Thoughts on Germany’s Possible Return to Mandatory Military Service

Germany has been actively debating the reintroduction of conscription. After receiving a letter in the mail about a 20% rent increase starting next month, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on the matter — and why sacrificing one’s life, or even one’s time, for a country that is bleeding its younger generation dry with high taxes, coercive broadcasting fees, astronomical rents, inflation running at double digits (at least for housing and essential goods), stagnant salaries, and zero hope for a liveable pension, is nothing short of a bad joke. In my view, people would be wiser to do everything possible to avoid servitude to such a state — and, if necessary, seek opportunities elsewhere.

I will not waste time here dissecting the so-called “fairness” debate around women and conscription—it is nothing but a distraction from the real issue: that no one should be forced into war. The argument about the “injustice” of women not serving under Wehrpflicht (conscription) often functions as a red herring. Instead of asking the fundamental question—why should anyone be forced into war in the first place?—the debate is reframed into a gender fairness issue. This kind of framing can easily serve a divide-and-conquer strategy: pit men and women against each other, let the anger flow horizontally among ordinary people, and in the process shield the political class and elites from scrutiny.

The real issue, of course, isn’t whether both sexes get an equal share of misery—it’s whether people should be compelled to fight and die in wars that overwhelmingly serve elite interests. By focusing the public’s outrage on “fairness,” politicians and opinion shapers can deflect attention from the deeper injustice: that conscription itself is a coercive tool used to feed human lives into wars most would never volunteer for.

For the same reason, I won’t waste time whining about the millions of Ukrainian men who fled their own country to Germany, living off German taxpayers while EU politicians seriously consider sending German and French men to fight and die in Ukraine. On the contrary, I’d call this a brutally rational strategy—and I wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly the same if I were in their shoes.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has been actively debating the revival of conscription. Many Germans, particularly older generations who are not at risk of frontline service, support bringing back compulsory military service for younger people. These proponents argue that Germany made a mistake by abolishing the draft in 2011, but the current geopolitical climate has prompted a reconsideration of that decision.

It’s important to note, however, that even when conscription was in place 20 years ago, young men in Germany could fulfil their duty through alternative civil service, such as working in retirement homes or with the Red Cross. This means Germany’s military service was not truly compulsory in the strictest sense, as there was always a non-military option. Many Germans seem to misunderstand this distinction, thinking of the service as mandatory when it was not entirely so.

Interestingly, many of the patriotic Germans who advocate for bringing back compulsory military service have themselves never served in the military. When talking to such individuals, one will often hear some excuse — like their mother didn’t want them to because it was dangerous, or they had “other plans” at the time.

One can see this hypocrisy clearly in the video from Tagesspiegel dated 22 August 2025, where several people are interviewed about their support for conscription. While they express a strong desire to bring back mandatory military service, when asked whether they have served or are personally willing to fight, they openly admit that they have not—and have no intention of doing so themselves.

And the old-timers who did their service and romanticize conscription with their “you grow up” or “you learn discipline” nonsense always leave out one crucial detail: they never served on the frontlines or got torn to pieces. It’s easy to glorify it when your “service” meant drinking beer and playing soldier with your buddies in the Bundeswehr boy scouts. But let’s be real — conscription means forcing someone to die when the bullets start flying. And I’d stake my collection of rare Beanie Babies that most of these nostalgic old-timers yelling for Wehrpflicht, won’t be anywhere near the front if shit actually hits the fan.

While some might brag about their time in the German military, the “Bunder-where?” is widely perceived as a less rigorous environment — a kind of military kindergarten or glorified boy scouts. With its hardcore drinking rituals and heavy alcohol consumption among troops, discipline and serious training often take a backseat. Soldiers face limited access to live ammunition, excessive bureaucracy, and a focus on comfort over combat readiness. The Bundeswehr’s approach has been criticized for producing personnel who are ill-prepared for real operational challenges, highlighting a striking gap between appearance and effectiveness.

