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Presentation of results of the Public Survey 2009

Cover sheet of the Public Survey 2009 (Source: SWInstBw, Februar 2010)

Strausberg, 17.02.2010.
The short report on the public opinion climate related to security and defense policy in the Federal Republic of Germany was published in October/November 2009 within the research area „Research on Attitudes and Public Surveys“.

The results of the representative public survey show that the confidence of the population in the Bundeswehr remains high. About nine out of ten German citizens trust the German armed forces. On the confidence scale, the Bundeswehr takes a top position besides the Police.

Most of the Bundeswehr operations abroad are supported by the majority. The confidence in the Bundeswehr provides the most important basis for acceptance, compensating existing information deficits with respect to operations abroad.

No majority for withdrawal

The approval of the population with regard to the ISAF mission of the Bundeswehr has decreased. During the survey at the end of 2009, 50 percent of the population supported the participation of the Bundeswehr in the Afghanistan mission. The year before the rate had been 64 percent. The effects of the Bundeswehr mission on the security situation and on the living conditions in the country of deployment are assessed as positive by the majority.

The majority of the population takes a positive attitude towards compulsory military service.
About six out of ten German citizens are in favor of the retention of conscription in Germany. In recent years the proportion of the proponents of conscription has remained nearly unchanged.

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Book Presentation “Friedensethik und Sicherheitspolitik“ (Peace Ethics and Security Policy)

Cover: Friedensethik und Sicherheitspolitik (Source: SWInstBw, Oktober 2009)

Strausberg, 12.02.2010.
On 10 February 2010, Protestant Military Bishop Dr. Martin Dutzmann and the Director of the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences, Professor Dr. Ernst-Christoph Meier, invited to attend a joint presentation of the book “Friedensethik und Sicherheitspolitik. Weißbuch 2006 und EKD-Friedensdenkschrift 2007 in der Diskussion“ (Peace Ethics and Security Policy. White Paper 2006 and Peace Memorandum 2007 of the Protestant Church of Germany in the Discussion) to take place in the Office of the Protestant Church in Berlin. On this occasion, selected representatives from the sectors of politics, religion, science and from the Bundeswehr gathered in the building in Jebenstraße.

The presentation of the book was opened by the Director of the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences, Professor Dr. Ernst-Christoph Meier, who put the book in the context of the “learning process” on Germany’s security commitment and its tasks in the international field that still goes on in Germany. This introduction was followed by a word of welcome from Generalleutnant Rainer Glatz, Commander, Bundeswehr Operations Command. After this, Prof. Dörfler-Dierken in her capacity as editress presented the work, followed by Bishop Dr. Dutzmann, who prized the book and its objective, which is to trigger a dialog on peace ethics and security policy.

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Paying a visit: Protestant Military Bishop Dr. Martin Dutzmann visits the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences

Protestant Military Bishop Dr. Martin Dutzmann (on the right) during the presentation of the research findings (Source: SWInstBw, Januar 2010)

Strausberg, 25.01.2010.
On 22 January 2010, Protestant Military Bishop Dr. Martin Dutzmann, accompanied by his assistant Dr. Werner Weinholt and Chief Chaplain Matthias Heimer, for the first time since his inauguration visited the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences to inform himself of the institute and its research activities.

The Director and Professor of the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences, Dr. Ernst-Christoph Meier, explained at first the focal topics of research of the institute and then presented the current projects. Subsequently, Dr. Anja Seiffert elaborated on the studies conducted in the research area of “Social Science Monitoring of Deployments Abroad of the Bundeswehr“. Rüdiger Fiebig presented the results of the Public Survey 2008. After this, Dr. Thomas Bulmahn and Victoria Wieninger gave account of the studies in the research area of ”Recruitment of New Personnel and Retention of Staff“, while Klaus Ebeling briefed on the studies in the research area of Military, Ethics and Innere Führung (Leadership Development and Civic Education).

During the intense discussion of the research findings, Protestant Military Bishop Dr. Martin Dutzmann emphasized the great importance of the studies conducted by the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences for gaining a comprehensive picture of the situation, in particular in the field of deployments abroad of the Bundeswehr.

International expert-workshop

International Expert-Workshop "On the way to a European rationale in security and defence? National strategy documents in Germany, France and the United Kingdom" on 10 and 11 December 2009 in Berlin

On 10 – 11 December 2009, the Bundeswehr Institute of Social Sciences (SOWI) hosted the international expert-workshop "On the way to a European rationale in security and defence? National strategy documents in Germany, France and the United Kingdom" in Berlin. This event took place in connection with the Institute’s 35th anniversary.

Publication: Chances and obstacles for the European integration of armed forces

Publication: "Chancen und Hindernisse für die europäische Streitkräfteintegration. Grundlegende Aspekte deutscher, französischer und britischer Sicherheits und Verteidigungspolitik im Vergleich" [Chances and obstacles for the European integration of armed forces]

More than ten years after the emergence of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), questions on the way forward for ESDP remain high on the agenda of academics and practitioners alike. An essential framework for German military deployment, the necessity for an even closer European military cooperation rises due to increasingly complex security challenges as well as limited national defence budgets. Against this background, the study of Alexandra Jonas and Nicolai von Ondarza analyzes the convergences and divergences in basic aspects of the "three big" EU member states' security and defence policies, with a view to the resulting implications for further integration in the field of ESDP.

Empirically, the study is based on an analysis of basic, security and defence related strategy documents in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, a thoruogh analysis of further relevant literature and expert-interviews in Berlin, London and Paris.

Publication: Peace Ethics and Security Policy

Publication: Peace Ethics and Security Policy

Both collectively and individually, people aim at peace and security. Ethical and political issues of the realization of peace and security are highly controversial. Security policy guidelines of the Federal Government are defined in the “White Paper 2006 on the Security Policy of Germany and the Future of the Bundeswehr”. Exactly one year after that, the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany has published the memorandum “Live from Gods Peace – Care for Just Peace“

These documents form the basis for the discussion of the articles of the collective volume which has just been published.

The Professional Biography of Naval Officers. Choice of career, occupational expectations and the evaluation of the officer training at the Mürwik Naval Academy - results of the inquiry amongst crews VII/2005 to VII/2008

Research Report 87:
The Professional Biography of Naval Officers

The Professional Biography of Naval Officers
Choice of career, occupational expectations and the evaluation of the officer training at the Mürwik Naval Academy – results of the inquiry amongst crews VII/2005 to VII/2008
Wolfgang Sender

Strausberg, September, 2009, 201 pages