German students have staged nationwide protests against government plans that could pave the way for the return of compulsory military service, highlighting growing opposition among young people as Berlin seeks to expand the country’s armed forces.
More than 100 “School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service” demonstrations are being organised across Germany, including in Berlin, Frankfurt, Kiel and Hamburg.
The protests come as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government seeks to strengthen the Bundeswehr in response to the security threat posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“[The government is] serious about gradually reintroducing compulsory military service,” said Bela Breitner, one of the organisers.
Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011 under then-chancellor Angela Merkel. But the issue has returned to the centre of the country’s defence debate as Berlin seeks to increase troop numbers and meet its commitments to NATO.
Under legislation introduced by Merz’s government in February, 18-year-olds are being sent questionnaires asking whether they are interested in volunteering for military service.
The government has indicated that a compulsory element could subsequently be introduced if voluntary recruitment fails to generate enough personnel.
🚨🇩🇪 45,000 students PROTEST across 100 German cities AGAINST mandatory CONSCRIPTION.
Schoolchildren and students are demanding the right to decide their own future.
While Germany is preparing for war, the young REFUSE to be cannon fodder!pic.twitter.com/BQX6xgYlwG
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) September 26, 2026
The prospect has provoked opposition among students and other young Germans, particularly after some who had indicated that they did not want to join the military were nevertheless called for mandatory medical examinations.
“We are serious about striking until compulsory military service is off the table,” said Elias Bernhard, a protester from Hamburg. “We will carry on.”
Germany’s Defence Ministry has said the medical examinations are part of the new system and apply to “all men liable for military service who were born after 31 December 2007” as well as people who have said they are not interested in compulsory service.
Around 1,000 18-year-old men who had indicated that they had no interest in joining the military have undergone medical examinations since July, according to the ministry.
The demonstrations reflect a broader debate over how Germany should rebuild its military after decades in which defence spending and troop numbers were constrained following the end of the Cold War.
Protesters held similar demonstrations in February, arguing that compulsory service would impose an unacceptable burden on a generation that had not chosen a military career.
“We don’t want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill.
“War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods.”
The government’s argument is that Germany’s deteriorating security environment requires a larger and more capable armed forces.
Merz has repeatedly warned that Russia’s threat to Europe must be taken seriously, while his government has made strengthening Germany’s military a central defence priority.
The Bundeswehr currently has around 186,700 personnel, according to the figures cited by the Defence Ministry. That remains substantially below Germany’s longer-term target of about 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reservists by the early 2030s.
The gap has intensified pressure on Berlin to find ways of attracting more recruits at a time when many European countries are reassessing their armed forces following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The debate over compulsory service therefore presents Germany with a difficult balance: rebuilding military capacity while confronting resistance from young people who oppose being required to serve.
For the protesters, the issue is not simply about recruitment but whether military service should be imposed on an entire generation.
For the government, the question is increasingly tied to whether Germany can generate the personnel needed to meet its defence commitments without a compulsory system.
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