Germany's Constitutional Court and Future German Combat Operations Outside ofEurope

摘要

No German soldier or airman fought in the 1991 Gulf War coalition. No U.S. orallied effort to coax Germany to share the combat burdens of providing world wide security in the post-Cold War succeeded. In fact, since World War II German units have been constitutionally forbidden from operating outside of Europe; or, so most Germans believed. In 1994, the perceived restriction disappeared permitting Germany to participate in future international missions around the world. What changed. The answer lie in German law and German politics. This paper explains the decision that changed German policy and suggests future implications.