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For the past 15 years, Germany has consistently ranked among the top 5 of the largest armament exporters world-wide, sending weapons, ammunition and so-called ‘dual use’ goods into international conflict zones. With the majority of the German public opposing such practices, it has become questionable whether strategic political decisions concerning armament exports are still under democratic control, or whether it is justifiable to speak of the existence of a so-called ‘military-industrial complex’ in Germany. The concept, which describes an alliance between a nation’s military troops, its defense industry as its main supplier and parts of the political apparatus, is already commonly used when speaking about the US situation. The thesis investigates whether the use of the term can be justified in the context of Germany focusing on the procurement practices of the German unified armed forces (Bundeswehr), the arms exporting practices of German corporations, and the lobbying power of the German defense industry. Finally, the case of German arms exports to Saudi Arabia was used to evaluate the concept on a clear example. The case study also provides insight to what extent public pressure plays a role in bringing decisions about armament exports back under democratic control.
Keywords: Military-Industrial Complex, German defense industry, armament exports, Saudi Arabia