A recent German decision to strengthen its armed forces constitutes a direct threat to the security and sovereignty of Russia.
But what if that sense of threat is not an attempt to securitize oneself against another country, but to threaten the latter’s very survival?
That is precisely what a German administrative decision demonstrates. Recently, the German cabinet passed a bill that seeks to introduce a voluntary military initiative for German citizens to enlist in the German national army to enhance its security. The step is meant to double the existing reservist force of the country. Further, Germany plans to increase the number of its active service members in the armed forces from the present 1, 80,000 to 2, 60,000 troops by 2030s to meet NATO’s defence targets.
This, the German government argues, is meant to pave the way for eventual reintroduction of conscription or compulsory military recruitment for Germans.
The reasons the Germany has cited is to not only augment the overall hard power of NATO in accordance with US president Donald Trump’s demands but to also enhance the ‘resilience’ of Germany against Russia. This message was echoed by the German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who asserted that Germany would build the strongest military in Europe.
But there is more than what meets the eye.
Threatening Russia
There is little doubt that the German decision is an explicit attempt to threaten the security and sovereignty of Russia. In other words, the German decision is meant to undermine the very existence of Russia. This coupled with the intention to bolster the martial strength of NATO is an act of direct provocation that is meant to send a message to Moscow that they want Russia to kowtow to them.
The Euro-Atlantic alliance’s steady expansion eastwards since the 2000s were blatant acts of disregarding Russia’s core security concerns.
The west’s attempt at dangling the NATO carrot before Ukraine was the quintessential demonstration of how the west doesn’t care for the security concern of others, particularly a great power like Russia.
A Painful Past
The German decision to expand its armed forces, however, is a part of a more sinister and insidious plan. This plan involves reviving the Nazi past of militaristic nationalism.
The Nazi atrocities against the Soviet Union during World War II are both grim and traumatic. On 22 June 1941 Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, one of the largest land invasions in global history. Adolf Hitler’s motive was to bring to fruition his vision of establishing a thousand-year Reich by establishing Nazi rule in the territory between the Vistula and the Urals.
It involved a force of 5.5 million soldiers, 3550 tanks backed by 5000 aircraft and 47,000 pieces of artillery. The Russian suffering was immense-the Wehrmacht ended up capturing more than five million Soviet prisoners of war, out of who three million died in captivity.
The Nazis killed millions of innocent Russian men, women and children. No one can forget the Nazi atrocities against Jewish people of Russian origin. Operation Barbarossa brought immense pain and suffering to over four million Jewish people. What was all the more brutal and inhumane about the atrocities was the fact that the targeted population was killed both by German mobile units and those who survived were murdered in gas chambers, all this was a part of the Nazi final solution or the Holocaust.
But the Russians showed immense courage and fortitude, they not only stood their ground in countless battles, memorable among them being the Battle of Stalingrad and the tank battle of Kursk but also drove the Nazi invaders out of Russia. In the course of time, the Soviet Union took the fight against the Nazis all the way to Germany. 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the Russian victory against Nazi Germany.
This clearly signaled that no matter whoever tried to threaten the existence of Russia, whether Napoleon Bonaparte or Adolf Hitler, Russia not only survived, but thrived.
The German plan in general and the western plan in particular to threaten a mighty power like Russia is reflective of the foolhardy attempts to bring Russia to its knees.
Conclusion
Hence, it is absolutely essential for the West to understand that securitizing itself must not come at the cost of disregarding others’ concerns. The west must not only mend its relations with Russia, but must give due diligence to Russian security concerns, especially those related to Ukraine and the strategic choices of Russian allies like India and China.
Pranay Kumar Shome, a research analyst who is a PhD candidate at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
Follow new articles on our Telegram channel
