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Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

60 Year Anniversary of the German Compulsory Military Service Act

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Conscription in the German Federal Republic began on July 21, 1956 when the German Compulsory Military Service Act (Wehrpflichtgesetz) entered into force. It lasted for 55 years until, on July 1, 2011, the German Bundestag (parliament) decided to suspend conscription and convert the German Armed Forces into an army of professional and volunteer soldiers. Instead of …