Germany is advancing plans to reintroduce national service as part of a broader initiative to enhance both national and NATO defence capabilities to deter Russia.
In an announcement from the German Ministry of Defence, it was revealed that new legislation, recently approved by the Cabinet, will be debated in the Bundesrat and Bundestag early next year.
In a tweet on November 6, the official account for Germany at NATO (@GermanyNATO) outlined the purpose behind this move:
“GERMANY is planning to reintroduce national service to strengthen its national and collective deterrence & defence capabilities and build up a strong reserve. The new legislation was approved by the Cabinet today and will be debated in the Bundesrat and Bundestag early next year.”
Under this proposal, all men will be required to complete a digital questionnaire upon turning 18, while women will be given the option to participate. The Bundeswehr will then select the most qualified and motivated candidates to serve a term of six to 23 months.
Under the new system, men will have to fill out a digital questionnaire when they turn 18, while women will have the option of doing so. The #Bundeswehr will choose the best and most motivated candidates, who will do military service for a period of six to 23 months. 2/2
ā Germany at NATO (@GermanyNATO) November 6, 2024
This system aims to create a more efficient process for identifying suitable candidates, ensuring that Germanyās armed forces remain well-staffed and capable in an era of heightened security concerns.
A follow-up tweet from @GermanyNATO added further details on the new system:
“Under the new system, men will have to fill out a digital questionnaire when they turn 18, while women will have the option of doing so. The #Bundeswehr will choose the best and most motivated candidates, who will do military service for a period of six to 23 months.”
The reintroduction of national service follows years of debate, reignited by the war in Ukraine, over the potential benefits of conscription in bolstering Germanyās military ranks. When conscription was abolished in 2011, Germany also ended the registration of 18-year-olds for military call-ups, resulting in a lack of a structured database of eligible recruits.
The new questionnaire is intended to address this gap, allowing the Bundeswehr to more effectively identify and select individuals who meet the demands of military service.
Given the German Government has also effectively collapsed and will be going for elections in the New Year as well, it will be interesting to see if this gets through before that.
Good. Starmer take note.
Conscription in the UK is nearer than we might think. A reduced commitment to European defence under a Trump administration would require serious consideration in Westminster. Another reason to consider ‘National Service’ is one way to stem the growing right-wing elements witnessed in the 2024 summer riots.
How do you suppose they stem the left wing elements that led to this situation in the first place? It’s illogical to expect the USA to take European defense more seriously than you do.
Don’t understand your logic…sorry.
“left wing elements that led to this situation in the first place?” yeah you’re gonna have to explain that one to us
It’s no secret that Europe slid to the left after the Cold War. This prioritized the NHS, free schools etc, while defense was eroded into dust. The same elements were sending volunteers to the US election, to assist with the losing campaign. Now European defense is going to be a crisis.
As an example, the Germans don’t even bring actual weapons to training engagements because they have none to spare.
The UK needs National Service like it needs a hole in the head, it will cost a substantial amount of money which isn’t there.
I don’t think you understand just how serious the situation could become if there is a drawdown of US military commitment regarding Europe. National Service may be the only way to increase our land forces so more menial tasks can be cascaded to NS personnel, thus releasing trained professionals for the frontline. As for costs, this new government has got a shock coming in terms of defence spending along with all major European countries.
National Service ended here 1960 – 1963,unlike some of our Continental cousins where it stopped relatively recently we have completely lost the culture and any enthusiasm for it. However it is dressed up I can’t see it getting any traction. In an extreme National Emergency obviously it will be all hands to the Pump but that is not likely as far as I can see. BTW the so called Right Wing ‘ elements theory has pretty much been debunked, it was just an excuse used by incompetent Politicians.
It would be a start if we approached reserve training like the Swedes do.
It is an expected part of the social contract. A lot of people enjoy it.
here in NZ, the Defence Force is looking to offer youngsters a “gap year” in the military. Kind of of a try before you buy experience. I think the idea has merit.
Just building on your comment SB, I generally enjoyed attending annual call up camps post my national service stint. In fact, I volunteered to go during my Uni breaks, students always need money! Good to catch with my Air force mates too.
Appreciate this is a sample of one and 35-40 years ago!
… but presumably (by your logic at least) there’s no need to apply it to the well funded and organised left-wing elements that have been prevalent on our streets every weekend for the last 13 months attached to Palestinian protests?
No thank you, I’m skeptical on their usefulness and the costs required, like Sunak’s proposal pre election gimick.
However, can we look again at the Regular Reserve and make efforts to resource it? If that is even possible I am not sure what resource would be required?
Create “Shadow Regiments” along County lines paired with a Regular formation, each County Regiment having sub units of specialists depending on what they did in their time of regular service – Logistics, Medical, Infantry, and so on??
Why waste skills and experience that so much money and treasure has been expended to create?
Hiya D. An interesting idea taking shape here in NZ… The defence force is planning to offer young folk a “gap year” in the military. Sign up for one year, if you like it, stay. If not- all good, thanks for your service, feel free to join the reserve.
I’m liking the idea and hope it progresses.
So a poor kid is going to potentially defend a city full of non native speakers of hatred from other cultures, not on my nelly
Too many foreigners here for that I think. Good luck convincing young men of foreign descent to fight for or serve a country they at best are ambivalent towards, and at worse despise
I completely acknowledge they are different countries, with different attitudes towards immigration historically, but the US military manage it fairly well. Minorites are overrepresented in the US military and the social mobility for second and third generation migrants (stable government job, healthcare, respect of society etc) is credible. But I agree that there is a growing ambivalence towards our society. Perhaps a step in the right direction would be providing citizenship for those who serve from the Commonwealth, which we don’t presently.
Did this come along with a huge order of broom sticks?
Given that the weapons recapitalisation is funded how are they going to manage a large upswing in people without the funds for barracks kits and synergic training aids?
Square bashing wonāt help anyone.
I’m guessing men don’t have the option of not doing national service? haha.
They could probably deliberately muck up the questionnaire so there is no way of ever getting selected but yes, that gender distinction is a bit odd.
Equality when it suits them. All I can say is there will be women getting pregnant all of a sudden and a mass exodus of young non-Germans. I am curious about who isn’t eligible under the questionnaire criteria.
can’t say i agree with it being optional based on gender
I wonder if this proposal breaches German gender equality laws. We might see widespread transitioningš
A daft idea that won’t happen.
For the UK, increasing the volunteer reserve is a much better option to increase capability.
I have long been advocate for the draft, but six months? That is barely enough time to complete basic and in processing . Much less any kind of mos school or train for maneuvers as part of any kind of unit. Also how do they determine which number in the 6 to 23 month timeframe?
six months is woefully inadequate.
I can just imagine vast UK hordes of vaping, texting, social.media obsessed youths dressed in gold chains and track suis being forced into the army, having extensive military training, based on being able to look further ahead than an arms lengt, being sent to some notional front line. I bet the Russian / North Koreans would be terrified!!
The UK doesn’t need any sort of national service to improve numbers, it just needs to fix the piss poor recruitment death spiral we have been in for years. There’s enough applicants being rejected on trivial reasons or giving up after waiting for months on end to show that there are plenty of willing people who would serve. National service is also political suicide for any party, especially Labour with their generally younger voting pool. It would be ruinously expensive and the costs for training tend of thousands of teenagers would be better spent on getting better equipment for professional… Read more Ā»
Given how many foreigners now live in Germany (and here), it’ll be fascinating to see how many are willing to serve their adoptive nation