As the clouds of geopolitical tension gather over Britain and Russia, whispers of war are growing louder.
For now, this is all that it is – just whispers – so here is the reassuring message that we all need: don’t panic.
Top generals are warning that the UK’s military is currently much ‘too small’ to handle such a conflict on its own.
Many Brits grew up hearing their grandparents’ stories about life during WWII and how they got drafted.
And with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine soon entering its third year, and Putin’s latest warning that any Western-supplied long-range missiles used in Russia would be considered an act of war, many are worried that they will be called up to serve their country.
During the 2024 General Election, the Conservatives ran on a platform to reintroduce National Service if they were re-elected, but the plan never came to fruition as they were defeated by the Labour Party.
Nevertheless, the question lingering in everyone’s minds is – does conscription still exist in the UK if war is declared?
Here is all you need to know about conscription.
Does military conscription still exist in the UK in times of war?
As it stands, there is no conscription legislation in the UK. Only those who wish to pursue a career in the military join the force.
This mean that it is unlikely you will be called up for service under current legislation.
The UK has only used conscription twice during modern times.
The first conscription period took place during and after the First World War between 1916 and 1920.
What age could conscription affect?
At first, single men aged 16 to 40 years old were called up for military service unless they were ministers of a religion or single parents.
Later, the law was changed to include married men and the age limit was raised to 51 years old.
The second conscription period happened during and after the Second World War between 1939 and 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963.
At the start, only single men aged between 20 and 22 were liable to be called up to become ‘militiamen’.
However, as the war escalated, it was first changed to all men aged 18 to 41, then to men between the ages of 18 and 51.
Police officers, medical personnel, prison workers, students, government employees and ministers of any religion were exempt.
Those who had certain physical or mental disorders, such as blindness, were also not called up.
Pregnant women were technically not exempt, but, in practice, they weren’t conscripted.
After 1945, the National Service Act 1948 brought in peacetime conscription. New changes meant males aged 17 to 21 were required to serve in the armed forces for 18 months and remain on the reserve list for four years.
In 1950, during the Korean War, the service period was extended to two years. To compensate for the longer service, the reserve period was decreased by six months.
By 1963, the UK had officially become a conscription-free nation, having transitioned to voluntary enlistment.
Could women get drafted in the UK?
Although it is unlikely that conscription will be enforced in the UK – it is possible that women could get drafted, too.
Currently, only three countries conscript women and men on the same formal conditions: Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
In World War Two, single women aged 20 to 30 years old who did not have young children were called up to help on the home front as mechanics, engineers, air raid wardens, bus drivers, farmers, and more.
There were over 640,000 women in the armed forces, including The Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), plus many more who flew unarmed aircraft, drove ambulances, served as nurses and worked behind enemy lines in the European resistance in the Special Operations Executive.
Despite many showing interest in serving on the battlefield, British women were not permitted to fight on the front lines.
However, attitudes towards sexism and how society views gender have changed drastically in the decades following the end of the war.
Since 2018, they have been able to serve in all combat roles alongside male counterparts.
This means that, if conscription ever becomes necessary, women will likely be drafted at the same rate as men.
Which countries mandate compulsory military service?
While the UK has left its conscription days behind, there are still a large number of nations that make it mandatory for their citizens to serve their country.
Some European nations that still draft their natives include Greece, Finland, Cyprus, Sweden and Switzerland.
Other prominent nations with conscription are:
Russia
In Russia, all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 27 have to complete 12 months of military service.
Those who avoid the draft without a legal exemption or grounds for temporary postponement can be imprisoned for up to two years.
Grounds for temporary postponement include being a full-time student, nursing an incapacitated relative, having two or more children and being a single father.
Ukraine
Ukraine has relied on conscription since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Conscription was briefly ended in Ukraine in 2013, however, following the Russian military intervention in the country in 2014, it got reinstated.
On February 1, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that stated conscription will end by January 1, 2024.
Israel
In Israel, all Israeli citizens over the age of 18 who are Jewish, meaning both men and women, have to serve their nation.
While Druze and Circassian males over the age of 18 are also subject to conscription, Arab citizens are exempt with the option to volunteer should they wish to.
Men are expected to serve for at least two and a half years, while women have to complete a minimum of two years.
China
While conscription is still technically legal in China, in practice, mandatory military service has not been implemented since 1949.
All 18-year-old males have to register themselves with the government authorities, but registering does not mean they have to join the army.
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