The Compulsory Border Guard Service (German: ''Grenzschutzdienstpflicht'') was enacted by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

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in the Federal Border Protection Act of 18 August 1972, based on Article 12a of the

German Constitution The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the constitution of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The West German Constitution was approved in Bonn on 8 May 1949 an ...

. The remaining provisions of the Federal Border Protection Act were repealed in 1994. However, compulsory border guard service has not been enforced since 1973. Anyone who serves or served in the Federal Border Guard (German: ''Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS)'') can no longer be assigned to the

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

(§ 42a Conscription Law) in the German Federal Armed Forces (German: ''Bundeswehr''). In 2005 the border guard was renamed the Bundespolizei (BPOL) (Federal Police) and any mandatory service would be performed there.{{Cite book , doi=10.1007/978-3-658-10928-8_9, chapter = Einführung der Grenzschutzdienstpflicht, title = Installation und Konsolidierung des Bundesgrenzschutzes 1949 bis 1972, pages=348–376, year = 2016, last1 = Parma, first1 = David, isbn=978-3-658-10927-1

History

The implementation of compulsory border guard service has to be seen in a historical context. Until the 1980s the BGS was organized as a

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

force that could be deployed nationwide, either at the

inner-German border The inner German border (german: Innerdeutsche Grenze or ; initially also ) was the border between the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, West Germany) from 1949 to 1990. Not including the ...

, but also elsewhere in case of

civil disorder Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, or social unrest is a situation arising from a mass act of civil disobedience (such as a demonstration, riot, strike, or unlawful assembly) in which law enforcement has difficult ...

. Domestic military operations of any kind on the territory of

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were prohibited for the ''Bundeswehr'' at that time. The BGS used heavy military equipment and the officers were officially

combatant Combatant is the legal status of an individual who has the right to engage in hostilities during an armed conflict. The legal definition of "combatant" is found at article 43(2) of Additional Protocol I (AP1) to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It ...

s until 1994. Furthermore, the member states of the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...

maintained a very large number of

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, mainly staffed by conscript soldiers like the

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Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften (VPB). Interior troops were a considerable reinforcement of the

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forces during the

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of the

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period and were not affected by disarmament negotiations as they were not part of the regular military. After the " German Emergency Acts" (German: ''Notstandsgesetze'') were enacted in 1968, the tasks of the BGS changed slowly. The military task was gradually reduced, because in a State of Defence (German: ''Verteidigungsfall'' or ''V-Fall'') the ''Bundeswehr'' was and still is thereafter empowered in very limited circumstances to be deployed in domestic disturbances. Nevertheless, the BGS was equipped with light and medium infantry weapons until the mid-eighties and still, now nominated as ''Bundespolizei'' maintains

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s like the '' LAPV Enok'' or '' Mowag Eagle''.

Drafting of Border Guards

Men at the age of eighteen, or older if they were former members of the Federal Police or if they had not previously served in the military or federal police, can be drafted to the border guard service. Mandatory service can be introduced if there are not enough volunteers joining the federal police. If the need is covered by volunteers at a later date, currently drafted persons are to be released. The employment status of the draftees is similar to the status during military service. The service is divided into border protection basic service, border protection exercises and perpetual border protection service in case of defense and in the cases mentioned in article 91 of the constitution. After their service has been completed, members are transferred to the border guard reserve.

Current enforcement of the draft

Similar to the suspended

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...

for military service since 2011, the compulsory border guard service is legally paused since 1994, but can be reactivated anytime by a resolution of the parliament.

References

German federal agencies 1972 establishments in Germany

History

Drafting of Border Guards

Current enforcement of the draft

See also

References