‘The Tip of the Spear’—The Bundeswehr, Soviet Force Restructuring & Development of West Germany's Armored Forces, 1951–1986

Abstract

After the decision to re-arm Germany in the early 1950s, the military leadership in the Federal Republic of Germany or “Bundeswehr” once again set out to create an army capable of not only defending the Federal Republic of Germany but of being able to integrate itself within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) forward defense of Western Europe. This article examines the Bundeswehr's re-armament and its operational and tactical organization as well as the weapons systems, most notably the development of a whole new generation of main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles or personnel carriers that were far superior to either their Soviet or American counterparts. The article likewise examines the incorporation of tactics and operational doctrine employed by the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front (1941–1945) during World War II.