New Book - Conscription in the Twentieth Century: Coercion and Resistance in Global Perspective

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Rezul -- The University Press of Kansas is pleased to announce the publication of Conscription in the Twentieth Century: Coercion and Resistance in Global Perspective edited by Amy J. Rutenberg, a wide-ranging collection that examines one of the modern state's most powerful—and coercive—institutions: compulsory military service. Bringing together international perspectives and historical case studies, this volume offers a compelling examination of how conscription has shaped citizenship, political legitimacy, national identity, and the relationship between societies and the militaries that defend them.

Americans often view military service through the lens of exceptionalism, assuming that the political tensions and social fractures surrounding conscription elsewhere could never fully emerge in the United States. Yet the essays in Conscription in the Twentieth Century challenge that assumption, revealing a far more complicated history marked by resistance to military service, internal dissent, contested wars, and persistent divides between civilian society and military institutions. The collection calls for greater historical humility and a deeper engagement with the experiences of other nations confronting similar tensions.

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At a moment when many democracies face recruiting shortfalls, politicized militaries, declining public confidence in institutions, and widening civil-military divides, the lessons of this book carry renewed urgency.

Combining rigorous scholarship with broad contemporary relevance, Conscription in the Twentieth Century will be indispensable for students and scholars of military history, political science, and civil-military relations, while also offering valuable insight for policymakers, military professionals, and general readers concerned with the future of democratic governance and defense.

Key Features & News Angles:

• A Global Perspective on Military Service: Brings together international case studies showing how conscription has shaped societies across democratic and authoritarian systems alike.
• Civil-Military Relations at the Center: Explores how compulsory service reveals the strengths, tensions, and vulnerabilities between governments, militaries, and citizens.
• Challenges American Exceptionalism: Reexamines the United States's own history of draft resistance, political division, and contested military service.
• Timely Democratic Relevance: Connects historical debates over conscription to contemporary concerns about recruiting crises, declining public trust, and politicized militaries.
• Conscription as a Test of Citizenship: Investigates how military obligation has influenced ideas of national identity, civic duty, legitimacy, and social cohesion.
• Accessible and Policy-Relevant Scholarship: Offers historical insight for scholars, policymakers, military professionals, and readers concerned about democratic defense.

Learn more about the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700643530/

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