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

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

in the Federal Border Protection Act of 18 August 1972, based on Article 12a of the German Constitution. The remaining provisions of the Federal Border Protection Act were repealed in 1994. However, compulsory border protection service has not been enforced since 1973. Anyone who serves or served in the Federal Border Protection (German: ''Bundesgrenzschutz'') 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 military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

(§ 42a Conscription Law) in the Federal Defence Forces (German: ''Bundeswehr''). In 2005 the Federal Border Protection was renamed the

Federal Police A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

(German: ''Bundespolizei'') 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, s2cid=163248420

History

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

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

force that could be deployed nationwide, either at the inner-German border, but also elsewhere in case of

civil disorder Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, civil strife, or turmoil, are situations when law enforcement and security forces struggle to Public order policing, maintain public order or tranquility. Causes Any number of thin ...

. Domestic military operations of any kind on the territory of

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

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 a person entitled to directly participate in hostilities during an armed conflict, and may be intentionally targeted by an adverse party for their participation in the armed conflict. Combatants are not afforded i ...

s until 1994. Furthermore, the member states of the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

maintained a very large number of Internal Troops, mainly staffed by conscript soldiers like the

East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...

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

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

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 The German Emergency Acts (') were passed on 30 May 1968 at the time of the ''Grand coalition, First Grand Coalition'' between the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. It was the 17th constitutional amen ...

" (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 Protection

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 protection 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 protection reserve.

Current enforcement of the draft

Similar to the suspended

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

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

References

German federal agencies 1972 establishments in West Germany

History

Drafting of Border Protection

Current enforcement of the draft

See also

References