 "First Lieutenant Zachary Buher and Staff Sergeant Cesar Lua, members of the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division operate a M1A2 SEP V3 tank during the Army's 250th Birthday parade in Washington, D.C., US., June 14, 2025. Reuters")
Across continents and political systems, a striking global shift is underway — a rising embrace of military power not just as a tool of defence, but as a central pillar of national identity and state legitimacy.
From the celebratory tone of Germany’s first-ever Veterans Day to Donald Trump’s insistent revival of martial symbolism in the United States, governments are rekindling national pride through the lens of armed forces.
This renewed affection for military institutions is not emerging in a vacuum. It’s being shaped by active wars, changing geopolitics and a growing perception of external threat and internal instability.
Germany’s U-Turn: Veterans Day and the ‘Strongest Army in Europe’
In a nation long haunted by its militaristic past, Germany’s first national day for military veterans marked a cultural transformation. Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius presided over commemorations held nationwide, referring to the day as a “long-overdue signal of recognition” for the country’s soldiers. This was more than just ceremony — it signalled Germany’s shifting national narrative around its military.
Sarah Brockmeier-Large from the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt described the development as evidence of a new societal consensus: that a functioning democracy requires strong armed forces. Particularly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Bundeswehr’s role began to be reimagined from a relic of a dangerous past to a guardian of European stability.
The political momentum didn’t stop at cultural shifts. With Friedrich Merz’s rise to chancellorship, Germany began implementing policies to radically expand its defence capability.
Merz declared his aim to build the “strongest conventional army in Europe,” promising increases in troop strength, new military equipment and greater integration into Nato-wide planning. His pledge to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP—higher than even US levels—was both a statement of autonomy and an answer to long-standing demands from Washington.
Trump’s parade and the politics of power projection
Across the Atlantic, the symbolic revival of the military under President Trump took a more theatrical form. But Trump’s 79th birthday parade was overshadowed by widespread protests against his use of power, yet the military spectacle itself remained central to his political messaging.
Trump framed the parade as a necessary affirmation of American military greatness, vowing that enemies of the U.S. would meet “total and complete defeat” at the hands of its soldiers.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThough the event was mired in political tension and civil unrest, the intent was unmistakable. Trump was reaffirming the military as a source of national pride and authority. This narrative, even amid domestic chaos, has helped normalise the public celebration of armed might, making military symbolism a cornerstone of political legitimacy in the US once again.
Wars as catalysts: Ukraine, West Asia, Africa
It would be simplistic to suggest these developments are purely domestic. Ongoing global conflicts have created an atmosphere where military readiness is not just relevant — it’s existential. The war in Ukraine remains a critical driver, especially for Europe. Trump’s unpredictability regarding Nato commitments has compelled European nations to spend more and prepare for scenarios without guaranteed US protection.
In parallel, West Asia continues to convulse with violence. According to the Geneva Academy, more than 45 armed conflicts are active in the region, involving both state and non-state actors and drawing in foreign powers like Russia and the US. Africa, too, faces similar turmoil, with over 35 non-international armed conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Mali and Nigeria.
These theatres of war have prompted an unprecedented increase in defence budgets. According to the Council of the European Union, the continent saw a 30 per cent rise in defence expenditure between 2021 and 2024, hitting €326 billion ($377 billion). Further investment is expected as part of the EU’s Readiness 2030 plan, which includes €150 billion ($173.5 billion) in defence loans and substantial funding for joint procurement and research.
Asia’s response: From assertiveness to alarm
While Europe re-arms, Asia grapples with its own powder kegs. China has continued to assert military pressure on Taiwan and the South China Sea region, prompting alarm in neighbouring countries and accelerating regional arms races. India, surrounded by two hostile neighbours — China and Pakistan — finds itself under strategic compulsion to boost its military preparedness.
Operation Sindoor highlighted India’s military necessities in a volatile neighbourhood. Pakistan is a “military state” indistinguishable from the terrorist networks it harbours. India recently sent out multiple delegations across the globe to bust the Pakistani narrative of separation between state and non-state actors in the country. Pakistan watchers have said for long that the non-state actors in Pakistan have the patronage of its military establishment.
With Bangladesh showing increasing hostility and the global community largely silent, India has few options other than strengthening its own deterrence.
The Indo-Pacific, in this regard, mirrors Europe’s urgency. Nations are not just reacting to threats — they are preparing for scenarios where alliances may fail and self-defence becomes the only option.
The blurred line between soldier and state
Nowhere is the militarisation of state identity more pronounced than in regimes where the armed forces are the government. In Pakistan and North Korea, the military is not just an arm of the state but its ruling entity. Pakistani generals are said to not only guide national policy but are celebrated for military failures — an absurdity that reveals the deep entrenchment of the military in public life.
This blurring of lines fosters authoritarianism. When the military becomes the symbol of unity and stability, democratic institutions and civilian oversight often erode. Trump’s militarised political rhetoric, Germany’s stance under Merz and China’s aggression all suggest that even democratic nations are increasingly comfortable with ceding more political space to military logic and institutions.
Industrial complex: Militarisation as economic strategy
Behind the uniforms and parades lies a booming defence economy. The European defence industry, as reported by the Council of the European Union, saw a nearly 17 per cent increase in turnover in 2023, with over €158 billion ($182.7 billion) in revenue. Job creation has followed suit, with more than 580,000 employed across military aeronautics, naval and land sectors.
This investment is not just about security — it’s about industrial strategy. A stronger defence industry is seen as a route to greater economic independence and technological superiority. With small and medium enterprises deeply embedded in the supply chain, militarisation has become an engine of economic growth and political capital.
A new global normal?
States are no longer relying solely on diplomacy or multilateral institutions to ensure peace. Instead, they are returning — some proudly, others cautiously — to the old logic of strength through force.
From Berlin to Washington, Paris to New Delhi, the love for the military is not just emotional. It is strategic, economic, and, in many cases, political. Whether born out of necessity, nostalgia or national insecurity, this global wave of militarism is not a blip. It is a symptom of a world bracing for conflict.