General Staff (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The General Staff of the German Army
is a department of the Federal Ministry of Defence
and one of the five staff headquarters in the military command of the Bundeswehr
. The General Staff is thus at the same time a ministerial division and the highest level of military command within the German Army.
(Inspekteur des Heeres). The Inspector holds the rank of lieutenant general (Generalleutnant), commands the General Staff and in that role reports to the Federal Minister of Defence. The deputy to the Inspector also holds 3 star rank. The General Inspector of the Bundeswehr and the Defence Staff who work for him are only authorised to issue directives to the General Staff in the fields of development and the realisation of the overall concept for the Bundeswehr. The General Staff comprises about 180 soldiers and civil servants.
. The staff ensures the readiness of the Army from a materiel and personnel perspective. In addition the two command pillars of the Army, the Army Command and the Army Office are subordinate to the General Staff. Furthermore the staff support the Inspector of the Army and the Federal Minister of Defence in their ministerial duties.
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
is a department of the Federal Ministry of Defence
Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of Defence is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
and one of the five staff headquarters in the military command of the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. The General Staff is thus at the same time a ministerial division and the highest level of military command within the German Army.
Command
The General Staff is commanded by the Inspector of the ArmyInspector of the Army
The Inspector of the Army is the senior serving officer in the German Army of the modern day German Armed Forces or Bundeswehr.He is responsible for the readiness of personnel and materiel in the German Army, in that regard he reports directly to the Federal Minister of Defence...
(Inspekteur des Heeres). The Inspector holds the rank of lieutenant general (Generalleutnant), commands the General Staff and in that role reports to the Federal Minister of Defence. The deputy to the Inspector also holds 3 star rank. The General Inspector of the Bundeswehr and the Defence Staff who work for him are only authorised to issue directives to the General Staff in the fields of development and the realisation of the overall concept for the Bundeswehr. The General Staff comprises about 180 soldiers and civil servants.
Mission
The General Staff is the highest level of command in the German ArmyGerman Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
. The staff ensures the readiness of the Army from a materiel and personnel perspective. In addition the two command pillars of the Army, the Army Command and the Army Office are subordinate to the General Staff. Furthermore the staff support the Inspector of the Army and the Federal Minister of Defence in their ministerial duties.