German Military Restrictions After Wwii?

[B777LR]

Hi everyone!

My mother just asked me if germany had any restrictions set down for its military forces after the second world war. All i can think of, was a ban of tanks, which was removed sometime in the 1960-70s. Any more?

   

[Maverick]

Pretty sure the most critical one to consider was the restrictions placed on German military operations in total (ie: not beyond their borders).  Add to that restrictions on use of US controlled nukes once they came online, etc, etc.

Mav

[gooberliberation]

Wasn't the luftwaffe officially disbanded in '46(which must've just been a formality at the time), then reestablished in '55?

[nev]

Yeah, certainly the Luftwaffe wasn't reformed till the mid 50s and IIRC their Phantoms weren't allowed Sparrows either due to post WW2 restrictions - which is kinda dumb if you ask me given that we were all supposed to be defending against Ivan together.

[Arc3371]

Well, Austria wasn´t allowed AAM´s until after 1990 so...

[Jennings]

West Germany was considered an occupied country until the mid-1950s.  Until that time there was no West German military, only police forces and the Allied military occupation forces.  The German Army and the new Luftwaffe were reconstituted in the late 1950s, and the new Lufthansa was allowed to start operating in 1955.  They weren't taking any chance between '45 and '55-'57.

J

[GTX]

Look here, here and especially here  (it's a bit of a read, though very interesting) for some information.

Regards,

Greg

[NARSES2]

Yeah, certainly the Luftwaffe wasn't reformed till the mid 50s and IIRC their Phantoms weren't allowed Sparrows either due to post WW2 restrictions - which is kinda dumb if you ask me given that we were all supposed to be defending against Ivan together.

Problem was the Peace Treaties were co-signed by the Soviets as well as the western powers Nev which meant there were some severe restrictions on the ability of the Germans to pursue "long range warfare"

Always seemed strange to me that the various treaties ending WWI are more familiar to people then those ending WWII - suppose it's something to do with being taught that Versaille was a causes bellas for WWII - goes a lot deeper then that IMHO - but that as they say is another subject completely    

[Martin H]

Pretty sure the most critical one to consider was the restrictions placed on German military operations in total (ie: not beyond their borders).

They were permitted to operate anyware within NATO borders. There was a panzer training school not far from Tenby in south wales untill the mid 1990's (yep a full Panzer regiment was in residence, it wasnt uncommon to see Leo's chargeing around on exercise), and the flight training schools in the U.S. and Canada.
...it took a few changes to German law to allow for UN Peace keeping ops in Somalia. That also led to German Army CH-53's and UH-1's, being deployed by the UN to Iraq to support the WMD search /inspection teams prior to op Iraqi Freedom..
They got around the rules for Kosovo and A'stan due to both being NATO led operations.

[Eddie M.]

They got around the rules for Kosovo and due to both being NATO led operations

I recently saw a video of the Germans engaging some "badguys" in a firefight in the the former Yogoslav republic and it was like a step back in history to me to hear German voices in a combat/firefight situation.  Just an observation and sorry for going O/T.
   Eddie  

[nev]

Problem was the Peace Treaties were co-signed by the Soviets

Ahhhh, thanks for that little tidbit Chris, wasn't aware of it.  Explains a lot.

[NARSES2]

[ There was a panzer training school not far from Tenby in south wales untill the mid 1990's (yep a full Panzer regiment was in residence, it wasnt uncommon to see Leo's chargeing around on exercise), .

And I'm old enough to remember the Giles cartoons on the subject when they arrived - about the same time as BR staff swaped peaked caps for "Afrika Corps hats" - you should of seen the Daily Mail on that one    

[Martin H]

about the same time as BR staff swaped peaked caps for "Afrika Corps hats" - you should of seen the Daily Mail on that one  

Now u mention it, they diid look as thou they came right out of the DAK's stores.