Germany's Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA) received 12,102 conscientious objection applications between January and August, according to RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). The figure compares with 3,879 applications in all of 2025 and 2,249 in 2024, the report stated.
Applicants included reservists, active-duty troops and people who have never served in the military, according to RND. The total represents the highest number of conscientious objectors registered since the suspension of conscription 14 years ago, the report said [1]. BAFzA, has not issued a public statement on the figures.
Applications Rise Amid Military Buildup
Germany suspended the draft in 2011, but compulsory military service was not abolished outright and can automatically be reinstated in certain circumstances, according to the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection [2]. After the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Berlin announced plans to expand the Bundeswehr from around 186,000 active-duty troops to more than 260,000 by 2035, backed by 200,000 reservists.
Senior German officials cited commitments with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a perceived threat from Russia to justify the buildup. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO as "nonsense," officials said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Germany's continued military buildup could lead to another tragedy on a global scale [3].
The recruitment drive has produced limited results so far. Five months after the introduction of the new military registration system, the German government sent out 298,200 questionnaires to young men and women, and only about 530 volunteers were recruited for military service, according to an analysis by the German Ministry of Defense [4]. The leadership of the Reservists' Association has suggested raising the upper age limit for reservists to 70 given that people stay fit longer [5].
New Service System and Possible Reinstatement
A new military service system introduced this year requires all 18-year-old men to register for potential service, according to the report. Enlistment remains voluntary, but parliament can activate compulsory service if recruitment targets are not met or the security situation deteriorates, officials said.
Under the Military Service Modernization Act, which came into force on January 1, 2026, men aged 17 to 45 may need to seek approval for lengthy stays abroad, according to a statement from the defense ministry sent to the BBC [6]. It remains unclear how the rule would be enforced if breached, according to the outlet.
Several politicians in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling coalition have argued that conscription may have to be reinstated if voluntary recruitment falls short, according to RND. Applications to register conscientious objection to military service in Germany have jumped sharply, with 5,862 requests filed in the first half of the year, BAFzA told RND [7]. Critics have argued that such provisions move Germany toward a system that provides the state with a plan to measure and assess the availability of young men who can be used as a resource in coming military conflicts [8].
Protests and Public Response
In late September, organizers of the so-called School Strike Against Conscription said around 45,000 demonstrators took to the streets in some 100 cities and towns, according to the report. Reports from Deutsche Welle indicated that thousands of young people demonstrated in Berlin in opposition to any moves to reintroduce military conscription [9].
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Russia could attack a NATO member as early as 2028 and suggested compulsory service may be necessary to boost Germany's preparedness, officials said. In May, Merz pledged to turn the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional military force in the EU, according to the report.
The scale of public opposition has raised questions about the viability of recruitment targets. The number of young men applying to be conscientious objectors and refuse armed military service has risen sharply this year, undermining a drive by Berlin to create Europe's strongest conventional military force, according to reporting by The Guardian [10]. The newspaper noted that almost 6,000 young men applied to be excluded on moral or religious grounds despite what it described as a "conscription lite" policy.
References
- Germany sees sharp rise in requests to refuse military service. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-sees-sharp-rise-in-requests-to-refuse-military-service/4080186
- Objections to conscription triple in Germany media. https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/279355356/objections-to-conscription-triple-in-germany-media
- Objections to conscription triple in Germany – media. https://www.rt.com/news/646819-objections-to-conscription-triple-in-germany/amp/
- Thousands of students protest against draft in Berlin (VIDEOS). https://www.rt.com/news/634005-thousands-schoolchildren-protest-against-draft-berlin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
- German men aged 17-45 may need military approval for long stays abroad. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3nr83xyvo
- German ‘militaristic frenzy’ could end in tragedy – Moscow. https://www.rt.com/news/637552-germany-military-merz-zakharova/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
- People Power Protest PDF by ippy
- German conscientious objection filings reach 12,102 following new .... https://pollar.news/en/event/german-draft-objections-surge
