Due to its historical experience and geopolitical location, the Federal Republic of Germany is a state which uses so-called soft instruments in its foreign policy. Development aid, which has more and more often assumed the form of development cooperation over the years, is one of the most effective foreign policy instruments used by Germany.
The purpose of this article is to answer the question of to what extent and in what areas is development policy an effective instrument of German foreign policy? The considerations refer particularly to liberal theory in international relations and, to some extent, to the assumptions of realism. The research methodology adopted is based on analysis of facts and selected documents. The main conclusions from the study confirm the assumption adopted in the introduction that development aid is one of the most important instruments used by Germany to influence the international environment.