Kitchener

• While hundreds of thousands of British men did, indeed, volunteer to serve in the first flush of jingoistic patriotism in 1914, the manpower well soon began to run dry.
• Despite this, however, some form of conscription does still exist today in most European countries.
• But as the implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine come to be better understood, introducing or extending conscription is increasingly being discussed in European Nato states.

• But, over the past few months, political leaders in both countries have been discussing the reintroduction of forms of conscription or national service.
• In other countries in Europe, there has traditionally been a type of “conscription-lite” in operation.
• Sweden, which joined Nato in March, had dropped conscription in 2010 but reintroduced it in 2018 as the country prepared to join Nato.
• Finland, the other Nordic country that has recently joined Nato, could hardly expand its conscription net any further.

Conscription extended in Ukraine

• The country already has conscription for 18-26 year-olds but only those above 27 were actually asked to serve in combat roles (although many volunteers under 27 did as well).
• To replace those lost in the war and to maintain the ability to rotate troops in and out of the front lines, Ukraine needs a larger pool of military manpower.
• But casting the manpower net wider is a toxic issue in Ukraine, and as ever, such conscription is not popular.
• Accordingly, government spokespersons moved quickly to quash any notions that conscription was on any agenda.

Rod Thornton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.