NATO's Troop Strength: A Story of Decline and One Remarkable Comeback Since the end of the Cold War, NATO member states have dramatically scaled back their armed forces. U.S. military personnel dropped by 40%, while Germany's Bundeswehr shrank by as much as 65%. France, Spain, Italy, and Germany all abolished compulsory military service between 1997 and 2011, a political signal that shaped force levels for decades to come. The numbers tell a clear story: nearly every major NATO ally fields fewer