Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the German military (Bundeswehr) has returned to the centre of political debate in Germany, amid arguments over rearmament, conscription and vast increases in defence spending.
But how do Germans actually view their armed forces and has public opinion shifted in recent years?
Dr Timo Graf, a senior researcher at the Bundeswehr's Centre for Military History and Social Sciences in Potsdam, explored those questions in his study, "Germany in a Military Leadership Role? Public Opinion on Security and Defence Policy in the Federal Republic of Germany 2025."
The research forms part of a long-running annual survey series dating back to 1996.
Conducted independently of day-to-day political events, it offers a rare insight into how German attitudes towards security, defence and the military have evolved over time. Using around 300 questions, the study examines public opinion on foreign policy, defence and security issues, as well as perceptions of the Bundeswehr itself.
