Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr is Germany's united armed forces consisting of approximately 36 million members. After Germany's division between East and West there was a need for an army to defend West Germany from the desirous hands of the Soviet Union. Volunteers were drafted and trained by British, American, and French commanders. The army rivaled the East's Nationale Volksarmee. During the German reunification in the 1990s, the Bundeswehr was reduced to 370,000 members but accepted 70,000 more from the Nationale Volksarmee. The Bundeswehr's main objectives include providing aid to nations afflicted with natural disasters and defending Germany from foreign and domestic attack.