Does the need for security require more powerful armies? “War modifies our societies, but above all we have the great climate war, this is the real challenge for the world of tomorrow” insists Jean Viard

Will military service return to Germany? And back home, what about the army? International tensions encourage nations to have more robust protection forces.

With the Russian threat looming over Europe, Germany is considering reestablishing conscription, which has disappeared since 2011. It could recruit 20,000 additional soldiers by calling on its youth. But after years of underinvestment, the army is struggling to recruit. The feeling of sociologist Jean Viard.

franceinfo: Should we really ask ourselves the question of a return to conscription?

Jean Viard: Military service with conscripts has disappeared for 30 years in France. Universal service appeared when we wondered what military-type supervision could bring to young people who were adrift. Little by little, another question emerged: what to do when war draws near? In places like Sudan, this can leave us indifferent, even though it is as monstrous as elsewhere. But when we see the war in Europe, in Gaza, in Israel, when we understand that Russian hegemony is starting again without knowing where it can stop, when we see that financial systems are reorganizing around the army, the countries are afraid and countries are arming themselves.

What is the military reality of Europe?

Europe invests 400 billion per year in the military, compared to 100 billion for Russia. But these are in different nations and we do not see, overall, the effects of the money invested. Another problem exists: is the war that of a professional army or of an army of the people? It’s an old debate. In Europe, there are 2 professional armies: England and France, because these countries have had colonies and troops that have been at war almost all the time. Germany, on the other hand, after Nazism, only had a defensive army. For them, it’s a huge change because they were all raised with the idea that the army was for protection. For a long time, in Europe, the main idea was that there would be no more war. The young people did not see the point of wasting a year in a career with no outlet because the war seemed so absurd to us. Times have changed, war has returned, we have to figure out how to select future soldiers.

The Germans invented a survey system: by filling out a file, the young person shows whether or not he has an interest in military matters. Like some sort of compatibility?

There you go, if we think you have completely cool hair, we’ll leave you in your garden! Also note that only boys are solicited, should we also be interested in girls? Historically, they didn’t really go there, other than nurses. Finally, there is a debate on integration because some of the young people who join an army are often young people from immigrant backgrounds. In the United States, they even gain American nationality. At the moment, all these questions are being asked: external army, professional army, increase in conscription, reflection on authority, increase in war, etc.

War modifies our societies, but above all we have the great climate war, it is the real challenge of the world of tomorrow. The problem is that we are living in a period of great uncertainty. When there is uncertainty, a need for security arises. To ensure this security, we tend to manufacture soldiers.