Zero Draft in the Low Countries: The Final Shift to the Mil-volunteer Force

Belgium and the Netherlands were the first two countries in continental Europe to abolish conscription after the Cold War. Notwithstanding differences in organizational practices, as well as in civil-military culture, decisionmaking in both countries was driven by the same motives and followed a similar pattern. The twofold logic of much smaller armed forces and new missions made the choice for an all-volunteer force almost inevitable. The ideology legitimizing the draft for so long appeared to have lost much of its magic and most of its political supporters from left and right. While there is a general awareness that recruitment will be vital for the success of an all-volunteer force, the profile of the new soldiers, in terms of motivation and representativeness, has crystallized in neither country. This can be looked upon as a crucial civil-military challenge. Probably more countries than the two under review will face this challenge in the near future. Given the structural forces at work all over Europe, the case for conscription and its citizenship surplus value will be more and more marginalized. The zero draft will become the rule rather than the exception, finalizing the long-term decline of the mass army.