Germany's Vote to Strike ISIS in Syria: Signals a Shift in its Approach to International Law

Abstract

When the German parliament authorized providing military assistance to the coalition striking ISIS targets in Syria in December 2015, the government stated that collective self-defense - in conjunction with Article 42.7 of the Lisbon Treaty and multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions - provided the international legal basis for military action. In doing so, Germany altered its traditionally cautious approach to jus ad bellum by broadly interpreting UNSC resolutions and adopting an expansive definition of self-defense. Germany's international legal jurisprudence is now more closely aligned with that of its larger military allies, like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. But what exactly does this mean for the foreign policy of a country that is steadily increasing its degree of involvement in international security affairs? This article argues that Germany's new approach to jus ad bellum is in keeping with a country that seeks a more active role in international affairs.