State of defence

The state of defence (German: Verteidigungsfall, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈtaɪ̯dɪɡʊŋsˌfal] ^ⓘ) is the constitutional state of emergency in Germany if the country is "under attack by armed force or imminently threatened with such an attack". Established by a constitutional amendment in 1968 during the Cold War, this state of emergency gives the Federal Government extraordinary powers in wartime. It is laid down in Title Xa of the German Constitution. As of present, Germany has never been in the state of defence.

In the Bundeswehr it is also called the V-Fall, whereas the Gehlen Organization called it the E-System or E-Fall.

The preliminary stage to a state of defence is a state of tension (Article 80a). It goes hand in hand with raising the military alert level.