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The Hidden History of the American Draft: How 1917 Changed the Military Draft
The draft has been a controversial and challenging topic throughout America's military history. In 1917, as the United States declared war on Germany, Congress passed the Conscription Act, which not only marked the beginning of the first era of conscription in the United States, but also changed the way of thinking about military resource management. The situation at the time was that the U.S. Army was unable to meet its expansion goals in just six weeks, forcing the government to seek new means to ensure its ability to maintain its military strength in war.
On May 18, 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Conscription Act, which immediately authorized the president to conscript men for military service.
Conscription in 1917
According to the Conscription Act, all men between the ages of 21 and 30 must sign up for military service for a period of 12 months. By 1918, the age limit was raised to 45. The measure was essentially an emergency response to national security and was ultimately ended with the end of the war in 1920. It is worth noting that conscription during this period was mainly focused on men in young families. For example, men who were married or had children often had easier opportunities for deferral.
Conscription Changes During World War II
In 1940, Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act, marking the first peacetime conscription in U.S. history. The Act required all men between the ages of 18 and 64 to register. Due to the urgency of the war, the conscription method was also improved. For example, a large number of men were delinquent on the grounds of mental health problems, which caused widespread social dissatisfaction at the time. anxiety.
Many men who were rejected for conscription due to health, education and other issues even needed to receive medical or educational training to meet the requirements of military service.
Recruiting Considerations Based on Race and Gender
During World War II, the issue of conscription of black people caused a lot of controversy. Although authorities claimed that conscription would not be based on race, in practice the drafting of blacks was often limited to specific units and roles. In addition, women were largely excluded from conscription considerations throughout the war, and it was not until late in World War II that discussions about women being considered service objects gradually relaxed.
Conscription during the Cold War
As the United States entered the Cold War era, especially during the Korean War, the conscription policy was strengthened again. In 1951, the Universal Military Training and Service Act was passed, which lowered the draft age and extended the service period to meet unprecedented military demands.
The scope of conscription was expanded to include all men between the ages of 18 and 26, and university students were given the right to defer conscription.
The Process of Building an All-Volunteer Army
With the progress of the Vietnam War and the reflection on conscription, in 1973, President Nixon announced that the US military would transform into an all-volunteer force. The termination of this system was a major reform of the conscription system, and the subsequent lottery system was also It’s over. In 1975, President Ford officially ended the draft registration regulations.
Contemporary Conscription and Social Response
However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980 again tightened the draft requirement for men, requiring a series of legislative changes in the 1990s to continue. But to date, a true conscription plan has not been implemented because the U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force since 1973, and there is much debate in society about whether conscription is still necessary.
Faced with the ever-changing military needs and social background, many people have begun to question whether the conscription system should be retained and how it will affect national security in the future?
Since the implementation of the Conscription Act in 1917, the United States military conscription policy has undergone countless changes, from the early compulsory conscription to the later voluntary service. As society’s views and demands on conscription continue to change, we can’t help but wonder whether it is still necessary to maintain such a strict conscription system?
