British military top brass have suggested UK citizens may need to be conscripted if the looming spectre of World War III comes to pass sparked by Russia invading a NATO country.
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 700th day, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing British Army Chief of the General Staff, said the UK may need “train and equip” a “citizen army”.
In a speech today Sir Patrick said: “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.
“We need an Army designed to expand rapidly to enable the first echelon, resource the second echelon and train and equip the citizen army that must follow.
“Within the next three years, it must be credible to talk of a British Army of 120,000, folding in our reserve and strategic reserve. But this is not enough.”
It comes after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in a speech last week said the world is “moving from a post-war to pre-war world” and the UK must ensure its “entire defence ecosystem is ready” to defend its homeland.
But Downing Street ruled out any move towards a conscription model, saying that Army service would remain voluntary.
Here, Express.co.uk looks at what conscription means, who is exempt and what it might mean if someone refuses to fight.
According to the UK Parliament website, “the strength of the British military during the World Wars was boosted greatly by the conscription of civilians” and “the army reached a peak of four million soldiers in 1918 and 2.9 million in 1945”
During the Second World War, the National Service (Armed Forces) Act made conscription compulsory for all males aged 18 to 41 who had to register for service.
Exemptions to the rule included those who were medically unfit to fight, and some people who worked in key industries vital to keep the country running. Those professions included baking, farming, medicine, coal mining and engineering.
In World War I, exemptions also extended to the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial worker.
If a WW3 scenario was to happen, similar professions now, in manufacturing, medicine, engineering and farming would likely be exempt.
During both the First and Second World War, those who objected to fighting on moral grounds and refused to sign up were often pilloried in public and given white feathers as symbols of their cowardice.
In World War I over one-third of the 16,000 Conscientious Objectors, as they were known, were sent to prison at some stage during the conflict.
According to Forces.net, 84 nations around the globe enforce some form of compulsory military service, here are three examples.
Israel in the Middle East has had to fight for its very existence numerous times since it was formed in 1948. National Service is compulsory for men and women when they turn 18. Males have to serve 32 months and women 24. Most citizens can also be called up to reserve units up until the age of 40.
In Norway, they claim their conscription dates back to Viking times. The Constitution of Norway stated in 1814: “As a general rule, every citizen of the state is equally bound to serve in the defence of the country for a specific period, irrespective of birth or fortune.” In 2013 conscription was extended to include women.
South Korea has a famously belligerent neighbour to the north and so has enforced conscription since 1957. Males aged 18 to 35 are eligible but women are not forced into service.
The list of medical conditions that currently stop someone from joining the British Armed Forces is quite extensive. It includes any deprivation of the senses, including hearing and vision problems.
Recurring joint problems are on the list, as well as blood diseases and heart problems. Psychiatric problems and neurological conditions can also affect if someone is allowed to join.
Even severe skin conditions can mean you are not allowed to sign up, as well as if you have any respiratory issues. A severe allergy may also be a hindrance, or if you have received an organ transplant.
