This policy is called conscription. While most other countries used conscription to increase the size of their armies in the lead up to the war, Britain’s army was entirely made up of volunteers.

When the war started, lots more soldiers were needed. Not everyone wanted to go to war. Conscription came in 1916. At first, conscription meant that all fit, single men had to join the army ...

The issue of conscription or mandatory military service tore Canada apart during the First World War. Pictured here, soldiers standing by a sign denouncing men who did not sign up for the war.

The Thai military’s recent suggestion that citizens could be allowed to pay to avoid conscription has sparked a public debate. Lieutenant-General Taweepool Rimsakorn, head of the Territorial ...