In Germany, Thousands Of Students Protested Against Mandatory Military Service

• 25.09.2026, 21:41

Protests took place in about 100 cities.

On Friday in Germany, thousands of students took to the streets to protest the possible reinstatement of mandatory military service and new rules requiring mandatory medical examinations for young people.

This was reported by Tagesschau.

According to the “Schulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht” (“School Strike Against Military Service”) initiative, protests took place in approximately 100 cities, with more than 45,000 students participating in total.

The police released figures on the number of participants only for select demonstrations. Specifically, about 2,400 people protested in Berlin’s Wedding district, 700 in Munich, 400 in Nuremberg, 200 in Stuttgart, and 180 in Frankfurt. In Hamburg, several hundred people gathered near the main train station.

A spokesperson for the initiative , Bela Breitner, stated that the federal government is seriously considering the gradual reinstatement of mandatory military service. According to him, the responses from young people to questionnaires sent out by the Bundeswehr indicate a reluctance to serve in the military.

The law on the new military service took effect in January. It mandates a medical examination for men born in 2008 or later.

At the same time, the government and the Bundeswehr emphasize the voluntary nature of military service. The goal of the new law is to increase the Bundeswehr’s active-duty force to 255,000–270,000 service members by 2035.

If the planned recruitment targets for volunteers are not met, the Bundestag may decide to reintroduce mandatory military service. Compulsory military service was abolished in Germany in 2011.