Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It marks a significant shift in Germany's approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to create Europe's strongest conventional army.
The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
Students at schools across Germany have said they will join strikes in as many as 90 cities on Friday to protest against the move.
Many young Germans either oppose the new law or are sceptical.
We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill, the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media.
In Hamburg alone, about 1,500 people were expected to join the protests, and school head teachers warned parents not to take their children out of school for the day.
German MPs voted by 323 votes to 272 to back the change, making their country the latest European country to launch some form of revised military service.
The government says military service will be voluntary for as long as possible, but from July 2027, all 18-year-old men will have to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for possible military service.
If the security situation worsens or if too few volunteers come forward, a form of compulsory military service could be considered by the Bundestag.
The long-term aim is to raise the number of troops to meet new NATO force targets and strengthen Germany's defenses.
