Kirchentag: How Scholz refused military service with Karl May

Olaf Scholz founded his refusal to military service as a young man with the “Winnetou” writer Karl May. “Of course that was cheeky. I subsequently be surprised about my courage,” said the executive Chancellor at the Kirchentag in Hanover.

In his reasoning, Scholz wrote that he had read practically all of May and her hero would not kill anyone and justify that very Christian. “Then they found that he is crazy, you have to let it go through.” The SPD politician reported that he then did a community service in a nursing home.

“Need more soldiers”

The Chancellor, who should be replaced by Friedrich Merz in a few days, emphasized that he was always for military service – “because I was firmly convinced that it would make a difference whether everyone could be affected when it comes to defending the country, or that one concentrated on a few”.

For a compulsory compulsory, as it once existed, the capacities are no longer available today. Germany, however, must focus on the ability to defend itself against Germany and its allies in a conventional war of attack. “We do that, and we also need more soldiers for that,” said Scholz.

New coalition is planning voluntary military service

Union and SPD want to introduce a new and initially based military service model. This year, the prerequisites for a military recording and military monitoring should be created, according to the coalition agreement. It is conceivable that all members of a year will receive a questionnaire on the willingness to military, which the men have to answer and the women can answer voluntarily.