Soldiers in the Bundeswehr are spoiled with extensive facilities management, outsourced security, and minimal access to live ammunition — leading to a serious lack of combat readiness. Some never even fire a real weapon or spend a night in the field because the military simply doesn’t have enough bullets or tents. Instead, they resort to pretending, shouting “bam!” to simulate gunfire, and sleeping in gym halls instead of out in the open. This is not a joke.

Some might see that as a bonus: “Hey, a few months of service without real hardship doesn’t sound so bad.” But that completely misses the point. When the time comes to actually send you to the front, you’ll be unprepared, undertrained, and nothing more than cannon fodder — likely to die in a ditch without ammunition or any survival skills. It’s like boarding a flight to London and having the pilot hand you the controls midair. No training, no experience — and your life, along with everyone else’s, depends on it. Without any pilot training, would you feel comfortable doing it? Same goes for military training — imagine being sent to the frontlines without ammo and with no real training. Anyone in that position would be furious.

In terms of firepower, the German military’s capabilities are a bad joke. According to reports, Germany’s stockpile of artillery ammunition would be depleted within just two days of conflict. Additionally, the few battle tanks and armored personnel carriers Germany owns are being withdrawn due to their unsuitability for accommodating pregnant personnel. I am not advocating for more defense spending here, because I know taxpayers’ money will just end up filling the pockets of corrupt politicians (I am looking at you, Ursula von der Leyen), overcharging consulting firms and overpaid consultants, or letting the spoiled son of a German defense minister fly to his luxury estate in the wealthy resort of Sylt using military helicopters and military pilots for his private convenience (I am looking at you, Christine Lambrecht). No, what I am saying is that you cannot send someone to die empty-handed, without the dignity of having the means to defend themselves in the frontline trenches.

Even among German “professional” soldiers, there has been a spike in requests not to be sent to war zones. Based on this article, the number of Bundeswehr soldiers asking to be exempted from serving in war zones rose markedly in 2022. As long as even one paid Bundeswehr soldier or General enjoys comprehensive healthcare and a robust pension while shirking their contractual duties, I would question why anyone else should be forced to risk their life for them in a warzone.

Next, I want to point out why it makes absolutely no sense for a young man to go and fight for a country or institutions that have nothing to offer him in return. I’ve already mentioned high rents, the impossibility of owning a home thanks to skyrocketing prices, crushing taxes, stagnant—or even declining—salaries, and non-existent job security. These are also often the reasons why so many young people can’t afford to start a family, and many simply don’t.

Meanwhile, the wealthy elites and politicians want young men to die in wars protecting their wealth, stalling the enemy just long enough to move their assets abroad (if they haven’t already), boosting their egos, or filling the pockets of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors in exchange for more political power.

Take a look at the cringe-inducing video below of Green Party politicians Franziska (Ska) Keller (in the black dress), Jan Philipp Albrecht, and Terry Reintke (Member of the European Parliament from Germany since 2014), recorded during the 1st plenary week in July 2014. These are the very politicians who now expect you to march into battle, strap on a helmet, and obey their orders as shells tear through the sky. Would you really entrust them with your life? Would you stake your neck, your future, your very skin on the judgment of leaders so clearly immature? Is that truly the command you’re willing to follow into the mud and blood of the front line?

In life, most people think in terms of risk and reward. The elite know that when they invest their family fortunes in some hedge fund, their wealth grows steadily, while the regular person lives paycheck to paycheck, hesitating even at the grocery store over whether to buy two-layer or three-layer toilet paper. The same logic applies to conscription and fighting for a country.

Ask yourself: what are you fighting for? What is there to fight for? To protect the same systems that are driving you into debt and depression? To protect the wealth of elites who couldn’t care less if you live or die? Or for some corrupt politician who would never think of sending her own son to put on a uniform?

