The ability to defend in a democracy requires justification because this form of government is fundamentally based on the freedom, development, and diversity of its citizens. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, we know that we can no longer afford the self-satisfied luxury of not being able to defend ourselves.

Armed forces in a democracy are, however, tied to commitments and attitudes, just as the goal of achieving defensibility is tied to the Inner Leadership of the Bundeswehr. The goal of this book is to find the axioms of Inner Leadership that do not require further justification, which will then serve as the foundation for democratic armed forces.

The author first develops a system that identifies five axioms of Inner Leadership. These include the principle of community, democratic principle, and principle of personality.

Additionally, the principles of complementarity and identity are discussed, as well as the unity of opposites. For the specific case of the profession of soldiers, the necessity of defending freedom with a weapon in hand must be thoroughly justified.

From these considerations, approaches to simplify the Bundeswehr emerge. One cannot avoid granting democratic commanders trust and freedom of action.

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