Would British people be forced to sign up if we went to war?

[rileyhaspiley]

If there was some serious war threat and we had to act fast, but we didn't have the military, would our currently government have the ability to make men of 18+ sign up?

Interesting question to me. I was shocked when I learned military service is actually compulsory in South Korea

Yes
They made it illegal to go out during lockdown

@FujiIX Hmm but what would be the consequences?

If you did go out you were fined at best. And most people who were never paid up and weren't challenged

Conscription was compulsory in Spain until relatively recently. They still have the power to draft citizens 19-25 up in an emergency.

In the /fifties sixties you had to National Service here if I remember. A boyfriend went, I cant remember how long for.

Military service I think is compulsory for South Korea but not if you’re born elsewhere…so I don’t think Korean Americans, for example, have to to enlist.

Lots of countries (www.forces.net/world/which-countries-still-have-conscription around 85) have compulsory military service.

It's not the same as having to go on active duty unless their country is actually at war. Although if the country does go to war, they'd obviously call on the people they've trained for it.

Is that the case for the UK as well?

They could pass emergency legislation if needed so yes.

Yes they can.
First they’d look and see if enough currently active or in reserves. If not, they’d ask for volunteers to enlist usually between ages 18-40 perhaps the 40 limit waived for veteran officers. If that doesn’t generate sufficient military personnel, then they’d start conscripting/drafting and that usually starts with those aged 18-25 and expands upwards in age if the need gets greater. There are usually various exceptions to conscription/draft like exempt if a university student, or exempt if a single parent or exempt if female. But all those exemptions can also be scrapped depending on the war need. There are always medical exemptions too that usually do not get scrapped, so anyone unable to serve due to a health condition usually stays exempt.

Definitely. It’s compulsory still in many countries now to do a year of national service. I’ve worked in universities and we’ve had men from different countries have to interrupt their studies to go home and be conscripted.

Would you still get people identifying as men if they were called up? 🤔

Would you get men identifying as women if it meant they'd be given less dangerous roles?

YES, men and women.

They technically could pass legislation to do so, though it would be difficult go get support for and almost certainly would include a process for conscientious objectors.

As I understand it
The enlisted soldiers go first
Then the reserves
Then anyone who’s left active service in the last 5-6 years
Then volunteers
Then conscription

Hope it never comes to it. No one wants my son trusted with a gun

@EmpressCixi

Yes they can. First they’d look and see if enough currently active or in reserves. If not, they’d ask for volunteers to enlist usually between ages 18-40 perhaps the 40 limit waived for veteran officers. If that doesn’t generate sufficient military personnel, then they’d start conscripting/drafting and that usually starts with those aged 18-25 and expands upwards in age if the need gets greater. There are usually various exceptions to conscription/draft like exempt if a university student, or exempt if a single parent or exempt if female. But all those exemptions can also be scrapped depending on the war need. There are always medical exemptions too that usually do not get scrapped, so anyone unable to serve due to a health condition usually stays exempt.

As well as 'front line' roles, there would probably be provision for other service for the good of the country, which people might be able to do if they were unable or unwilling to fight in a war. Plus many jobs might allow people exemption, eg medical staff?

A colleague's DH had to return to their country of origin to do his national service, despite them living in the UK for at least a decade. I think he was gone for 6 months.

In my opinion the short answer is yes! But I suspect it would only come to that if an invasion on our shores was a threat.

Greece still has national service

What you have to remember is that not everyone went to war back in the day. There were plenty of people with health problems and who had 'essential' jobs who didn't go to war because of it. I know life expectancy was a bit lower than what it is now, but I'm sure there was also an age limit on it.

There was an age limit. My 45 year old great grandad volunteered in WW2 and was kept in the UK, so not actively fighting.

God help them with that endeavour. I don’t think we would be winning any wars.

Yeah but I really can’t imagine many going to war. Just picturing massive hipsters being forced to go to war, there’s just no way.

Norway has national service for both men and women although apparently there are lots of ways to get out of it.

I have a Norwegian friend who didn't do it (she was born before it changed to include women) but she knows several men that did and found it a positive experience. Most did it between school and uni and said that they felt like it gave them a lot of life skills.

Obviously in war it would be a very different thing but conscripted service in general can be positive.

People could be conscripted for any kind of extreme national emergency where man/woman power was needed and there were insufficient volunteers.
New laws would have to be passed of course.

Algeria has national service, my dh did his 2 year stint in the 80s. I doubt his contribution to the safety of the nation was very great though!

So DH used to be in the army but he is the WORST shot ever - we joked the other day I'd have to go in his place as we've done a few weekends of rifle shooting/archery etc and I'm always 3 times as good as him

I'm not sure there's room in conscription for short, overweight 50 year olds though