In recent years there has been a noticeable shift in Germany`s security policy towards more individual initiative. As well as the formulation of independent interests one may also speak of a profiling within the German security policy. In this context, the frequency of the deployment abroad of the Bundeswehr has been increasing within the limits of NATO, EU and UN. The EU-lead “Operation Atalanta”, specially built for the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, seems of particular interest. Franz-Josef Jung, former German minister of defence, referred to the German contribution as “the most robust mandate” ever. The assignment as listed by the ministry of defence includes “deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery even with the use of force”.
In this paper the author analyzes video records of debates at the German Bundestag to illustrate how the German contribution to the international cooperation in form of the despatch of the Bundeswehr is legitimized for the public. In the one hand, the paper points staging instead of arguing out as a relevant process during debates at the German Bundestag. On the other hand, the author tries to show that the German history during WWII is a relevant fact for the increased contribution to international military operations.
