As tensions with Russia and the looming threat of World War 3 continue to grow, Germany is ramping up its preparations for conflict, a defence ministry source has said. As part of these plans, the country is planning to reintroduce compulsory screening for military service for 18-year-old men.
The country’s military, or Bundeswehr, is suffering from both a shrinking and ageing force, as well as a lack of essential equipment, despite a considerable increase in defence spending following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a report on the state of its armed forces revealed in March. “The situation is serious,” Eva Högl, the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, said at the time. “We are still not where we need to be, and there is still much to do to improve the conditions for the Bundeswehr.” It is no surprise, therefore, that the new conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has made boosting Germany’s military a key priority, with the aim of building up “the strongest conventional army in Europe”.
The drive aims to attract volunteers to the armed forces, but includes provisions for compulsory service in case numbers fall short. Mr Merz has already introduced sweeping plans to largely exempt defence spending from Germany’s strict debt rules.
Currently, the Bundeswehr has around 180,000 soldiers, plus 49,000 reservists. Despite a €100 billion (£87 billion) special fund pushed through by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, by the end of 2024 the force had shrunk by 340 troops to 181,174.
It is also getting older due to a lack of young recruits, with the average age rising to 34, according to Politico.
“We must urgently stop and reverse this trend,” Högl warned in March, calling the shrinking of the Bundeswehr a serious risk to Germany’s defence capabilities.
This year, the defence ministry expects 15,000 new recruits – 5,000 more than in 2024. The eventual aim is to have a total military strength of 460,000 – made up of 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. For the moment, the government has said it plans to rely on volunteers to build up the ranks and hopes for 40,000 new recruits per year by 2031.
It also wants to make military service more attractive, for example, by offering training in new technologies and language courses.
Another big focus must be on improving Germany’s military infrastructure. The country’s barracks, according to Politico, are in a state of disrepair, with a €67 billion (£58 billion) backlog in maintenance and upgrades. Investment in upgrading military bases increased from €1.25 billion (£1.08 billion) in 2023 to €1.6 billion (£1.4 billion) in 2024, however, the pace of growth has not been not sufficient to reverse decades of austerity.
Germany would not be the first to reintroduce or expand conscription in Europe. Several countries have done this in in response to increased tensions with Russia and concerns about national security. For example, Lithuania reintroduced conscription in 2015 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, citing the need to strengthen its defense capabilities. Sweden, meanwhile, suspended conscription in 2010 but reinstated it in 2017 due to growing tensions with Russia in the Baltic region.