The new „Militärgeschichte“ 3/26

30 Years of the Special Forces Command (KSK): The new issue of “Militärgeschichte” focuses on the formation of the KSK in 1996. Just a few years later, the decision was made to deploy to Afghanistan—this mission, which began nearly 25 years ago, is also covered in this issue. Other articles cover the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Battle of Kiev in 1941, and the “Starfighter” crisis.

The Special Forces Command

The history of the Special Forces Command began 30 years ago, didn’t it? It was officially commissioned on September 20, 1996. However, as Martin Rink points out in his article, initial considerations regarding the Bundeswehr’s need for its own special forces—and what form they should take—had already emerged much earlier. This background even predates 1994, which is generally regarded as the starting point for the establishment of the KSK. At that time, due to a lack of personnel, efforts to evacuate German citizens from civil war-torn Rwanda failed. It had become clear that the Bundeswehr had to take on a new range of missions. At the same time, the question arose as to what kind of soldier should belong to this new unit: Was the goal a fighter in the mold of John J. Rambo, a suave officer in the style of James Bond, or was a completely different type of soldier required and desired?

25 Years of Deployment in Afghanistan

Members of the KSK were also among the first forces deployed to Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001—a mission that is arguably one of the most defining in the history of the Bundeswehr to date. For over 20 years, thousands of soldiers served there—they experienced combat and loss and, in the end, had to watch as the country fell back into the hands of the Taliban after their withdrawal. How did this come to pass, and what was the original objective of this mission in the first place? In his article, Philipp Münch examines why the German government decided in December 2001 to participate in the combat mission. In doing so, he makes it clear that political considerations regarding Germany’s position in foreign policy played a key role.

The “Starfighter”—A Dangerous Affair?

Malfunctions, bad luck, and operational errors led to one of the most tragic series of accidents in the history of the Bundeswehr. The “Starfighter” was procured for the Bundeswehr in the 1960s to, among other things, ensure Germany’s nuclear sharing within the NATO alliance. But it soon became known as the “widowmaker.” Between 1964 and 1966, there were more than 40 total crashes. In his article for our “Military History in Pictures” section, Heiner Möllers traces how the ejection seats installed in the “Starfighter” thus took on special significance.

The Boxer Protocol

Martin Schulz’s article, which deals with the Boxer Protocol of 1901, addresses a topic that has been largely overlooked in research to date. At the turn of the century, politically weak China was under pressure from Western powers seeking to secure spheres of influence in the Far East. In response, the so-called Boxer Movement formed in China; the resistance escalated into a war. But the Boxers, armed only with rudimentary weapons, stood no chance against the modernly equipped international forces. As a result of the military conflict, the Chinese side was forced to agree to the Boxer Protocol, which was a political humiliation and included harsh economic sanctions.

The Battle for Kyiv

Kyiv has been the scene of decisive military battles on several occasions throughout history. Most recently, during their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian troops attempted to capture the Ukrainian capital with a rapid advance—and failed. Kyiv also played a central role in World War II, as Chris Helmecke points out: The city was the focal point of a dispute between Adolf Hitler and the military leadership over how the war on the Eastern Front should proceed. Should the campaign proceed toward Moscow to capture the political center of the Soviet Union, or was the southern region, with its resources vital to the war effort, the more strategically sound target? In late summer 1941, the Ukrainian metropolis ultimately became the scene of one of the largest encirclement battles in history and also the site of what is probably the best-known single mass shooting of Jews at Babi Yar. This makes it one of the central locations of the Nazi policy of extermination.

You can download this issue for free from the ZMSBw website.