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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 11yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?

Military Service is currently not required in the U.K.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 1.4m UK voters.

24%
Yes
76%
No
13%
Yes
67%
No
5%
Yes, but only for those who do not pursue further education or employment
8%
No, service should be a choice instead of an obligation
3%
Yes, but with less focus on military training and more focus on education and skill development
3%
Yes, but only for those who are starting to build a criminal record
0%
Yes, and it should be at least two years of service

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 1.4m UK voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 1.4m UK voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9L2X73Lanswered…2yrs2Y

18-25 would be more appropriate, only for repeat offenders and it should be a shorter period of time e.g. six-eight weeks

 @9CPQT8Yanswered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but include other emergency and public services for those not wishing the military.

 @58M8D8Vfrom Southampton  answered…6yrs6Y

Too dangerous to allow Muslims to do military ervice

 @9MHCS4B answered…2yrs2Y

offer service, or military or social, caring at a good rate of remuneration to encourage civil and civic pride and commitment

 @9NXHMFTanswered…2yrs2Y

There should be more encouragement and opportunity for skills development/education and work experience for all 18yr olds with more support and resources provided to enable this. Taking part should be compulsory but the right to choose what.

 @56XXGD7from Medway  answered…6yrs6Y

Obligatory for young men

 @BF3MJVVanswered…7 days7D

option for optional national military or community service

 @BDZW44Banswered…2wks2W

No. The armed forces should be privatised.

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Mandatory Military Service” news articles, updated frequently.

Active 4mos ago

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Germany considers revival of compulsory national military service

Germany has unveiled the most sweeping military reforms since the cold war, including the possible revival of national service, as part of efforts to better prepare its armed forces to defend Nato territory.Speaking in Berlin on Thursday on the military alliance’s 75th anniversary, defence minister Boris Pistorius said he had signed an order to reorganise the German military from top to bottom.“It is a landmark reform . . . Our goal is to restructure the Bundeswehr in such a way that it is best positioned in the event of defence, in the event of war,” said Pistorius. “Nobody should have the idea of attacking Nato territory — this is what we [want to] convey.”The measures are part of a huge shift in Germany’s attitude towards its armed forces, reflecting what Chancellor Olaf Scholz said was a Zeitenwende or turning point in security policy after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.A single operational command will take charge of four new component forces, with cyber warfare raised to an equal footing alongside land, air and sea operations.Military officials drawing up the plans have been given six months to implement them. A key demand from the ministry is that the Bundeswehr will be made ready for compulsory national service in Germany, Pistorius said, should a decision be taken to reintroduce it. The country stopped its mandatory military service — as well as the option to serve in non-military institutions — in 2011.A defence ministry proposal on a model of national service for young adults will be put before German politicians in the coming weeks, he added.

3 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Taiwan ‘learning from Ukraine’ to prepare for attack

Taipei is studying the tactics being employed by the Ukrainian military against Russia in its preparations for a potential attack, the self-governing island’s new vice president, Hsiao Bi-khim, has said.Her comments come as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has been voicing concerns that Beijing, which sees Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory, has allegedly outlined the island’s “annexation and the elimination of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the great rejuvenating cause of its people,” suggesting that the mainland would stop at nothing to take control of the island.Speaking at an event hosted by Chatham House, a British think-tank, in London on Tuesday, Bi-khim insisted that Taiwan must reform and decentralize its military command structure, adding that the government is actively “learning from Ukraine’s defense, where smaller combat forces have proven nimble and adaptable.”The vice president, who was elected last month, further claimed that “authoritarian regimes” were seeking to “influence and destabilize other nations through hybrid operations such as political warfare, cyber-intrusion, economic coercion and the threat of military force.”In light of this supposed threat, Bi-khim stated that the Taiwanese government has already taken a number of steps to boost its ability to react in the event of an attack. These include the doubling of the island’s defense budget, extending mandatory military service from four months to a year, the prioritization of new arms acquisitions, and other measures, some of which have been inspired by Ukraine, she said.

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Active 2mos ago

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…6yrs6Y

Should critical race theory be taught in K-12 education?

No

▲  19.8k6 replies4 agree1 disagree

About This Data

Based on 1.4m responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://uk.isidewith.com/polls/1571898179

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