BERLIN — The German Army is fighting for survival. But not on the conventional battlefield.

Barely six months after becoming the first woman to serve as her country’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen has mounted a most unusual campaign and, this being Germany, given it a very long name: an Attraktivitätsoffensive. (Roughly translated, a charm offensive.)

On paper, this program to woo soldiers and modernize the armed forces reads like a mixture of an Ikea catalog — “new furniture sets planned, light, modern, livable” — and a management manual, peppered with promises of “das Coaching” for officers, and an “e-recruiting platform.” There are provisions that allow for more working from home and job sharing for parents, and for extended child care that matches the hours of shifts.

While many might smile, the reason for the courtship is coldly pragmatic: Germany is confronting a demographic crisis, and its all-volunteer army is just one of many enterprises seeking ever-scarcer skilled labor. In order not to lose a prospective soldier to the cozier realms of Deutsche Bank or the auto assembly lines at Opel or Mercedes-Benz, the army needs to appear more attractive.

The conscription pinch, which comes as Germany is debating just how boldly to assert itself amid the crisis in Ukraine and tensions with Russia, presents a signal challenge to the country’s future security.