Photo: DPAGermany's defence minister announced reforms Wednesday to rid the armed forces of links with the Nazi-era Wehrmacht, responding to a scandal around a far-right attack plot within the military. The minister, under fire over the scandal, also announced changes to reporting chains, disciplinary procedures and the civics education of soldiers, speaking before a hearing by the parliamentary defence committee. Germany's Bundeswehr - including the army, navy and air force - has a troop strength of about 180,000 active military personnel, the second largest in the EU after France. The bizarre far-right plot has, meanwhile, widened with the arrest Tuesday of a second suspect from the same Franco-German base near Strasbourg, a lieutenant identified only as Maximilian T., 27. SEE ALSO: Second German soldier held over far-right attack plot

Source: The Local May 10, 2017 14:29 UTC