Publication

This study examines the nature and determinants of Germany’s engagement from 2001 to the present in Afghanistan. It argues that neither a foreign policy culture of restraint, nor challenges posed by the operational environment in Afghanistan can sufficiently explain German policy. The paper advances a “two-level game” argument based on liberal-institutionalist approaches to foreign policy analysis: in brief, Germany’s Afghanistan policy is motivated by the need to simultaneously navigate international expectations and domestic pressures.