Post by Hemil Papdiwala

The Bundeswehr's understanding of tradition has been marked by controversy since its founding years. This is especially true for the commemoration of the attempted coup of July 20, 1944, which the founding fathers around Adolf Heusinger established as a historical orientation for the armed forces. While in the early phase of the Bundeswehr many Wehrmacht veterans kept their distance from the memory of the military resistance against the Nazi state, official commemoration in the Bundeswehr today aims to ensure that conscience is the last resort and independent thinking is a duty. The lecture asks what relevance the "revolt of conscience" 82 years ago can have for the political and military self-image of today's soldiers.