Happy birthday

On 14 June 1848, the National Assembly in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main decided to establish an all-German navy. This was done to protect the German merchant fleet and was justified by the Schleswig-Holstein War against Denmark. This makes the German Navy the oldest branch of the German Armed Forces. It will be celebrated in Berlin, Rostock and Hamburg, but this time not in the venerable St Paul's Church in Frankfurt as in 2008. The protection of the sea lanes and the associated national defence, which were the focus of attention back then, are strikingly topical again today.

Armaments planning with the USA in 1849 is also a remarkable analogy. And we note with a grin that the goal of providing six million thalers for the development of the navy was never achieved and only coastal countries wanted to make a contribution. No, the real reason to celebrate is that it was the democratic decision of a parliament, and that not only the naval presence, but the defence itself was an all-German insight. This is the message for the German public, which is increasingly interested in security policy. Armed forces under parliamentary control are successful if they are mandated and wanted. We celebrate this, because age alone is no merit. The fact that history has not been unbroken is further proof that 1848 is a year of tradition. So what gives us, with a relatively young navy, the self-confidence to celebrate in a big way, while the Swedes celebrated their 500th anniversary last year in a completely unpretentious manner?

With regard to the first frigates that American President James Monroe ordered for the US Navy in 1784, or the founding days of the Royal Navy, which are difficult to locate in the depths of history, we have no comparable continuum. Especially not a democratic one, because it is only with today's navy that we have a legitimised executive branch of German foreign and security policy - which has now existed longer than any other German navy before it. Even if the founding ideas of 1848 and 1956 have historical similarities, we have no need for an artificial birthday. Since the very beginning, today's navy has stood for international presence tasks and, since 1990, also for armed operations, even if not everyone wants to recognise this anniversary. Operations in the Adriatic in 1992, Somalia in 1994, the presence in the Horn of Africa against international terrorism and piracy, stabilisation off Lebanon, combating people smuggling off Libya and, most recently, even land operations on the African continent have been carried out for decades. Under parliamentary control, with the allies, with a UN mandate and rarely as a single armed force, but in cooperation with all branches of the armed forces and organisational areas of the Bundeswehr. The navy has evolved and its image is no longer characterised by maritime folklore, but by the use of modern media and a contemporary communications culture. The focus is no longer on the already overrated romance of seafaring, but on operational capability and attractiveness as an employer.

The navy has suffered a number of setbacks - symbolised by the suspension of compulsory military service. This certainly affected all branches of the armed forces, but the smallest of them, with its regional dependency and integrated deployment of recruits, suffered particularly badly. And in recent years, the navy has had to accept on several occasions that it has had to deal with attacks "across the armed forces" and has had to give up much that was cherished and tried and tested. External influences often caused frustration in the navy with the curse of small numbers - and not just in repair projects. Despite working time regulations that completely redefined life on board, cancelled armaments projects, a shortage of skilled personnel and disappointing budget restrictions: The navy was and is needed, it is listened to in politics and has strategic weight. And it makes the best of what it has to fulfil its mission. This was recently demonstrated by the unplanned evacuation mission of the task force supply ship Bonn: flexible and fast on site, unobtrusive and professional. The fact that Bonn did not make the headlines in the end was fortunate for the evacuees. Mission accomplished, without fanfare. Or as the Federal President once said with regard to the naval order: shine without dazzling. With this in mind, dear Federal Republic of Germany: Congratulations on this navy!

Holger Schlüter