Germany’s Response to the Challenges Posed by the War in Ukraine

Speaker

Colonel (GS) Peter Frank, German Army

National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School

Overview

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote recently in Foreign Affairs that the world is facing a Zeitenwende, meaning an epochal tectonic shift. He used the same word to describe the Russian invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that it was a historic turning point for German security policy, and promising a special additional investment fund of €100bn in the armed forces. Our February speaker, Colonel Peter Frank, will explain how Germany’s security and defense policies have changed in response to the war, and what lay behind the controversy about whether to supply Ukraine with Germany’s Leopard tanks.
He will describe the consequences of the war for Germany and its position in NATO and the EU. Finally, he will address possible options for ending the war and mitigating the challenges of growing insecurity in the world.

Peter Frank is a Colonel (GS) in the German Army. He received an MA in Business and Administration from the Bundeswehr University Munich in 1990, and an MA in National Security Affairs from NPS in 2003. He graduated from the German Armed Forces General Staff (GS) Course – Hamburg in 200. He has been a lecturer at the Federal Armed Forces Command and Staff College in
Hamburg, a senior instructor in the German General Staff Course, and the Deputy Dean of the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies. He is currently a military professor in his second tour at NPS.

In addition to his teaching and research, Colonel Frank was assigned to the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo as Chief of Cabinet in 2021. He was deployed in NATO operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002, and in Kosovo in 2014. He served as Assistant Branch Chief at the German Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Berlin, and as a Battalion Commander from 2006 to 2008. From 2010 on, he was a Military Assistant for the Under Secretary of Defense in the MoD, where he was involved in the most senior level of decision-making.

A note about this event

Agenda

  • Tuesday, February 14, 2023
  • 11:15 am: Registration
  • 11:45 am: Luncheon
  • 12:30 pm: Program

Menu

  • Spinach Salad Dressed with Champagne Vinaigrette
  • Grilled Salmon Topped with Tomato Bruschetta Salsa and Served on an Orzo Pilaf
  • Blistered Green Beans
  • Fresh Bread and Butter
  • Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Coffee, Tea and Lemonade
  • Vegetarian Option: Penne Pasta Primavera with Grilled Vegetables and Pine Nuts

Cost

  • $36 for members
  • $41 for guests
Important: You Must Provide Proof of Full Covid-19 Vaccination in Order to Attend

All those attending WACMB in-person events must show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, including a booster.

To prove your vaccination status, you can present either your vaccination card or your State of California QR code.

You only need to present such proof once. Your documentation will be noted, and that box will be automatically checked for future meetings.

For the time being, no auditors will be permitted to attend any WACMB in-person meetings. This is to ensure that every person in the room has been vaccinated and boosted.

Thank you for your cooperation with our efforts to keep our members healthy!

Registration

Registration is Now Closed.

Location

NOTE:
February’s luncheon will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn. However, due to renovations at the hotel that began in January, the luncheon will be held in the Presidio Room, which is located on the second floor of the lobby building, and not in the Big Sur Room where we usually meet. There will be signs at the Hilton Garden Inn directing you to this new location; look for them when you arrive.

Since the Presidio Room has a capacity of 80 people, we regret that we will be unable to accommodate any auditors for this luncheon.

The times for this luncheon have been tweaked a bit in order to avoid construction noise during the lecture portion of the event

Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey
1000 Aguajito Road
Monterey, CA 93923

Property and Parking Map

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