WEBVTT 00:00.920 --> 00:06.736 Against the backdrop of the threat of a possible war and growing tensions with Russia, the “Germany 00:06.736 --> 00:11.000 Operations Plan” has been in place since the spring of 2024. 00:11.000 --> 00:16.880 It has been gradually implemented and refined ever since. Don't know what that is? 00:16.880 --> 00:21.720 Brigadier General Thomas Hambach explains this as follows: 00:21.720 --> 00:30.194 “The directive to the Federal Republic was: Your primary responsibility is to ensure that this deployment 00:30.194 --> 00:35.920 works—in other words, that Germany functions as a hub for NATO.” 00:35.920 --> 00:39.765 Down to the county and municipal levels, this mission is already being carried out in 00:39.765 --> 00:42.440 accordance with the Bundeswehr's guidelines. 00:42.440 --> 00:47.956 For some time now, politicians at the federal level have been saying that our country must become “capable of waging 00:47.956 --> 00:51.808 war”; there is talk of a “turning point” and a “change of era.” 00:51.808 --> 00:55.280 You hear the same thing from Bundeswehr or NATO generals. 00:55.280 --> 01:01.720 According to Merz and Pistorius, it is allegedly necessary to respond to the threat posed by Putin. 01:01.720 --> 01:07.360 Russia's invasion of Ukraine would have altered the security situation throughout Europe. 01:07.360 --> 01:15.680 A hybrid, covert war is already underway, involving, for example, drone espionage, cyberattacks, and disinformation. 01:15.680 --> 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 01:23.093 --> 01:26.920 armed forces would be well prepared in the event of war. 01:26.920 --> 01:33.408 The goal of this "Operation Plan Germany" is for Germany to become a hub for NATO troops. 01:33.408 --> 01:39.840 In particular, the ability to deploy troops and equipment to the eastern border of NATO countries within a 01:39.840 --> 01:46.528 very short time, as well as to provide medical care for the wounded and repair vehicles. 01:46.528 --> 01:53.475 In preparation for this operational plan, a conference of all Saxon district administrators was held in March 2025, 01:53.475 --> 02:00.680 during which a colonel from the local Bundeswehr regional command briefed the participants on this project. 02:00.680 --> 02:04.384 Mayors have also been included in the ongoing discussions. 02:04.384 --> 02:08.360 Almost everything discussed in these conversations was kept secret. 02:08.360 --> 02:14.706 The district administrator of Görlitz and the mayor of Aue confirmed this and revealed only that, in addition 02:14.706 --> 02:21.200 to disaster and civil defense, the project also involved the upgrading of bridges, roads, and railways. 02:21.200 --> 02:27.456 Implementation of the operational plan has been underway since the spring of 2026. 02:27.456 --> 02:32.920 Similar preparations for war are also taking place in other federal states. 02:32.920 --> 02:38.880 It is regrettable that there is no critical debate in the media about the "Operation Germany" plan. 02:38.880 --> 02:43.880 This was the headline in *Wirtschaftswoche* on June 18, 2026: 02:43.880 --> 02:48.911 "The government is unable to act, local authorities are sounding the alarm about civil defense, and 02:48.911 --> 02:52.840 emergency responders feel ill-equipped to handle a crisis." 02:52.840 --> 02:58.535 The German Association of Cities and Municipalities is calling for a clear legal framework, sustainable financing, and 02:58.535 --> 03:02.520 coordinated procedures between military and civilian authorities. 03:02.520 --> 03:08.658 This type of news fosters understanding and passivity among media consumers regarding these 03:08.658 --> 03:12.600 measures. After all, it’s about “our safety.” 03:12.600 --> 03:19.657 The homepage of Germany's Operational Plan also places particular emphasis on highlighting that this plan is 03:19.657 --> 03:26.720 first and foremost a civil defense project and thus represents a task for society as a whole. 03:26.720 --> 03:32.296 Thus, in the event of a crisis, there is talk of protecting infrastructure, ensuring the population's food supply, and 03:32.296 --> 03:39.600 providing priority support to the armed forces through logistics and the private sector, in accordance with political directives. 03:39.600 --> 03:43.440 All of this sounds plausible and important to the average citizen. 03:43.440 --> 03:46.960 But what are the consequences of these preparations? 03:46.960 --> 03:52.080 Many people, for example, would welcome the repair of dilapidated bridges. 03:52.080 --> 03:56.320 But do they really want tanks rolling through their city soon? 03:56.320 --> 04:01.793 It also costs the municipality many times more to reinforce bridges to support tanks than 04:01.793 --> 04:05.376 it does to renovate them for normal traffic. 04:05.376 --> 04:12.840 The operational plan is being implemented through massive borrowing, carried out at the expense of taxpayers. 04:12.840 --> 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 04:21.492 --> 04:26.640 absurd amounts on loans for military buildup and infrastructure. 04:26.640 --> 04:32.520 Europe's largest munitions plant opened near Hanover in the fall of 2025: 04:32.520 --> 04:39.400 500 million euros, 15 months of construction, a grand opening, 500 jobs. 04:39.400 --> 04:46.480 Volkswagen and Rheinmetall are openly considering converting car plants into tank or missile factories. 04:46.480 --> 04:52.160 Since 2020, there has been a steady increase in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises filing for bankruptcy. 04:52.160 --> 04:56.760 Will they now reach for a straw after every job? 04:56.760 --> 05:03.000 First, economic destruction; then, the development of infrastructure to support preparations for war. 05:03.000 --> 05:09.088 This had happened once before, after the Weimar Republic. It ended with millions of deaths. 05:09.088 --> 05:14.954 In particular, expanding the Bundeswehr into Europe's largest conventional army for the 05:14.954 --> 05:18.000 purpose of deterring Russia could backfire. 05:18.000 --> 05:27.040 A look back at history shows that arms buildup, sanctions, sabotage, and provocations have often led to war. 05:27.040 --> 05:35.910 In the often-cited study “Arms Races and Escalation” , Michael D. Wallace examined 99 serious 05:35.910 --> 05:42.080 conflicts or military confrontations between 1820 and 1964. 05:42.080 --> 05:49.240 Of the 28 cases preceded by an arms race, 23 escalated into war. 05:49.240 --> 05:55.760 In contrast, of the 71 cases without a prior arms race, only 3 led to war. 05:55.760 --> 06:02.480 So, arms buildup does not lead to peace; rather, it is a strong warning sign! 06:02.480 --> 06:06.040 Are we defenseless against it? Hardly. 06:06.040 --> 06:10.279 War is only possible if the lower levels of a country cooperate—local governments, the 06:10.279 --> 06:13.480 business community, and emergency management agencies. 06:13.480 --> 06:19.720 There must be public support—otherwise, even NATO will face a tough “war game.” 06:19.720 --> 06:23.998 Just think of the failed attempt to mandate vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was thwarted by 06:23.998 --> 06:28.680 the resistance and willingness to take risks shown by the affected population groups at the time. 06:28.680 --> 06:34.640 It is not only soldiers who play a role in either fueling or preventing this spiral of violence. 06:34.640 --> 06:40.036 Heads of government agencies, construction companies, plant managers, employees, mayors, and city council 06:40.036 --> 06:43.720 members are all doing their part to prepare for war. 06:43.720 --> 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. 06:53.040 --> 06:59.199 Speak up now and say NO to war provocation and NO to WAR!