The modern system of military conscription dates all the way back to the French Revolution in the 1790’s, and it soon thereafter became the means of creating large and powerful armed forces. Most major European states conscripted their male populations at a certain young age, trained them, and then kept them in their reserve force, giving them periodical refresher training exercises to maintain their military readiness.
In many countries, conscription was considered not only as a method of building up military defence but also as a way of instilling maturity in young males, creating social equality, fostering social consciousness, breaking down class divisions, and in general immersing the country’s male adults in activities supporting the state and its structures.
Download: Preparing for the Worst – Conscription and Reserve Forces in the Nordics (PDF)