National service is a common name for compulsory or voluntary military service programs. (Compulsory military service is more often known as conscription.) National service was common in the 20th century, and many young people spent one or more years of their emerging adulthood in such programs. The compulsory forms of national service typically require all citizens or all male citizens to participate for a period of about a year during their youth, such when they are between 18 and 25. Military service is service in an army or other military organisation, whether as a chosen job or as the result of an involuntary draft (in that case usually termed conscription). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

National Service is still currently used to describe compulsory military service programs in countries including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Israel, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland. Motto: Three Principles of the People (三民主義 San-min Chu-i) Anthem: National Anthem of the Republic of China Capital Taipei (de facto)  Nanking (de jure)1  Largest city Taipei Official languages Mandarin (GuóyÇ”) Government Semi-presidential system  - President Chen Shui-bian  - Vice President Annette Lu  - Premier Su Tseng-chang...

National Service in the United Kingdom

Wartime conscription was used by the United Kingdom government during the latter part of World War I and throughout World War II. The system of wartime conscription during World War II, between 1939 and 1948, was officially called National Service, but is usually referred to as 'war service'. After World War II, peacetime conscription was used by the government between 1949 and 1960. In the United Kingdom, it is this period of peacetime conscription that is usually referred to as 'National Service'. It remains the only period of peacetime conscription in U.K. history, apart from the periods immediately before and after World War II. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

Institution of peacetime National Service

National Service as peacetime conscription was formalized by the National Service Act 1948. From January 1, 1949, every healthy man between the ages of 18 and 26 was expected to serve in the armed forces for 18 months, and remain on the reserve list for four years thereafter. Men were exempt from National Service if they worked in three 'essential services', which were coal mining, farming and the merchant navy. In 1950, in response to the Korean War, the service period was extended to two years, although the reserve list period was reduced by six months to compensate. National Servicemen who showed promise could be commissioned as officers. To fulfill the reserve list requirement, men in the National Service joined reserve forces like the Territorial Army. Thus, such forces expanded considerably between 1949 and 1963. Almost every town had units, and many had full regiments or battalions. Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Merchant Marine. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea  Australia  Belgium Canada  Colombia Ethiopia  France Greece  Netherlands  New Zealand  Philippines South Africa  Thailand  Turkey  United Kingdom United States Medical staff:  Denmark  Australia  Italy  Norway  Sweden Communist states: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China  Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee... An officer is a member of a military or naval service who holds a position of responsibility. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - - commanded by a colonel. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ...

End of peacetime National Service

National Service formally ended on 31 December 1960. The last man called up for National Service, Private Fred Turner of the Army Catering Corps, was discharged on 7 May 1963. However, the last National Serviceman was Lieutenant Richard Vaughan of the Royal Army Pay Corps, who was discharged six days later on 13 May 1963. When National Service ended, many National Servicemen continued serving voluntarily. The British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy are now – once again – voluntary organizations. Occasionally, some call for a return to compulsory conscription. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... The Army Catering Corps was a corps of the British Army, responsible for the feeding of all Army units. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The Adjutant Generals Corps is one of the largest Corps in the British Army and deals with its most vital resource - its personnel. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... RAF redirects here. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...

In the UK, the end of National Service coincided with the rise of Pop culture, and the dawn of Beatlemania from around Christmas 1963. There was much public discussion at the time about "falling standards" and "long hair" as worn by The Beatles, the The Rolling Stones, and others. This (mild) controversy was epitomised in a satirical Pop Music recording Call up the Groups made by The Barron Knights, released in 1964, which suggested that such Pop Groups should be sent back on National Service to tame their wild ways. The song satirised recent Pop hits by, respectively, The Searchers, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Rolling Stones, The Bachelors, The Dave Clark Five, and - inevitably - The Beatles. The Beatles arrival at Americas JFK Airport in 1964 has proved a particularly enduring image of Beatlemania. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... The Barron Knights were a British humorous pop group, originally formed in 1960 in Leighton Buzzard as the Knights of the Round Table. ... The Searchers may refer to: The Searchers – a 1956 epic Western movie The Searchers – a 1960s British rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Freddie and the Dreamers were a British musical band who had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... The Bachelors is a popular music group, originating from Dublin, Ireland. ... The Dave Clark Five (DC5) were an English rock and roll group in the 1960s, and one of the few that were able to present something of a commercial threat to The Beatles, the dominant group of the period. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ...

Effect on individuals and society

Post-war National Service had a significant effect on many citizens, and on society and culture as a whole. Some National Servicemen went on to become famous. Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones played rock and roll while stationed in West Germany.^{[citation needed]} Authors like Leslie Thomas, David Lodge and David Findlay Clark wrote books based on their experiences.^{[citation needed]} Actor Oliver Reed, comedian Tony Hancock, and Hancock's writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson developed their talents while serving their National Service.^{[citation needed]} Bill Wyman (born William George Perks on 24 October 1936) was the bassist for the English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones from its founding in 1962 until 1991. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Leslie Thomas, OBE (born March 22, 1931 in Newport, Monmouthshire) is a British author. ... David Lodge (born January 28, 1935 at London, England) is a British author. ... Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his macho image on and off screen. ... Biography published in 1978 (1983 paperback reprint shown) Anthony John Hancock, best known as Tony Hancock (May 12, 1924 – June 24, 1968) was a major figure in British television and radio comedy in the 1950s and 1960s. ... Ray Galton OBE (born 1930), and Alan Simpson OBE (born 1929), are British scriptwriters who met in 1948 at a tuberculosis sanatorium in London. ...

On the other hand, National Service interrupted some men's careers. John Clark, a former child actor, was tired of ubiquitous recognition and feared mockery in the armed forces, so he worked in the merchant navy on a Silver Line freighter for over 3 years. He quit early and to avoid being called up, he emigrated in November 1953 to Canada. John Clark was born on All Saints Day, November 1, 1932, and is perhaps best known now as the ex-husband of Lynn Redgrave, who divorced him December 22, 2000, after 32 years of marriage. ... The Silver Line was a shipping company formed in 1908, part of the British Merchant Navy. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

National Youth Service

In the 21st century, an increasing number of young people are enrolling in civilian or non-military national services, generally referred to as National Youth Services. Civilian national services have been instituted for varying reasons, such as to foster national unity; to make conscription more equitable; to provide young people with experience, perhaps to improve their employability; to achieve certain social objectives, such as helping poor people or the environment; or to allow students to fund their education. Civilian national services have been formed in over 30 countries. Examples include: The 21st century is the present century of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Canada's Katimavik
• Costa Rica's Trabajo Comunal Universitario
• Chile's Servicio Pais
• China's Poverty Alleviation Relay Project
• Germany's Zivildienst
• Indonesia's Kuliah Kerja Nyata
• Israel's Sherut Leumi
• New Zealand's Conservation Corps
• Nigeria's National Youth Service Corps
• Singapore's National Cadet Corps
• The Gambia's National Youth Service Scheme
• the United Kingdom's Community Service Volunteers
• the United States' AmeriCorps
• the United States' Conservation Corps

The Katimavik Logo Katimavik is a Canadian Government youth service program that has operated since 1977. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The National Cadet Corps (India) is the Indian military cadet corps. ... Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is the UKs largest volunteering and training charity. ... the AmeriCorps logo In the United States, AmeriCorps is a network of more than 3,000 non-profit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. ...

External links

• WarMuseum.ca: Conscription in Canada during World War II
• List of notable National Servicemen