It’s reported that the Executive Committee running Germany on behalf of German capitalists is looking at possible ways to increase the size of the German military. These include mandatory conscription.
‘The German Defence Ministry has prepared several conscription reform proposals to tackle a chronic personnel shortage in the Armed Forces, Die Welt newspaper reported. Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to choose one of them and officially present it in early June, the paper said.
“We have considered reintroducing compulsory military service,” the minister said at that time, while sharing few details on the plans. Germany abolished mandatory service in 2011.
The Defence Ministry allegedly presented three options for Pistorius to consider, Under the first plan, all young people reaching the age of 18 must to be registered with the military and receive promotional and information materials about service with the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. They can then voluntarily fill out a questionnaire about their psychological and physical state and motivation for military service. Those willing to join the army would then go through consultation and assessment procedures.
The option is described as requiring only minor legal changes, while being “significant in terms of time, personnel and finances,” but potentially inadequate to meeting army recruitment needs, which amount to between “30,000 and 40,000” personnel a year, according to Die Welt.
The second option would make registering and filling out the form mandatory for all German males aged 18 or older. Women would also be contacted by the military but on a voluntary basis. The German military would then select the required number of conscripts in accordance with their needs and the recruits’ fitness requirements.
The third option would introduce a “gender-neutral” conscription model and make registration with the military and potential draft compulsory for both men and women. Later, “the introduction of a general compulsory service could be discussed” on the basis of this model, the military documents suggest. Additionally, alternative service with the medical services or fire departments would be introduced. Ministry officials described this model as “the most promising option in terms of meeting the needs” of the military.
The reform authors reportedly acknowledge that introducing such changes would be “not easy” because of the “clear scepticism” among the younger generation in particular.’
The ‘clear scepticism’ would seem to indicate the realisation amongst many that capitalism’s belief that the majority working class as exists not just to be exploited but to be cannon fodder in order to defend the interests of the asset owning minority is being challenged. The acknowledgment that Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, is a huge lie is permeating the consciousness of many is a step toward understanding that the abolition of capitalism is necessary for armed conflict of any kind to be erased from from global human society.
‘A survey conducted(in 2023) by the German market and opinion research institute, Forsa, reveals that many German citizens are hesitant to defend their country with lethal force in the event of potential foreign aggression. According to the poll commissioned by the Stern newspaper, 40% of respondents expressed that they would never take up arms, even in such circumstances.
Only 17% of Germans indicated they would “definitely” be prepared to defend their nation. An additional 19% stated they would “probably” do so in the event of an attack on Germany. Notably, older men demonstrated a higher level of potential readiness, with 39% of male respondents aged between 45 and 59 expressing willingness to join Germany’s defence forces in case of a foreign invasion.
Overall, 61% of Germans revealed they were either “probably” or “totally” unwilling to take up arms against a potential aggressor. The poll, conducted in mid-November, highlighted that the number of individuals categorically denying any possibility of doing so has doubled since May 2022. Additionally, it noted that people with middle and higher education were more reluctant to rush to their nation’s defence.
The German Armed Forces, known as the Bundeswehr, currently comprises around 180,000 personnel. Germany suspended compulsory conscription in 2011 as part of a military reform, contributing to a prolonged struggle to fill army ranks under the government’s austerity plan.
The nation has since been struggling to refill its army ranks for years. In 2018, then-Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen aimed to boost the number of German troops to 203,000 by 2025. Current Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius has pushed the deadline to 2031 while keeping the same target.
In mid-December, Germany’s Bild tabloid reported that the Bundeswehr was still losing staffing despite the government’s pledges to increase the army ranks. The number of armed forces personnel dropped from roughly 183,000 in the summer to 181,383 as of the end of October, with thousands of vacancies unfilled, the paper reported at that time, adding that only 0.4% of the total German population was in the military.
The report also highlighted challenges in Germany’s military hardware, citing a shortage of operational main battle tanks. In late November, German MP Dr. Johann Wadephul criticized the under-funding and under-equipped status of the Armed Forces, stating that some “critical” units would last no longer than two days in battle – a situation he deemed “catastrophic.”’
THE SOCIALIST PARTY AGAINST ALL WAR
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