Lincoln instituted the first national conscription in 1864 for the Civil War. He also suspended habeas corpus and invoked martial law to cope with the rebels. At least it was only for a limited emergency, until he could win the war of succession. Wilson doubled down for WWI and thanks to selective service legislation in 1917 the draft was available for Roosevelt to invoke to fight WWII. Renewal of the act n 1948 gave Truman the manpower for the Cold War and the Korean War. It was there for Vietnam until the draft ended under Nixon at the end of 1972. Carter reinstituted selective service registration in 1980, but there has been no call up since. It was all volunteers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Somalia, etc. It would be are hard case to make to claim a volunteer force led incompetently led can do better, but at least the casualties are volunteers.
Conscription
Conscription
Conscription
Lincoln instituted the first national conscription in 1864 for the Civil War. He also suspended habeas corpus and invoked martial law to cope with the rebels. At least it was only for a limited emergency, until he could win the war of succession. Wilson doubled down for WWI and thanks to selective service legislation in 1917 the draft was available for Roosevelt to invoke to fight WWII. Renewal of the act n 1948 gave Truman the manpower for the Cold War and the Korean War. It was there for Vietnam until the draft ended under Nixon at the end of 1972. Carter reinstituted selective service registration in 1980, but there has been no call up since. It was all volunteers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Somalia, etc. It would be are hard case to make to claim a volunteer force led incompetently led can do better, but at least the casualties are volunteers.