The main reason there is war in Europe again is that when President Putin looked west on February 24, 2022, he saw no conventional deterrence to prevent him invading Ukraine. Britain, France and other European Nato countries had so overspent the peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, that we now have hollowed-out armies. Our citizens, except perhaps those of the Nordic and Baltic states, are completely unprepared and sadly uninterested – if recruitment into the British Army is any yardstick.
The French, however, are doing something about this latter problem. They have announced a very important scheme to prepare France for war without the unpopularity and expense of national service or conscription. A military “good citizenship” briefing day will become mandatory from September for all French nationals – and some foreign residents – aged 16 to 25 as part of government efforts to link youth engagement to military preparedness. It is a prerequisite for secondary education, applying for certain public jobs, and obtaining a driving licence, and is an “assumed pathway” to both military and reserve recruitment.
The programme includes laser shooting to “highlight the stakes of bearing arms and their secure handling,” tactical simulation games based on crisis or war scenarios, and even a meal eaten from combat rations – French ones are rather better than the “compo” that we old British soldiers had to try and digest! Scenarios used during the day will name potential adversaries including jihadist groups, Russia, Iran and North Korea – while also referencing Nato, the UN and the EU.
Countries like Finland already have a “citizen army” with the ability to put over one million reservists into the field in short order. In Norway and Sweden, reserve service is seen as a very good thing with many financial and social incentives. The Nordic countries have Russia close by. They understand that Putin respects strength but exploits weakness, and they do not want to be subjugated by the autocratic tyrant.
Not unsurprisingly, many people feel safe here on our island and consider that we are far enough away from Moscow. This is a false view. GCHQ warned us only last week that we are under constant cyber-attack from Russia, and the Kremlin threatens us with nuclear attack on an almost weekly basis. Like it or not, Putin and his gangsters see the UK as a major adversary in Europe, and if Russia attacks any further west than Ukraine, we will be at war.
Though I have a significant amount of French DNA in me, I rarely find it easy to praise them, especially on the military front. Nonetheless, it strikes me that this time the French have an excellent idea.
Rather than jump straight to national service or conscription – that stirs up vitriol from the Left and Right alike, and will be met with opposition from our Armed Services too – a version of the French military and citizen briefing day looks like an ideal plan. It would present an opportunity to remind the younger generation of their responsibility to serve this nation and the opportunities available in the regular and reserve forces.
It should also be compulsory for immigrants aspiring to “Indefinite Leave to Remain” status, let alone citizenship. Such people should be made aware that the privilege of living in these islands comes with duties as well as rights, and I cannot think of a better way to integrate people into British society than a period of military service. We already gain many excellent new Britons via avenues such as service with the Gurkhas or Commonwealth recruitment into other regiments and arms.
As I say, it goes against the grain for me. But it’s time to learn from the French.
The main reason there is war in Europe again is that when President Putin looked west on February 24, 2022, he saw no conventional deterrence to prevent him invading Ukraine. Britain, France and other European Nato countries had so overspent the peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, that we now have hollowed-out armies. Our citizens, except perhaps those of the Nordic and Baltic states, are completely unprepared and sadly uninterested – if recruitment into the British Army is any yardstick.
The French, however, are doing something about this latter problem. They have announced a very important scheme to prepare France for war without the unpopularity and expense of national service or conscription. A military “good citizenship” briefing day will become mandatory from September for all French nationals – and some foreign residents – aged 16 to 25 as part of government efforts to link youth engagement to military preparedness. It is a prerequisite for secondary education, applying for certain public jobs, and obtaining a driving licence, and is an “assumed pathway” to both military and reserve recruitment.
The programme includes laser shooting to “highlight the stakes of bearing arms and their secure handling,” tactical simulation games based on crisis or war scenarios, and even a meal eaten from combat rations – French ones are rather better than the “compo” that we old British soldiers had to try and digest! Scenarios used during the day will name potential adversaries including jihadist groups, Russia, Iran and North Korea – while also referencing Nato, the UN and the EU.
Countries like Finland already have a “citizen army” with the ability to put over one million reservists into the field in short order. In Norway and Sweden, reserve service is seen as a very good thing with many financial and social incentives. The Nordic countries have Russia close by. They understand that Putin respects strength but exploits weakness, and they do not want to be subjugated by the autocratic tyrant.
Not unsurprisingly, many people feel safe here on our island and consider that we are far enough away from Moscow. This is a false view. GCHQ warned us only last week that we are under constant cyber-attack from Russia, and the Kremlin threatens us with nuclear attack on an almost weekly basis. Like it or not, Putin and his gangsters see the UK as a major adversary in Europe, and if Russia attacks any further west than Ukraine, we will be at war.
Though I have a significant amount of French DNA in me, I rarely find it easy to praise them, especially on the military front. Nonetheless, it strikes me that this time the French have an excellent idea.
Rather than jump straight to national service or conscription – that stirs up vitriol from the Left and Right alike, and will be met with opposition from our Armed Services too – a version of the French military and citizen briefing day looks like an ideal plan. It would present an opportunity to remind the younger generation of their responsibility to serve this nation and the opportunities available in the regular and reserve forces.
It should also be compulsory for immigrants aspiring to “Indefinite Leave to Remain” status, let alone citizenship. Such people should be made aware that the privilege of living in these islands comes with duties as well as rights, and I cannot think of a better way to integrate people into British society than a period of military service. We already gain many excellent new Britons via avenues such as service with the Gurkhas or Commonwealth recruitment into other regiments and arms.
As I say, it goes against the grain for me. But it’s time to learn from the French.