Serving in Sweden, Israel, and North Korea: Exploring Conscription Across the Globe
- Author: Rune Weichert
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Military Service Around the Globe: A Comparison Between Sweden, Israel, and North Korea - Countries with Compulsory Military Service: Sweden, Israel, and North Korea
Is Germany rethinking its military service model? There's a chance, with some politicians “yes”-ing to the prospective reform.
According to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl (SPD), it's a viable proposal put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). Ideally, candidates would be selected from a questionnaire that both men and women would fill out, making military service a potential reality for everyone.
Pistorius' plan revolves around reaching out to all young men and women, gauging their interest and readiness to serve in the German Armed Forces. While mandatory service is currently off the table for Pistorius, things might change depending on the political winds.
"Time for a change in the current threat landscape"
The traffic light government had Pistorius' new military service plans on their cabinet's agenda, but due to the government's demise in November, further discussion was halted in the Bundestag.
SPD defense expert Johannes Arlt believes the implementation of military service in Germany by 2026 is a realistic goal. However, there's a lot of work ahead, politically and organizationally, to prepare for the influx of conscripts and beef up training facilities, as Arlt pointed out in a RBB radio interview. "We suddenly need beds, we need instructors," he stressed.
CDU politician Florian Hahn is even advocating for the immediate reintroduction of conscription due to the changing threat landscape. "Permanently suspending conscription no longer suits the current threat situation," Hahn told Bild newspaper. "By the end of 2025, the first conscripts should be passing through the barracks' gates," Hahn added.
Military service in Germany scrapped in 2011
Conscription was effectively dismantled in Germany in 2011 under Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU), marking the end of both military and civilian service, along with the dissolution of all conscription-related structures.
The chairman of the German Armed Forces Association, André Wüstner, has advocated for the adoption of a conscription model similar to Sweden, involving mandatory registration. "Without some kind of new conscription, we won't attract or retain the personnel we need," he announced on Welt TV.
Over the years, the number of soldiers has dwindled in Germany, yet Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) deemed the personnel shortage a "manageable" challenge in May 2024.
The decision on a new conscription system rests with the new federal government in peacetime. In the face of conflict, the Conscription Act already allows for men to be conscripted if the Bundestag declares a state of tension and defense.
take a look at our photo gallery to see how conscription and military service appear in other countries.
References: The World Factbook (CIA), news agencies Anadolu and Reuters, World Population Review, "Forces News", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, borger.dk, Danish Radio, Der Neue Kosmos World Almanac & Atlas 2024/2025, Japanese Constitution, Polish Radio
More gallery images
- Conscription
- Germany
- Military Service
- North Korea
- Sweden
- The SPD defense minister, Boris Pistorius, is proposing a reform to Germany's military service model, with an emphasis on voluntary vocational training for both men and women.
- The possible reintroduction of conscription in Germany is being advocated by CDU politician Florian Hahn, who believes it's necessary due to the changing threat landscape.
- The chairman of the German Armed Forces Association, André Wüstner, suggests adopting a conscription model similar to Sweden, which involves mandatory registration for vocational training in the military.
