Britons risk conscription if Britain goes to war with Russia because 'army is too small', army chief warns amid WW3 threat
The British could face conscription if Britain goes to war with Russia because its “army is too small”, an army chief has warned.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, will emphasize in a speech today that ministers must “mobilize the nation” amid the threat of World War III.
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With the British Army Having been reduced to the smallest size for centuries, General Sir Patrick, who has been openly critical of troop reductions, wants British men and women to be prepared for a call like NATO goes to battle Vladimir Putin.
Most recently NATO announced its biggest appeal in decades as 90,000 troops prepare to begin World War III exercises.
That number will include 20,000 British troops, as the alliance plans to test allies on their ability to engage in a conflict with an opponent as capable as Russia.
General Sir Patrick believes there needs to be a 'change' in the mindset of the public, who must be prepared to defend Britain against foreign adversaries.
The army chief will make his plea for ordinary Britons today at the International Armored Vehicles Conference in Twickenham, the report said. Telegraph.
If conscription were introduced, it would be the first time in more than sixty years that Britons would have to fight.
Compulsory military service was introduced during World War I after the government passed the Military Service Act in 1916.
General Sir Patrick, who will step down as chief of the general staff in six months, previously used a speech to warn that Britain was facing its '1937 moment' over the war in Ukraine.
He claimed that Britain must be prepared to “fight and win” to fend off the threat from Russia.
The army chief said: “This is our moment of 1937. We are not at war, but we must act quickly so that we do not become embroiled in war due to our failure to contain territorial expansion.”
It comes as the prospects of World War 3 continue to grow with ongoing conflicts around the world.
The Middle East has become a powder keg causing unrest Israel's ongoing war in return for Hamasbacked by Iran Houthi rebels attack in the Red Seaand recently clashes and strikes between Iran and Pakistan.
And a senior NATO official has already warned that the West faces an all-out war with Russia within 20 years.
People fear that Putin's invasion of Ukraine could see Russian forces move beyond Ukrainian borders to launch attacks on Europe, forcing NATO to join the war.
More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 injured since Russia's large-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN said.
boss of NATODutch Admiral Rob Bauer's military committee has called on the West to “prepare for an era of war”, adding that NATO “needs a transformation in warfare”.
When was the last time Britain had conscription?
- On the day Britain declared war on Germany, September 3, 1939, Parliament immediately passed a new conscription law.
- The National Service (Armed Forces) Act imposed conscription on all men between the ages of 18 and 41 who had to register for service.
- Those who were medically unfit were exempt, as were others in key industries and jobs such as baking, agriculture, medicine and engineering.
- Conscription contributed greatly to the increase in the number of men on active duty during the first year of World War II.
- After the end of the Second World War, a new National Service Act was passed requiring all young men aged 17 to 21 to serve in the armed forces for 18 months.
- They should also remain on the reserve list for a number of years.
- National Service then continued until the last soldiers were demobilized in 1963.
- Conscientious objectors could refuse, but would face a tribunal where they would be expected to justify their opposition to entry.
NATO is mobilizing some 90,000 troops for war games aimed at sending Russia the message that it should not consider attacking member states.
Steadfast Defender starts this week and runs until the end of May, with units from all 31 NATO member states plus candidate members Sweden.
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander EuropeUS General Christopher Cavoli told journalists in Brussels about the groundbreaking event news after a two-day meeting of national defense chiefs.
“The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic area through a transatlantic movement of forces from North America,” Cavoli said.
The war games are intended as a further show of strength for NATO and its commitment to defend all allied nations from attack.
Britain continues to provide support Ukraine in their fight against RussiaHowever, ministers have announced another £2.5 billion support package.
But military strikes in addition to the US against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also expressed concerns about all-out war.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron told Sky News it is “hard to imagine a time when there was so much danger and uncertainty”.
Germany will also send 12,000 soldiers to Steadfast Defender, according to the national newspaper Imagealong with 3,000 vehicles and 30 aircraft.
Citing the German news agency Bild, Bild said the exercise will simulate a Russian attack on NATO territory, a scenario that would trigger Article 5.
The article states that if a NATO country is attacked, all other alliance countries will mobilize to defend it.
Meanwhile, Sweden, which is preparing to join the NATO alliance later this year, has also warned its citizens that it could soon find itself fighting an all-out war.
The country's Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin recently told citizens: “The world is facing security prospects that pose greater risks than at any time since the end of World War II.
“Are you a private individual? Have you ever thought about whether you have time to join a voluntary defense organization? If not: get started!”
The largest NATO exercise since the Cold War took place in 2018, when 51,000 troops took part in 'Trident Juncture 2018' in Norway.
Last week, a leaked military report revealed what might have been Vladimir Putin'S step-by-step plan to bring the West to the brink of World War III – and it starts in weeks.
The secret documents detail the despot's possible “path to conflict,” which culminates in the summer of 2025 on 'Day X', when half a million NATO and Russian soldiers will face each other.
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Who was the last national soldier?
A review of British defense assets in 1957 meant that large armies were now considered less effective compared to modern weapons.
From 1957, National Service was drastically reduced until the final influx of men in 1960.
On May 16, 1963, Richard Vaughan became the last national serviceman to be formally demobilized.
Richard Vaughan was 22 years old when he was called up for National Service, having deferred from qualifying as a chartered accountant.
He was posted to the British Army of the Rhine (CPO BAOR) in Mönchengladbach, Germany.
At the time, the Berlin Wall was under construction.
In May 1963, having now been promoted to lieutenant, he returned home with his team.
Unusually, he applied for deportation in England and flew back to Gatwick in his uniform, along with other national servicemen already in civilian clothes.
The following day, May 16, 1963, he was officially demobilized at Devizes Barracks in Wiltshire, earning the title of 'Last National Serviceman'.