After long discussion, Germany's main opposition party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), this week voted to put a gradual return to mandatory military service back on its agenda.

That means that if the CDU returns to power, it would try to introduce legislation making it mandatory for young people to either serve in the military or the social sector for one year.

Germany used to have a system like that, but axed it in 2011.

The reason for the CDU's about-face is concerns about Russia and a lack of personnel in the Bundeswehr.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, of the governing center-left Social Democrats (SPD), has already said he wants to decide this by the summer whether he too would suggest a return to some form of mandatory military service.

So where do other countries stand on military service?

Pistorius is currently evaluating various options, including the Swedish model. Sweden suspended compulsory military service back in 2010, but reintroduced it seven years later in the wake of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Since then, all 18-year-olds have had to report for an assessment and some are then invited for a medical examination. Each year, only about 5-10% — of both men and women — take up military service, and only young people who are willing do it are........

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