Germany and the integration of EU military capabilities : Understanding zeitenwende from a neoclassical realist perspective

Sammanfattning: Zeitenwende represents a turning point in German foreign and security policy which is analysed in this paper. The analysis is based on three variables from Rose's neoclassical realism which shapes a state's foreign and security policy. The three variables are Military Capability, Strategic Culture, and Threat Perception. The study is based on a qualitative text analysis with the aim of understanding zeitenwende and the German drive to integrate CFSP. The study considers Russia and the US as the two international actors that pressure Germany to act, how it perceives these two, and then shapes its responses towards the international realm is understood based on the neoclassical realist assumptions and variables. This study intends to answer the question: Why does Germany propose integrating military capabilities and majority decisions in the EU? & Can neoclassical realism explain zeitenwende? The study concludes that neoclassical realism can explain zeitenwende and that Germany’s strategic culture & military capability makes the CFSP a suitable framework for Germany.