A UK citizen army: how it would work
British military chief calls for war preparations to start, arguing that 'regular armies start wars, citizen armies win them'
The head of the British Army has said that the UK should train a "citizen army" ready to fight a future land war.
Highlighting the threat from Russia, and noting steps being taken by other European nations such as Sweden and Germany to put their populations on a "war footing", General Patrick Sanders said that "we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking.
"Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars, citizen armies win them."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Who would be involved?
Sanders, who is chief of the general staff, was not advocating for conscription or for an imminent call-up of volunteers, but his speech at a military conference this week was intended to be "a wake-up call for the nation".
He was "urging Britain to prepare for a mass mobilisation of tens of thousands of people, should war break out", said the BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale. So a citizen army would almost certainly be comprised of individuals who are not career soldiers but rather civilians who can be called upon in times of need.
During the Second World War, the age range of those called up for service was 18 to 41, but in Ukraine, men aged 27 to 60, even without military experience, can currently be called up to fight.
Women have been allowed to serve in all combat roles in the British Armed Forces since 2018, so it is likely that women would be called up.
Military experts hope that Sanders's call will help create a "second echelon" of reserve forces that could number up to half a million trained volunteers, said the London Evening Standard.
What would they do?
A Whitehall source told The Times that the British military’s role in training Ukrainian civilians and soldiers could act as a "mission rehearsal" for the UK. British troops have trained more than 30,000 Ukrainians, "many of them civilians who have never fired a weapon".
These Ukrainians, including "former lorry drivers and shopkeepers", were "put through an intensive five-week course" and Ministry of Defence officials believe there are "useful lessons" for preparing a future "citizen army" in the UK.
Those taking part should be "trained and equipped" to fight, said Sanders. But people in a citizen army would not be automatically sent to the frontlines, because there are now a "myriad of roles" that previously did not exist on the battlefield, said the Daily Mail.
These include "more specialised missions" by special forces, as well as drone pilots, vehicle technicians and emergency physicians, plus "high-tech" roles "far away from the frontlines".
Who would be exempt?
Although there are no plans for a mandatory call-up, the demography of people conscripted in the past gives a steer on the make-up of a possible citizen army.
People who work in key industries that are regarded as vital to keeping the country running would probably be made exempt in the event of a war. In WWII, these included baking, farming, medicine, coal mining and engineering.
Based on current British armed forces rules, anyone who suffers from "deprivation of the senses", such as issues related to hearing or vision, would also probably be exempted, along with people suffering from psychiatric or cardiovascular issues, or from bone and joint problems, said LBC.
What has the reaction been?
Downing Street "does not seem keen" on the idea, said the BBC, after a spokesperson said that General Sanders' hypothetical scenarios were "not helpful".
The plan is "unpopular and unaffordable", said The Guardian in an editorial.
According to a poll of 2,000 people reported in the Daily Mail, less than 10% of Britons would be willing to take up a combat role if the country faced a military threat. The researchers found just 27% would "unquestionably" join a war effort if the nation came under attack in a similar way to Ukraine.
Sanders said the Cold War peace dividend was over, noting that "over the last 30 years, the army has been halved in size" and that "in the last 12 years, we’ve absorbed a 28% reduction".
Military experts believe that "in the time of war", far more people would be motivated "to sign up to defend their nation", said The Times.
General Nick Parker, a former Commander Land Forces, told Times Radio that the UK must "make sure that we are as resilient as we possibly can be, and to be prepared to question whether the forces that we have are the right ones for what may happen in the future".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 21, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - losing it, pedal to the metal, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Three fun, festive activities to make the magic happen this Christmas Day
Inspire your children to help set the table, stage a pantomime and write thank-you letters this Christmas!
By The Week Junior Published
-
The best books of 2024 to give this Christmas
The Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
By The Week UK Published
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setback
Speed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How Assad's dictatorial regime rose and fell in Syria
The Explainer The Syrian leader fled the country after a 24-year authoritarian rule
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Why is Putin 'de-exonerating' Stalin's victims?
Under the radar Russian president has 'insatiable impulse' to 'rewrite history', say commentators
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What Assad's fall means beyond Syria
The Explainer Russia and Iran scramble to forge new ties with Syrian rebels as Israel seeks to exploit opportunities and Turkey emerges as 'main winner'
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Syria's Assad flees to Russia as rebels take Damascus
Speed Read Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow after rebels' takeover ended his family's 54-year rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'At what point does hyper-personalization become incredibly impersonal and detached?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How Pokémon Go became entangled in international espionage
Under the Radar 'Zero evidence' augmented reality app was ever used for spying by Western intelligence, despite state bans and claims that persist to this day
By The Week UK Published
-
Can Georgia protests halt pro-Russia drift?
Today's Big Question Government U-turn on EU accession sparks widespread unrest that echoes Ukraine's revolution a decade ago
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published