Zeitenwende in the Indo-Pacific? Assessing Germany’s Regional Security Engagement

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted Berlin to declare a Zeitenwende (a turning point) in its security and defence policy. While Germany’s main regional focus arguably has been on Eastern Europe, specifically on the situation in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific has nonetheless featured prominently in debates on the Zeitenwende, and Europe and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly seen as interconnected strategic theatres. Since then, Berlin also repeatedly dispatched units of the German navy, army and air force to the Indo-Pacific. This article investigates Germany’s security and defence policy in the Indo-Pacific. It asks whether the changes in Germany’s security policy in that region constitute a paradigm shift in the context of the proclaimed Zeitenwende. The empirical study of Germany’s engagement at the strategic and operational levels reveals a mixed picture of the relationship between the Zeitenwende and Germany’s Indo-Pacific policy. While some changes in strategic and rhetorical terms are detectable, Germany’s limited military capabilities give it little influence on the region’s balance of power. The article concludes that the Zeitenwende has actually led to few comprehensive changes in Germany’s security policy in the Indo-Pacific.