conscription

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the military draft

For Students

conscription summary

Read Next

Sailors attending information warfare courses at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station march to class at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida. These Sailors are just some of the many thousands training and preparing to defend America around the world as information warfare warfighters. September 30, 2019

Pro and Con: Mandatory National Service

Berlin, 1936 - Jesse Owens of the USA in action in the mens 200m at the Summer Olympic Games. Owens won a total of four gold medals.

Was Jesse Owens Snubbed by Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympics?

Portrait of Salvador Dali in front of painting "The Madonna of Port Lligat."

Famous Mustaches in History

Commemorative medal of Nobel Prize winner, Johannes Diderik Van Der Waals

7 Nobel Prize Scandals

American soldiers in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.

9 Questions About World War II Answered

Discover

Marriage. A couple getting married during a church wedding ceremony. (religion, ceremony, bride, groom)

The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?

Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar

Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar

illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

Alexandria, Egypt - September 12, 2014 - Wedding Bridesmaids Competition, reward for Best Bridesmaids for participation in competitions. Prize for victory

Who Votes for the Academy Awards?

Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting

Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?

History & Society

conscription

military service

Also known as: compulsory military service, draft

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 25, 2024 • Article History

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the military draft

See all media

Category: History & Society

Also called:: draft

Key People:: Adolf Hitler; Alexander II; August, Count Neidhardt von Gneisenau; Albrecht Theodor Emil, count von Roon; Edward Douglass White

Related Topics:: armed force; levée en masse; fyrd

See all related content →

Recent News

Feb. 22, 2024, 2:18 AM ET (CNN)

‘I don’t want to kill’: Conscription law sparks fear in war-torn Myanmar

Feb. 13, 2024, 5:05 AM ET (New York Times)

Myanmar Junta to Enforce Military Draft

conscription, compulsory enrollment for service in a country’s armed forces. It has existed at least from the time of the Egyptian Old Kingdom (27th century bce), but there have been few instances—ancient or modern—of universal conscription (calling all those physically capable between certain ages). The usual form—even during total war—has been selective service. Modified forms of conscription were used by Prussia, Switzerland, Russia, and other European countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. The first comprehensive nationwide system was instituted by the French Republic in the wars following the French Revolution and was institutionalized by Napoleon after he became emperor ...(100 of 1218 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.