Peace through military strength
The Roman motto “Si vis pacem, para bellum”—“If you want peace, prepare for war”—reflects the idea that only military force can guarantee peace by deterring potential enemies from attacking. According to this doctrine, weak states are likely to be attacked because they are unable to defend themselves. Therefore, investing in military capabilities and forging military alliances against common enemies is crucial for ensuring peace. Critics argue that this approach is difficult to reconcile with the principles of multilateralism and risks degenerating into an arms race and the law of the strongest.
After the Second World War, the newly invented atomic bomb, became a central element of military deterrence. The possession of nuclear weapons was intended to deter any enemy attack, as it implied the risk of a nuclear response. The United States was the first nation to possess these weapons and the first, and to date the only one, to have used them on the battlefield. In August 1945, it dropped bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing between 150,000 and 246,000 deaths. Four years later, the Soviet Union succeeded in developing its own bombs. The world was then divided into two blocs, dominated by heavily armed nuclear powers. Faced with the risk of mutual annihilation, neither power attacked the other. This is why this period is known as the Cold War. However, deterrence could only work if the other side did not gain a numerical or qualitative advantage. This led to an arms race among the nuclear powers, which began establishing interception and launch sites in their partner countries in Europe.
Luxembourg abandoned its policy of unarmed neutrality after the second German invasion in May 1940 and joined the Allied forces. In 1944, the country introduced compulsory military service for men to contribute to the war effort and participated in the military occupation of Germany from 1945 to 1955. Since 1967, military service has been voluntary, and since 2003, non-Luxembourgish EU citizens have been able to enlist in the armed forces. The American plan to store nuclear weapons in Luxembourg was, however, abandoned. These weapons were ultimately installed across the border in Büchel (Germany) and Kleine-Brogel (Belgium).
A mighty alliance
In 1949, 12 countries met in Washington to found the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This military alliance aimed to provide collective defense against what was perceived as the Soviet threat to Western Europe and the United States. In response, the Soviet bloc formed a rival alliance in 1955, called the Warsaw Pact. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact disintegrated, but NATO continued to exist and expand its scope to include counterterrorism and the coordination of humanitarian missions. It is the longest-lasting security alliance still in existence today and continually attracts new members. In 1994, NATO launched its Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme to strengthen bilateral cooperation with non-member states.
NATO’s strength stems from Article 5 of its founding treaty, by which all signatories commit to providing military assistance to a member state under attack. To date, Article 5 has only been invoked once, following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. As a result, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was created and deployed to Afghanistan. Since the election of US President Donald Trump and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Alliance is experiencing both a crisis and a renewal: The United States has openly questioned its membership, while all other members have committed to massively increasing their military spending.
Luxembourg is one of the 12 founding states that signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. While the country has often been criticised for its relatively modest financial contribution, the Grand Duchy has been actively engaged in NATO efforts. In 1961, the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA)—renamed the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in 2012—opened in Capellen, where it remains today. Luxembourg has participated in NATO missions, such as in Afghanistan, where it deployed military personnel and provided logistical support. When NATO withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the Luxembourg army participated in the evacuation using its A400M aircraft. In 2018, Luxembourg launched its military satellite GovSat-1, used by its NATO and EU partners and covering Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. In January 2026, the government gave the green light for the launch of its second satellite, GovSat-2.
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