Veteranenpolitik in Deutschland

The German military is being deployed in numerous missions abroad. A growing number of soldiers returning from military action have started calling themselves “veterans” and placing demands on the government for more recognition and support. The former Minister of Defence Thomas de Maizière has declared that formulating a veterans’ policy is a top priority and has even called for a German Veterans’ Day. However, Germany still doesn’t have a specific veteran’s policy, in contrast to most of its allies. This lack of a veteran’s policy and the implications of that for the relationship between the German military and civil society are analysed in this book. By examining the veterans’ policies in the Netherlands and the United States, the book lists possible courses of action for a German veterans’ policy in the future and draws conclusions on the effectiveness of certain political measures implemented to support veterans.