Wehrwesen

Wehrwesen is the German term for the system and administration of a state’s defense. It denotes the organization, policy, and activities that secure national defense, including the armed forces, defense administration, and related institutions and procedures. The word combines Wehr (defense) with Wesen (essence or system) and has long been used to describe a country’s defense apparatus.

Historically, the concept has evolved with German states. In the German Empire and during the Weimar Republic, the defense establishment encompassed the army, navy, air forces, and the civil structures that managed mobilization, logistics, and training. Under the Nazi era the armed forces and their supporting organs formed the core of state power. After World War II, West Germany rebuilt its defense system as the Bundeswehr, and the term continued to be used in academic and administrative discourse to refer to the broader defense sector, including organization, procurement, and mobilization.

In the Federal Republic of Germany today, Wehrwesen denotes the defense sector as a whole, centered on the Bundeswehr and the Federal Ministry of Defence, along with defense procurement and civil protection components. Since 2011, conscription has been suspended, and the armed forces operate on a voluntary basis. Debates about force structure, modernization, and the balance between military capability and civilian defense planning continue to shape Germany’s defense policy.

In scholarly and policy contexts, Wehrwesen is an analytic category for examining how a state organizes, finances, and integrates defense with society and international security. It is related to, but distinct from, warfare doctrine (Kriegsführung) and strategic policy.