The Bundeswehr (German: Federal Defence) is the name of the modern German armed forces. It comprises the Heer (Army), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force), Streitkräftebasis (SKB; Joint Support Service), and Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Joint Medical Service).

The Bundeswehr was founded 12 November 1955 as part of the rearmament of West Germany during the Cold War. Its creation sought to establish a new military tradition for Germany, and it did not claim itself successor to either the Weimar-era Reichswehr (1921–35) or the Nazi-era Wehrmacht (1935–1946); indeed, part of its founding principles derived from the military resistance to Hitler by officers such as Claus von Stauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow.

During the reunification process with East Germany in 1990, the Nationale Volksarmee was disbanded and roughly 50,000 NVA personnel were absorbed into the Bundeswehr. The armed forces were reduced from a peak strength of 495,000 military personnel to a total size of 370,000, with large stockpiles of equipment sold or scrapped. Compulsory male conscription was suspended in 2011; this was followed by further downsizing, and today the Bundeswehr's target strength is 185,000 soldiers.