At least the Spartans had incentives: material rewards like spoils of war—land, loot, anything that could benefit the warrior or his family—and social status and honor. Today, institutions and politicians operate differently. As the infamous 2016 World Economic Forum quote goes, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.” They know the misery young people face but actively don’t want to change it.

So again: what is there to fight for? Think in terms of risk and reward, bro.

A recent report by Bayerischer Rundfunk highlights developments in Starnberg, one of Germany’s wealthiest and most exclusive regions, where many heirs of former Nazi elites own real estate worth billions. The city is reportedly considering closing its train station to reduce the influx of visitors who arrive in the summer by public transport to enjoy the few accessible beaches. According to the report, wealthy residents object to what they see as an invasion of “peasants” from outside, with one resident, Iris Ziebart, even complaining that buses waiting at the roadside block her view of the lake. The video below illustrates how access to the lake is being shaped by the interests of the wealthy.

So ask yourself honestly: are you really willing to go fight and die just to protect the villas, yachts, and inherited fortunes of parasites who look down on you as a peasant — like the ones in this video? And if the day comes when you’re forced into the trenches, would you truly aim at some “bad Russian” — another poor schmuck, just like you, conscripted into the same misery — or would it make you wonder who the real enemy is, and whether the elites who profit from your sacrifice while sneering at your existence, like the ones in this video, are the ones you should be wary of?

Given these circumstances, I have no intention of serving Germany in any military setting. Let those who own the golden villas and Porsches defend them themselves. I own neither a home nor a car and have no family to protect. Under these conditions, I see nothing here worth defending — and leaving the country would be the more rational choice.

There are thousands — if not millions — of German Nazi heirs living comfortably in Germany who will almost certainly not serve when the time comes. Instead, they will hide behind their inherited Nazi wealth and expect others to fight and die to protect it. Given this reality, I see no reason why anyone should risk their neck for such an injustice.

All these armchair warriors and flag-waving patriots aching for “glorious combat” — why are they still sitting at home, whining from their sofas? If they’re so desperate to get skinned alive, blown into chunks, or have their amputated headless torso nailed to a wall by bored mercenaries or enemy troops, dead inside from too much killing, doing cruel things for lack of anything else, then they should quit their cushy job, book a one-way ticket to the frontlines, and go die like heroes. Ryanair will haul their corpse-to-be to the battlefield for under €200 from Berlin — a bargain price to get vaporized in a ditch. Chop chop. Out of guts, or just chickenshit?

I get it — the old, the rich, and the elite are always the first to send young men to the frontlines so they don’t have to lift a finger to protect their power and wealth. These parasites stay insulated, parading at galas and yacht shows, while others are fed to the grinder—skinned and chopped up just to keep their machine running. But at the very least, shouldn't the ones being forced to kill and die get to choose which country and flag they’re being sacrificed for? After all, if they're going to be butchered, they might as well pick the slaughterhouse.

When it comes down to it, for a young man in the EU today—owning nothing, unable to afford a home, barely scraping by while rent, inflation and high taxes bleed him dry—it makes zero sense to throw himself into the meat grinder for a system that’s already gutted him. Imagine rotting in the trenches, dodging artillery and drones, watching your comrades’ limbs torn off and their insides splattered across the mud—only to have your landlord back home hike rent by 22% because of some bogus “Preisindex.” And you still think this is worth fighting for? No one can be that blind. Abandoning ship isn’t betrayal—it’s logic. Those with property, assets, something to lose—they can stay behind, get skinned, and chopped up to protect their wealth. As for me? If things escalate, I won’t even bother locking the door on my way out. Let my landlord worry about defending his damn property.

Side note: Yours truly served for a few years in the military of an Eastern nation. With serious geopolitical and military tensions, the environment was far tougher and more sadistic — harsher discipline, old-school humiliation, and a full “break you down” mentality compared to the Bundeswehr. I’ve seen what people are capable of when they are handed a gun. And believe me, yours truly has seen nothing yet.