Germany’s National Security Strategy: Is it helping or hurting the Zeitenwende?

Released in June 2023, Germany’s first-ever National Security Strategy (NSS) has faced criticism over its ability to advance the Zeitenwende—its pivotal shift in security and foreign policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many political analysts had anticipated greater clarity on Germany's strategic direction, but those expectations were largely unmet.

In her essay Germany’s National Security Strategy: Is It Helping or Hurting the Zeitenwende?, Marina Henke—Director of the Centre for International Security and Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School—argues that the NSS falls short of providing a clear strategic direction. Instead of prioritising threats and setting a firm course of action, it presents an exhaustive list of goals, making it, in Henke’s words, “less an actual strategy than a wish list.”

The NSS ambitiously aims to maintain economic prosperity, combat climate change, and promote global democracy, among other goals. However, it fails to make hard choices between competing priorities. It also lacks a rigorous analysis of threats, diluting the significance of Russia among other challenges. Henke also criticises its absence of concrete policy measures, leaving key security threats unaddressed and accountability unclear.

The NSS, Henke finds, is thus insufficient for advancing Germany’s Zeitenwende or strengthening its role as a more capable US ally and partner. Despite its flaws, Henke sees a silver lining: Public discussions on the NSS’s weaknesses could encourage Germany to refine its strategic thinking. Rebuilding its grand strategic infrastructure—through government planning, military training, and academic programmes—will be key in this respect and would help foster a broader societal understanding of security policy, thereby strengthening public support for security reforms.

With Eurasia back at the centre of geopolitical tensions, Henke stresses that Germany must reassert itself, not just as a material contributor but also as an intellectual leader. Relying solely on the US is no longer possible.

Henke’s full analysis appears in Assessing the Zeitenwende, edited by John R. Deni and Jeffrey D. Rathke, published by USAWC Press.

The Hertie School is not responsible for any content linked or referred to from these pages. Views expressed by the author/interviewee may not necessarily reflect the views and values of the Hertie School.