Demonstrations in Germany - glimpse of hope

This may be why Germany wants to force people to fight:

“Johnson discusses how the US was not prepared for a long war and how it is running out of critical weapons. The solution appears to be to pull in other states and use proxies for ground troops. Everything points to this war being a very poorly planned.”

Deutschlandfunk – March 5, 2026 – German Armed Forces: Tens of thousands of students demonstrate against military service

Protests against the new military service have taken place again in many German cities. In Berlin, several thousand students took to the streets. Demonstrations also took place in Munich, Stuttgart, Bonn, and Düsseldorf, among other cities.

Organizers estimate that around 50,000 people participated nationwide, including parents and teachers. The protests were called by the “School Strike Against Conscription” initiative, along with several trade unions, organizations, and political parties.

The background to the protests is the new law on military service, which came into effect at the beginning of the year. It mandates a conscription examination for young men born after January 1, 2008. Military service itself remains voluntary as long as enough recruits can be found. If not, the reactivation of conscription, which has been suspended since 2011, is under consideration. Germany is reacting to the threat posed by Russia and the subsequent changes to NATO objectives.