---
title: "Return of the Draft: Germany Ready to End 15-Year Pause on Conscription Due to Russia Threat"
description: "Germany is ready to reintroduce mandatory military service by 2027 due to a shortage of volunteers and the threat from Russia. 🇩🇪🪖 Chancellor Friedrich Merz aims to increase the army to 260,000 people, but voluntary recruitment is failing. The final decision on conscription will be made by July of next year. 📉🇷🇺"
date: 2026-06-27T13:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/return-of-the-draft-germany-ready-to-end-15-year-pause-on-conscription-due-to-russia-threat
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Return of the Draft: Germany Ready to End 15-Year Pause on Conscription Due to Russia Threat

![German soldiers in camouflage uniforms with German flags on their sleeves, armed with rifles, marching in formation against a desert landscape, illustrating the potential return of conscription in Germany.](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/27/germaniya-vernyet-voennuyu-sluzhbu-iz-za-ugrozy-rossii/germaniya-vernyet-voennuyu-sluzhbu-iz-za-ugrozy-rossii-1.webp)

Germany stands on the brink of a historic turning point in its defense policy. Berlin is seriously considering the restoration of mandatory military service, which the country abandoned more than 15 years ago. The initiative is dictated by a critical shortage of volunteers and growing geopolitical risks.

### Deadline and Scenario 'B'

The question of reintroducing the draft has ceased to be theoretical and has acquired specific deadlines. Thomas Rebeccamp, head of the Bundestag's defense committee, stated directly: if voluntary recruitment does not provide the army with the necessary number of personnel, the authorities will be forced to reintroduce mandatory service. A final decision on this issue must be made by July 31 of next year.

The government will already conduct an assessment of the results of the current recruitment in the first half of next year. Rebeccamp warned that the decision cannot be postponed: "If we fail to achieve these goals through voluntary recruitment, we will have to return to mandatory conscription." This means that men in Germany could receive call-up papers as early as 2027.

### The Mathematics of Personnel Shortage

The fundamental problem lies in the gap between ambitions and reality. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has set a clear goal: to increase the strength of the Bundeswehr from the current 185,000 to 260,000 servicemen by 2035. Despite a significant increase in the defense budget, it has so far been impossible to recruit a sufficient number of recruits on a voluntary basis.

Parliamentarians are already openly doubting that the plan to expand the army can be implemented without compulsory measures. In recent years, Germany has tried to increase its military power but has encountered a persistent unwillingness among citizens to serve in the ranks of the army.

### Russia as the Main Challenge

The key driver of change has been the war in Ukraine. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, the issue of national security once again became priority number one for Berlin. For the first time in decades, Germany has presented a national military strategy in which Russia is officially named the main threat to European security.

The document emphasizes that the Kremlin views military force as a tool for advancing its interests and is preparing for a potential confrontation with NATO. Deputy Rebeccamp also warned that the threat from Russia could become relevant for Alliance countries by the end of the current decade. It is this scenario that requires Germany to undergo serious preparation and maintain a combat-ready army.