German students fill the streets against military service: "We don't want to be cannon fodder"

BerlinUnder the slogan "We don't want to be cannon fodder," thousands of German students protested this Friday in several German cities against the possible reintroduction of mandatory military service. The "school strike" has called for demonstrations in ninety locations across the country against the plans of the conservative government of Friedrich Merz to reintroduce military service, currently on a voluntary basis. The new law will, however, include a series of mandatory elements for eighteen-year-olds, such as the obligation to answer a questionnaire and undergo a medical examination.

"My life, my decision," "Young people need freedom," "They won't get us," "We want more beer, not weapons," "We are not cannon fodder for their crises," "War is bullshit," "No mandatory military service for a generation that never asked for it," read some of the banners at the protest that marched through the streets of Berlin.

The student protest coincided with the Bundestag—the lower house of the German Parliament—approving the bill for the "modernization of military service." It received 323 votes in favor, 272 against, and one abstention. The bill must be approved by the Bundesrat, the representative body of Germany's sixteen federal states, before the end of the year to take effect in January. The new military service will initially be voluntary, although the law allows for the possibility of "compulsory conscription in case of necessity." In that case, the Bundestag would first have to pass a new law.

Doubts among citizens

Anne Hackenberger, a Berlin resident and mother of two boys, ages 17 and 14, fears her sons will ultimately be forced into military service. "I will not hand my sons over," she warns the German government on the banner she carries. "The law isn't written in a way that allows us to be truly certain they won't end up in the army. There are many conditions attached to the bill," she says. She explains that it can be amended if necessary, and also if not enough volunteers come forward. "But we don't know what 'enough' or 'necessary' means. So what then? Most people won't be willing to go to war. That's why I think there won't be enough volunteers, which could lead to this situation of necessity. I didn't raise my sons to send them to the trenches," this mother warns. "With the new mandatory conscription for all young people born in 2008, policymakers are once again imposing a burden on young people without asking them how they feel," the Berlin Regional Student Committee, which supported the protests, stated in a press release.

If the law comes into effect as planned on January 1, all eighteen-year-old German men will be required to complete a questionnaire and undergo a mandatory medical examination to determine their physical fitness. Women can do so voluntarily. The questionnaire will ask all young men born on or after January 1, 2008, for personal information, details about their health, and whether or not they are willing to perform military service. After the medical examination, it will be determined whether the young man is fit for military service, should he ultimately choose to do so.

"The obligation to complete a questionnaire and undergo a medical examination has nothing to do with voluntariness," denounced far-left MP Desirée Becker, who urged young men to learn about the right to conscientious objection.

"I don't want my little brother, who was born in 2008, to be drafted," Merle explained to the protesters in Berlin. "I'm against violence and against rearmament. I think we should work instead to find a peaceful solution," explained the 19-year-old Berlin student.

In his address to the Bundestag, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed his conviction that, with more attractive conditions, enough young people could be drawn to voluntarily enlist in the German army. "There are many more young people willing to take on responsibilities than some sectors of Parliament or public opinion would have us believe. There is a sense of responsibility," the minister said.

2,600 euros per month

To make military service more appealing, the German government offers good pay. Those who volunteer will receive around €2,600 gross per month. The minimum duration is six months. If they commit to serving for at least twelve months, they will also receive a €3,500 subsidy towards obtaining a car or truck driver's license. The fact that military service is paid isn't enough to convince Lias Hackenberg to enlist. "There's the danger of being sent to the front and dying there. No, my life isn't worth €2,000, honestly," explains this young Berliner, who will turn seventeen in a few days. "I hope it's worth more," his mother adds. "I'd rather keep living and give up the €2,000," Lias concludes. Pacifism is deeply rooted in Germany due to the trauma of the two world wars and Nazi ideology. However, under Merz, Germany has accelerated its rearmament in response to the Russian threat, which has intensified its hybrid attacks in several European countries using drones, sabotage, and disinformation. In 2011, mandatory military service was suspended in Germany, and the Bundeswehr became a professional army. "The new reality demands a new kind of military service," Pistorius argued.