Germany needs soldiers. Many, and in a relatively short time. The Bundeswehr today has around 187 thousand soldiers, but Berlin has committed to increasing the armed forces to at least 260 thousand men and women by 2035, to which approximately 200 thousand reservists should be added. It means finding, and above all retaining, over 73 thousand more soldiers over the course of nine years.
This is the figure that allows us to correctly read the controversies that arose around the first results of the new German voluntary military service. Nearly 300,000 eighteen-year-olds have been contacted by the government – 153,000 men and 145,000 women – and, as of June 18, only 530 had already received final confirmation of enlistment.
Because Germany needs at least 30 thousand new soldiers every year
To reach 260,000, the Bundeswehr would have to grow on average by about 7,800 net soldiers each year. In 2025 the positive balance was just 3,082 units despite 25,006 new enlistments, the best result in recent years. If the number of exits remained close to 22 thousand per year, to increase the workforce by almost 8 thousand net units, Germany would have to recruit at least 30 thousand people every year.
The 530 young people already enrolled
Hence the attention on the first results of the new Wehrdienst, the military service reformed by the German government. After the questionnaires were sent out, around one in four young men had initially expressed interest in the Bundeswehr. However, after subsequent contacts with the armed forces, the quota was reduced.
Of the approximately 1,500 young people subjected to the selection procedures, 80 percent were found suitable and 530 obtained definitive confirmation of entry into the armed forces during 2026.
A figure that confirms how ambitious the government’s objective is, i.e. around 20 thousand recruits in 2026, to then rise to 23 thousand in 2027, 28 thousand in 2028 and progressively up to around 40 thousand per year at the beginning of the next decade.
One in four recruits leaves
The Bundeswehr doesn’t just have to convince young people to wear the uniform. He must be able to make them stay. According to the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, among the recruits entering in 2024, around 25 percent had already left the service during the probationary period.
This is why Berlin has left open a door that in Germany seemed closed since 2011, when compulsory military service was suspended.
When can compulsory military service return?
If the current system remains based on volunteering, the new law provides a safety mechanism that reintroduces generalized conscription. If the new voluntary system fails to multiply enlistments, the return of some form of compulsory military service will cease to be just a hypothesis.
Meanwhile, the invitations to enlist also appear on the kebab paperwork. The slogan chosen by the Bundeswehr is “A complete career”, while instead of the usual commercial messages camouflage colours, a reference to a military career and a QR code appear.
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