After Three Years of Delay, Why Are Teenagers Flooding the Streets Saying, "We Won't Join the Military"?

German Government Implements New Military Service Law, Moves to Revive Conscription
Teenagers Boycott Classes and Take to the Streets in Protest
Some 50,000 Join Rally March; Accusations of "Left-Wing Agitation" Emerge

As the German government moves to revive conscription, discontent is rising among teenagers.

There were reports that students staged a one-day class boycott and protest against the new military service system introduced by the German government, which plans to reinstate the draft if there is a shortage of soldiers. Photo by Getty Images

According to Yonhap News on March 5 (local time), citing dpa news agency, "Reports emerged that students protested and refused classes for a day against the new military service system introduced by the German government, which plans to reintroduce conscription due to a shortage of soldiers."

According to Yonhap News, approximately 50,000 people participated in rallies organized by the student group “School Strike Against Conscription” in about 90 cities nationwide. They marched with banners and placards bearing slogans such as "Death is not on the timetable," "Smart heads do not fit under steel helmets," and "Friedrich Merz (German Chancellor) to the front line."

On December 5 of last year, when the Bundestag passed the new military service law, nationwide protests were also held. At the time, many local education authorities warned that students who missed classes due to the protests would be marked as absent without leave and could face disadvantages in their grades. However, even more students participated in this protest than in previous demonstrations.

Teenagers in Berlin, Germany, are boycotting classes and staging protests on the 5th (local time). British Socialist Workers Party (SWP) official website

The new military service law, which took effect in Germany in January 2026, requires the authorities to send an online questionnaire to all 18-year-old men and women, asking about their willingness and ability to serve. Men are required to respond. Starting next year, all 18-year-old men will have to undergo a physical examination on the premise of conscription. If there are not enough volunteers, conscription can be introduced through a parliamentary vote. As a result, many see this as a practical revival of conscription.

Germany officially abolished conscription in 2011. However, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the government, having declared rearmament, revised the military service law after more than three years of discussion. The government aims to increase the number of active-duty soldiers from the current approximately 180,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035.

On March 5, 2026, protesters in Berlin, Germany, held a demonstration against the potential reinstatement of conscription. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, left-leaning parties opposing the new military service law and calling for disarmament are supporting conscientious objection in anticipation of the reintroduction of conscription. The site "Fundamental Rights Instead of Conscription," launched by the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), provides guidance on how to refuse military service and connects users with support organizations. They also present rational grounds for conscientious objection, noting that political arguments like "opposing NATO policies and the war in Ukraine" are unlikely to be accepted. Jan van Aken, co-chair of the Left Party, advised, "If you smoke a proper joint before the conscription physical, you may be deemed unfit and exempted."

In contrast, the centrist conservative ruling parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), claim that left-wing groups are inciting students. There have also been claims that far-left groups in Germany, such as Antifa and the Socialist German Workers Youth (SDAJ), participated in the student protests. The CDU criticized the protests, stating that "radical left-wing and far-left forces accompanied and manipulated the rally with clear political intentions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.