"Throwback to my army days" - Friedrich Merz reminisces on his military service experience
Memories of Military Service Recalled by Merz Favorably
German Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has fondly recalled his time in the German Armed Forces, sparking discussions about a potential reintroduction of conscription. In an interview with "Bild am Sonntag", Merz shared, "My army days remain etched in my memory."
As the only Chancellor among his peers to have served in the armed forces, Merz served from July 1975 to September 1976. During his service, he encountered camaraderie and a sense of unity among his peers, describing it as a "strong bond that brought us together." He added, "There was a great sense of pride in being part of a bigger machine."
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Merz's military service took place across various German Armed Forces locations, including Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Warendorf, Kusel, and Dülmen. Initially training as a tank artillery soldier, Merz eventually specialized in operating field howitzers and held the rank of Fahnenjunker, the lowest rank of an officer candidate. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete planned training as a reserve officer due to an injury.
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Among current and former Chancellors, only Friedrich Merz has military service experience. Others like Olaf Scholz underwent civilian service, while Angela Merkel was exempt due to her gender during conscription. Gerhard Schröder was also exempt due to the loss of his father during World War II. Other leaders, such as Helmut Kohl, Helmut Schmidt, Willy Brandt, and Kurt Georg Kiesinger, either had civilian occupations without military service or held exemptions due to various circumstances.
While conscription was in place in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1956 to 2011, it has since been suspended, though not abolished. Previously, there was no conscription during the Weimar Republic due to Treaty of Versailles restrictions, but it was implemented in the GDR in 1962 and under National Socialism from 1935 until the war's end in 1945.
[1] ntv.de[2] chl/AFP
- Friedrich Merz
- Conscription
- German Armed Forces
- "Friedrich Merz's military service experiences in the German Armed Forces, which include vocational training as a tank artillery soldier and operating field howitzers, have sparked discussions about a potential reintroduction of conscription in German politics."
- "The general-news about Friedrich Merz's army days highlights not only his employment policy within the military but also brings attention to the community policy of camaraderie and unity among his peers, demonstrated during his service in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Warendorf, Kusel, and Dülmen."
