Overview
- The Bundeswehr was established on 12 November 1955 at Ermekeilkaserne in Bonn.
- The founding ceremony featured a prominent Iron Cross above the podium, underscoring the force’s chosen symbol.
- Defence Minister Theodor Blank addressed 101 volunteers who received their commissions at the event.
- After serving as a NATO front‑state force in the Cold War, the Bundeswehr shifted to worldwide missions in the post‑Cold War era.
- Current coverage emphasizes a pivot back to territorial deterrence and stationing on NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russia.