription.
• But in 1990, Germany reunified and the so-called "Army of Unity" was created.
• Since there was no immediate threat on Germany's borders, less government money was spent on defence and more on social and economic issues.
• By 2000, the army had cut 40% of its personnel.
• In the following years, spending fell to lows of 1.2% of Germany's GDP - well below NATO's 2% target.

AGEING AND SHRINKING

In 2022, a €100bn fund was announced to re-equip the military after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Then, in 2024, Germany pledged to hit the 2% NATO target for the first time since 1990s.

Current figures show the Bundeswehr has just over 179,000 troops in uniform.

That is the sixth largest in NATO, behind the US, Turkey, Poland, France and the UK. But for Germany's leaders that isn't good enough.

By 2031, they want that figure to be 203,000.

COMBAT READY?

So how do you find 20,000 new soldiers in six years?

The obvious answer is to recruit more young people. As well as the usual adverts on billboards and in cinemas, the military has been running youth camps to give teenagers a taste of army life. During a week-long course near Leipzig they practise navigation, teamwork, outdoor skills and do a timed assault course.

Seventeen-year-old Julian is keen to serve.

"There's a sense of patriotism - that's a big part of it - and wanting to defend my country," he says.

Greta, 17, is interested in a military career but says few pupils at her school feel the same. "Probably they think they have to go to war and that doesn't sound that great," she explains.

Conscription is another possible solution but the government sidestepped its reintroduction, instead opting for a draft law that would approve sending all 18-year-olds a questionnaire to gauge their readiness to serve.

In 2025, men turning 18 - around 300,000 - would have to respond. Women would receive the questionnaire but aren't obliged to reply.

Germany eventually wants to have 200,000 reservists to help boost troops to around 460,000 in wartime.

A PACIFIST CULTURE

But recruitment to the armed forces isn't straightforward. Many Germans are inherently anti-war.

The horrors of the Second World War, the shame of atrocities committed by the Nazis, the division of Germany and its remilitarisation during the Cold War, have all left scars.

"Some people might find it strange that Germany isn't at the forefront of the idea that Europe needs to now rearm and get ready to defend itself," says historian and author, Katja Hoyer, "but that is underestimating the long history of German aversion to anything military".

Last October, at a peace rally in Berlin, large crowds gathered to listen to anti-war speeches, many cheering in appreciation.

Among those demonstrating was 60-year-old Petra. "I stand for peace," she declared. "War is never a solution... we have to sit down and talk together."

Around her, people held banners displaying a similar message. Many were deeply worried about Germany strengthening its own military as well as supplying Ukraine with weapons.

"I think there is a real danger that everyone will be in a big war and maybe a third world war. It's very dangerous and we have to say no," said Katharina.

Germany's history loomed large for Will, another protester.

"I think Germany has a very poor history in regards to leading wars. The feeling I have is that we are drifting in this direction [towards war]," he said.

He feared more weapons for Ukraine could mean returning to a dark past.

But there were signs that some attitudes could be changing. A small counter-protest had popped up across the road.

People on megaphones shouted back replies to the anti-war speakers, showing their support for arming Ukraine.

Almost half of Germans (48%) are against further arms delivery to Ukraine, according to a survey by Ipsos at the start of January.

 In contrast 38% are still in favour.

Half of Germans back defence minister Boris Pistorius's pledge to increase defence spending to between 3% and 3.5% of GDP.

Among supporters at the Berlin counter-protest was Frederika.

She was a pacifist for years but her views changed when Russia attacked.

"I am still part of a peace movement but in the face of a dictatorship, you can't be defenceless."

Frederika, former pacifist

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

Ever since war returned to Europe, Germany has been trying to respond.

Large parts of the special €100bn fund for troops approved in 2022 have been allocated to important projects including air defence systems, heavy transport helicopters and light combat helicopters.

To reinforce NATO's eastern flank, Germany will permanently station 5,000 troops in Lithuania in the next few years.

The Oplan has been drawn up. There's a promise to boost the country's defence industry and efforts are being made to solve the military's personnel problem including a draft law trying to make serving more attractive.

In a recent interview, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius dismissed the demand by Donald Trump to boost defence spending to 5% saying the figure was unnecessary and unrealistic.

But there's no denying the European powerhouse faces an uphill battle.

Throw in a looming general election and likely regime change, and the challenge only grows bigger.

Could Germany be war-ready in five to eight years? For some, the growing threats facing Europe mean it is no longer up for debate, it can't afford not to be.

"The threat is imminent, we have to speed up," warns Lieutenant General Andre Bodemann.

-SKY NEWS