No longer in the shadow

Anotace: The article explores the driving forces behind the increase in Czech-German defence cooperation since the mid-2010s. We argue that the growth is due to several factors: Germany’s more active role in European security, an upgrade of the political framework of Czech-German relations and the Czech Republic’s need to modernise its armed forces. Further enhancement of relations was hindered by underdeveloped cooperation within the defence industry. The war in Ukraine has broken through this ‘glass ceiling’, and the quality of Czech-German defence cooperation is increasing.