Germany as a frontline state of the Cold War: NATO, Warsaw Pact, Bundeswehr, NVA and the danger of war in Central Europe - Softcover

Sch�fer, Nico

9798174869912: Germany as a frontline state of the Cold War: NATO, Warsaw Pact, Bundeswehr, NVA and the danger of war in Central Europe

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798174869912

Verlag: Independently published, 2026

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Von EUR 22,88

Germany was not only divided during the Cold War. It was one of the most dangerous military spaces in the world.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were ready on both sides of the inner-German border. The Bundeswehr and its NATO allies planned the defense of the Federal Republic, while the National People's Army and the Soviet Armed Forces on the other side were prepared for a possible war. Tank formations, airfields, missile sites, nuclear weapons and mobilization plans made Germany a possible main theater of a third world war.
But what would such a war actually have looked like? Where could the Warsaw Pact have attacked? What was the Bundeswehr's role within NATO? How strong was the NVA really? Why were so many Soviet soldiers in the GDR? What role did nuclear weapons play on German soil? And how great was the danger that a political crisis would turn into a war between the superpowers within a few hours?
This book traces the military history of divided Germany from the end of the Second World War to reunification. It explains the emergence of the Bundeswehr and NVA, the strategy of forward defence, possible areas of attack in Central Europe, the operational ideas of the Warsaw Pact, nuclear deterrence and the importance of Berlin as the most dangerous focal point in Europe.
This is not just about armies and weapon systems. The book also shows how deeply the military confrontation shaped everyday life. Conscription, manoeuvres, low-flying aircraft, foreign garrisons, bunkers, border fortifications and mobilization plans were part of the reality of both German states for decades.
Particular attention is paid to the crises in which the military confrontation became particularly dangerous. These include the Berlin crises, the construction of the Wall, the tank confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie, the NATO double-track decision, the stationing of new medium-range missiles and the tensions of 1983 around Able Archer.
At the same time, the book shows why deterrence and d�tente were not mutually exclusive. Ostpolitik, arms control and disarmament treaties helped to gradually make the confrontation more predictable. After all, it was not a military victory that led to the end of the German frontline state, but the political crisis of the GDR, the peaceful revolution of 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the negotiations on German unity.
A comprehensible and fact-oriented overview for history buffs who want to know why Germany became a possible battlefield between NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War and why this war did not break out in the end.
The book is deliberately aimed at interested readers who are looking for a well-founded introduction to the topic. Military contexts, political decisions and strategic concepts are explained in an understandable way, without presupposing specialist scientific knowledge.

Parts of the text have been revised with the support of artificial intelligence. It was used as a tool in structuring, research and linguistic elaboration. The contents have been carefully edited, historically classified and checked for factual consistency. In this way, the book combines modern working methods with the claim to offer a serious, understandable and high-quality presentation.

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