France’s recent return into NATO’s integrated military structures once again stressed the need for developing a strong European pillar in the transatlantic security architecture. Because of the historic relevance of the Franco-German axis for the deepening of the European integration process, the question arose whether these two countries could keep a leading role in the development of an integrated European security and defense policy. The following article investigates the chances and risks of such an enhanced cooperation of France and Germany in the military sector. Thereby the focus of analysis will not lie on the chances or problems of military cooperation, but on the different societal norms and values constituting a specific attitude towards the use of force. The comparison of the strategic cultures in the two countries will show whether the French and German “strategic mind-sets” of both elites and citizens can be considered as “similar enough” for an enhanced military cooperation or whether the underlying norms and values are too different to trigger effective cooperation.
