35019 BUNDESWEHR TANK CREW - 1960 ~ 70 ERA

Bundeswehr (German Bundeswehr ) was formed in 1955 and during the Cold War it was the armed force of West Germany (FRG). However, after the fall of communism in the GDR and the demolition of the Berlin Wall, it became the armed force of a reunified Germany. In the course of the Cold War, it was seen as the first army to interact with an anticipated Soviet attack and to bear a heavy burden of counteracting the Soviet invasion. For this reason, it emphasized, among others, the development of armored weapons, which resulted in the introduction of the successful Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 vehicles into service. At the height of the Cold War, it numbered approx. 495 thousand. soldiers and 170 thousand. civilian workers. It consisted of 12 divisions divided into 3 general-military corps - most of them were mechanized and armored divisions. For example, at the beginning of the 1970s, there were as many as 252 tanks in the West German mechanized division. After 1989, the Bundeswehr underwent numerous reforms aimed at its reduction and the introduction of new equipment into the equipment. For example, in 2011, conscription was abandoned, and in the same year a reform was implemented, which was to reduce the Bundeswehr to 185,000. active service soldiers and 40 thousand. reservists. In 2013, about 63,000 people served in the land forces (German: Herr). soldiers. Currently, the core of the German armored forces are two divisions: the 1st and the 10th Panzer Divisions. The 1st Division has two armored brigades, while the 10th Division has only one armored brigade. The main tank of these brigades is the Leopard 2, of which at the beginning of 2015 there were 250 pieces in the line.