Germany Considers Military Draft Due to Russia Threat
Listen To Story Above
Germany’s top military commander has issued a stark warning about the nation’s defense capabilities, suggesting the reinstatement of mandatory military service might be necessary to bolster its armed forces against potential Russian aggression.
General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s Chief of Defence, revealed in a BBC Radio 4 interview that the country requires an additional 100,000 soldiers to maintain adequate defensive capabilities. He emphasized that achieving this substantial increase would likely necessitate the reintroduction of conscription.
“We won’t get this additional 100,000 soldiers without having one or the other, a model of conscription,” Germany’s highest ranking soldier told the programme.
Germany is reading for military conscription and war in the name of defending the European values of “diversity” and “inclusivity.” pic.twitter.com/xK4eht6JBH
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 31, 2025
The general’s concerns stem from mounting tensions with Russia, as he believes NATO territory could face Russian aggression within the next four years. When questioned about whether conscription was essential for Germany’s defense, Breuer responded: “Absolutely. Absolutely.”
“We are threatened by Russia,” Breuer acknowledged in his comments to Radio 4.
“We are threatened by Putin, and we have to do whatever is needed to do to deter, and by building up a strong defence line then you deter best.”
Addressing the timeline for implementing these defense measures, Breuer emphasized that the urgency depends on Russia’s actions, stating it was “more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared.”
“The sooner we are prepared, the better it is.”
Calls to reinstate compulsory military service are growing louder in Berlin's political circles.
But is drafting thousands of 18-year-olds the answer to Germany's defence challenges?
✍️@johannaurbancik pic.twitter.com/CvUm3XvSP3
— euronews (@euronews) March 28, 2025
This push for military expansion follows Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s December proposal to increase Germany’s armed forces by 50,000, bringing the total to 230,000 personnel. However, even modest recruitment targets of 20,000 have proven challenging to meet amid growing European security concerns.
Germany previously maintained mandatory military service for over five decades, from 1956 until 2011. The practice was suspended following a proposal by then-Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, effectively ending the long-standing conscription tradition on July 1, 2011.
