In person icon Revisiting Conscription: The Impact of the Ukraine and Gaza Wars on Military Service

Abstract

The second half of the 20th century marked a significant shift in how Western militaries viewed conscription. By the 21st century, most Western militaries moved away from universal conscription, with the general perception - among the public and policymakers alike - being that the era of conscription-based peoples’ armies was over. In this sense, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have reignited the debate regarding conscription-based militaries. The proposed panel seeks to explore how these conflicts have shifted the academic and practical conversation in diverse national contexts. Through comparative case studies of Estonia, Israel, Latvia and the United Kingdom, we will illustrate how these conflicts have transformed multiple aspects of public discourse, policy decisions, and social attitudes regarding military service and national defence. The Estonian case highlights the wake-up call posed by the Ukrainian war and its role in sparking discussions about changes in conscript training. In response to lessons learned from Ukraine, Estonia plans to introduce an interim year in 2026 with a reduced conscription intake, prioritizing regular forces. This adjustment year aims to educate and train officers based on insights from Ukraine and to integrate new knowledge into conscript training to better align with recent battlefield developments. This initiative has both societal and military implications—along with anticipated changes to the training model, it affects the relationship between conscripts, the military, and society. Israel's experience offers insights into how a conscription-based military, which has always prided itself on being a peoples’ army, reacted to what was perceived as an existential threat. The Israeli military is structured to fight short, contained, conflicts. The current war has posed realities that it was unprepared for structurally, despite conscription. This section will highlight issues such as the mobilization of reservists, the involvement of women in combat and non-combat roles, the issues of prisoners of war (male and female), the impact on civilian life, and evolving public attitudes toward mandatory service in the face of immediate security threats, and the constant negotiations between the civil and military spheres concerning universal conscription. The United Kingdom does not have mandatory conscription. Due to wider social, cultural and economic change, British youth are less understanding and supportive of, and less motivated to serve in, the armed forces. However, the British military is in need of manpower. This section of the panel will argue that Britain should consider introducing a hybrid force design that blends professional forces with highly selective, national conscription to increase mass in the regular and reserve forces, build youth understanding of the armed forces and wider social resilience, and generate the data and systems around which rapidly scalable conscription can be introduced if needed. The case of Latvia highlights transitioning back to conscription. Latvia renounced conscription when joining NATO in 2004. The attack on Ukraine in 2022 finally prompted policymakers to abandon the all-volunteer force model that was becoming increasingly untenable. This presentation examines the reintroduction of conscription in Latvia, the reasons why policymakers chose against including women, as well as why policymakers may yet decide to introduce gender neutral conscription at a later stage. Together, these cases illuminate how contemporary conflicts challenge the accepted assumptions about military recruitment in democratic societies. The panel will also consider broader implications for civil-military relations and social cohesion in an era of upheaval and tension. Since these conflicts are still ongoing, we expect the panel to be a first step in an is much-needed academic conversation.

Title	Details
Navigating Change: the Societal Challenges of Estonia’s Conscription Reform	View Paper Details
Israel: When a Peoples’ Army Goes to War: The Strengths and Limitation of a Conscription-Based Military.	View Paper Details
The UK: The End of the All Volunteer Force	View Paper Details
Latvia’s Return to Conscription: Learning by Doing?	View Paper Details