Germany’s Military Manual (1992) states: “Civil defence tasks are particularly warning … construction of shelters, and other measures to restore and maintain order.” 

The Report on the Practice of Germany states that the precautions required against the effects of attacks have to be taken mainly by the civil defence. It quotes a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who said at an ICRC expert meeting in Geneva that Germany had an integrated system of assistance to cover both peacetime disaster control and civil defence in case of armed conflict. 

Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Germany stated that it understood the word “feasible” to mean “that which is practicable or practically possible, taking into account all circumstances ruling at the time, including humanitarian and military considerations”.