1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,920 2 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:06,736 Against the backdrop of the threat of a possible war and growing tensions with Russia, the “Germany 3 00:00:06,736 --> 00:00:11,000 Operations Plan” has been in place since the spring of 2024. 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:16,880 It has been gradually implemented and refined ever since. Don't know what that is? 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,720 Brigadier General Thomas Hambach explains this as follows: 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:30,194 “The directive to the Federal Republic was: Your primary responsibility is to ensure that this deployment 7 00:00:30,194 --> 00:00:35,920 works—in other words, that Germany functions as a hub for NATO.” 8 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,765 Down to the county and municipal levels, this mission is already being carried out in 9 00:00:39,765 --> 00:00:42,440 accordance with the Bundeswehr's guidelines. 10 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,956 For some time now, politicians at the federal level have been saying that our country must become “capable of waging 11 00:00:47,956 --> 00:00:51,808 war”; there is talk of a “turning point” and a “change of era.” 12 00:00:51,808 --> 00:00:55,280 You hear the same thing from Bundeswehr or NATO generals. 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:01,720 According to Merz and Pistorius, it is allegedly necessary to respond to the threat posed by Putin. 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,360 Russia's invasion of Ukraine would have altered the security situation throughout Europe. 15 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:15,680 A hybrid, covert war is already underway, involving, for example, drone espionage, cyberattacks, and disinformation. 16 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:23,093 That is why work began as early as 2024 on drafting a so-called operational plan to ensure that Germany and NATO’s 17 00:01:23,093 --> 00:01:26,920 armed forces would be well prepared in the event of war. 18 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:33,408 The goal of this "Operation Plan Germany" is for Germany to become a hub for NATO troops. 19 00:01:33,408 --> 00:01:39,840 In particular, the ability to deploy troops and equipment to the eastern border of NATO countries within a 20 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:46,528 very short time, as well as to provide medical care for the wounded and repair vehicles. 21 00:01:46,528 --> 00:01:53,475 In preparation for this operational plan, a conference of all Saxon district administrators was held in March 2025, 22 00:01:53,475 --> 00:02:00,680 during which a colonel from the local Bundeswehr regional command briefed the participants on this project. 23 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,384 Mayors have also been included in the ongoing discussions. 24 00:02:04,384 --> 00:02:08,360 Almost everything discussed in these conversations was kept secret. 25 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:14,706 The district administrator of Görlitz and the mayor of Aue confirmed this and revealed only that, in addition 26 00:02:14,706 --> 00:02:21,200 to disaster and civil defense, the project also involved the upgrading of bridges, roads, and railways. 27 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:27,456 Implementation of the operational plan has been underway since the spring of 2026. 28 00:02:27,456 --> 00:02:32,920 Similar preparations for war are also taking place in other federal states. 29 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:38,880 It is regrettable that there is no critical debate in the media about the "Operation Germany" plan. 30 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:43,880 This was the headline in *Wirtschaftswoche* on June 18, 2026: 31 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,911 "The government is unable to act, local authorities are sounding the alarm about civil defense, and 32 00:02:48,911 --> 00:02:52,840 emergency responders feel ill-equipped to handle a crisis." 33 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:58,535 The German Association of Cities and Municipalities is calling for a clear legal framework, sustainable financing, and 34 00:02:58,535 --> 00:03:02,520 coordinated procedures between military and civilian authorities. 35 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:08,658 This type of news fosters understanding and passivity among media consumers regarding these 36 00:03:08,658 --> 00:03:12,600 measures. After all, it’s about “our safety.” 37 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:19,657 The homepage of Germany's Operational Plan also places particular emphasis on highlighting that this plan is 38 00:03:19,657 --> 00:03:26,720 first and foremost a civil defense project and thus represents a task for society as a whole. 39 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:32,296 Thus, in the event of a crisis, there is talk of protecting infrastructure, ensuring the population's food supply, and 40 00:03:32,296 --> 00:03:39,600 providing priority support to the armed forces through logistics and the private sector, in accordance with political directives. 41 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,440 All of this sounds plausible and important to the average citizen. 42 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,960 But what are the consequences of these preparations? 43 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:52,080 Many people, for example, would welcome the repair of dilapidated bridges. 44 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,320 But do they really want tanks rolling through their city soon? 45 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:01,793 It also costs the municipality many times more to reinforce bridges to support tanks than 46 00:04:01,793 --> 00:04:05,376 it does to renovate them for normal traffic. 47 00:04:05,376 --> 00:04:12,840 The operational plan is being implemented through massive borrowing, carried out at the expense of taxpayers. 48 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:21,492 While the welfare state is once again being cut back—this time under Chancellor Merz—there seems to be no problem with spending 49 00:04:21,492 --> 00:04:26,640 absurd amounts on loans for military buildup and infrastructure. 50 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:32,520 Europe's largest munitions plant opened near Hanover in the fall of 2025: 51 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:39,400 500 million euros, 15 months of construction, a grand opening, 500 jobs. 52 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:46,480 Volkswagen and Rheinmetall are openly considering converting car plants into tank or missile factories. 53 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:52,160 Since 2020, there has been a steady increase in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises filing for bankruptcy. 54 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,760 Will they now reach for a straw after every job? 55 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:03,000 First, economic destruction; then, the development of infrastructure to support preparations for war. 56 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:09,088 This had happened once before, after the Weimar Republic. It ended with millions of deaths. 57 00:05:09,088 --> 00:05:14,954 In particular, expanding the Bundeswehr into Europe's largest conventional army for the 58 00:05:14,954 --> 00:05:18,000 purpose of deterring Russia could backfire. 59 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:27,040 A look back at history shows that arms buildup, sanctions, sabotage, and provocations have often led to war. 60 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:35,910 In the often-cited study “Arms Races and Escalation” , Michael D. Wallace examined 99 serious 61 00:05:35,910 --> 00:05:42,080 conflicts or military confrontations between 1820 and 1964. 62 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:49,240 Of the 28 cases preceded by an arms race, 23 escalated into war. 63 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:55,760 In contrast, of the 71 cases without a prior arms race, only 3 led to war. 64 00:05:55,760 --> 00:06:02,480 So, arms buildup does not lead to peace; rather, it is a strong warning sign! 65 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,040 Are we defenseless against it? Hardly. 66 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,279 War is only possible if the lower levels of a country cooperate—local governments, the 67 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,480 business community, and emergency management agencies. 68 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:19,720 There must be public support—otherwise, even NATO will face a tough “war game.” 69 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,998 Just think of the failed attempt to mandate vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was thwarted by 70 00:06:23,998 --> 00:06:28,680 the resistance and willingness to take risks shown by the affected population groups at the time. 71 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:34,640 It is not only soldiers who play a role in either fueling or preventing this spiral of violence. 72 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:40,036 Heads of government agencies, construction companies, plant managers, employees, mayors, and city council 73 00:06:40,036 --> 00:06:43,720 members are all doing their part to prepare for war. 74 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:53,040 It's easy to point the finger at the warmongers, but without the support of the people, there won't be a war. 75 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:59,199 Speak up now and say NO to war provocation and NO to WAR!