During the Second World War, Prime Minister Mackenzie King dodged a political bullet called conscription; playing his political hand brilliantly and offering a case study in the art of holding ...

As global tensions ratchet up defensive preparations, countries are beginning to reconsider whether conscripting only men into their armed forces will be enough. Ukraine should get rid of its "old ...

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.

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.

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 ...