Since this post hasn't moved for a while, i though this was interesting.
Nearly two-thirds of Germans would “probably not”
defend their homeland from invaders, a survey has found, in a blow to the government’s rearmament plans.
In a survey carried out for RND, a German broadcaster, 59 per cent of respondents said they were “probably” or “definitely” unwilling to defend the country from an attack.
Your link says nothing about the percentage of Germans willing to fight for their country (Germany) if invaded. But Grok says:
"According to a survey conducted by the Forsa Institute for the German broadcaster RND, published on August 4, 2025, only 16% of German citizens stated they would "definitely" take up arms to defend Germany in the event of a military invasion. An additional 22% indicated they would "probably" be willing to fight, bringing the total share of those potentially prepared to defend the country to 38%. Conversely, 59% of respondents said they would "probably not" or "definitely not" be willing to defend Germany militarily if attacked, with 72% of women expressing reluctance to engage in military defense. The survey, conducted on July 28-29, 2025, polled approximately 1,000 German citizens and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
These findings align with other recent polls. For instance, a 2023 Stern magazine survey reported that 17% of Germans were "definitely" ready to defend the country, while 19% were "probably" ready, and 61% were either "probably not" or "definitely not" willing to fight. A 2024 Focus magazine poll found that only 32% of Germans would be willing to participate in defensive combat operations, with 57% rejecting the prospect and 11% undecided. These results suggest a consistent trend of low willingness among Germans to engage in military defense, potentially complicating government efforts to strengthen the Bundeswehr and national defense readiness."
Takeaway:
About 50% are women, most of whom would not consider taking up arms. That leaves about 50% - and German is getting to be very aged country. A good percentage are children. So, 38% sounds about right.
Consider also that many Germans would like to convey to the "Government" that, in their opinion, it is the responsibility of the government to prevent invasion in the first place. And that, further, if there is an invasion, it is largely due to the incompetence of government officials and, respectfully, they are not going to lay down their lives because of incompetent officials. Not, in any case, without getting something in return.
And so it is. Those who serve in the military forces, and survive, should - and often do - reap the rewards.
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