Editing Conscription (section)

=== Netherlands ===
{{Unreferenced section | date=May 2015}}
{{Main|Conscription in the Netherlands}}
Conscription, which was called "Service Duty" ({{langx|nl|dienstplicht}}) in the [[Netherlands]], was first employed in 1810 by French occupying forces. [[Napoleon]]'s brother [[Louis Bonaparte]], who was [[King of Holland]] from 1806 to 1810, had tried to introduce conscription a few years earlier, unsuccessfully. Every man aged 20 years or older had to enlist. By means of drawing lots it was decided who had to undertake service in the French army. It was possible to arrange a substitute against payment.

Later on, conscription was used for all men over the age of 18. Postponement was possible, due to study, for example. Conscientious objectors could perform an alternative civilian service instead of military service. For various reasons, this forced military service was criticized at the end of the twentieth century. Since the Cold War was over, so was the direct threat of a war. Instead, the Dutch army was employed in more and more peacekeeping operations. The complexity and danger of these missions made the use of conscripts controversial. Furthermore, the conscription system was thought to be unfair as only men were drafted.

In the European part of Netherlands, compulsory attendance has been officially suspended since 1 May 1997.<ref name="DutchSuspended">{{cite web|title=Bestaat er een dienstplicht in Nederland|url=http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/krijgsmacht/vraag-en-antwoord/bestaat-er-een-dienstplicht-in-nederland.html|access-date=26 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226093348/http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/krijgsmacht/vraag-en-antwoord/bestaat-er-een-dienstplicht-in-nederland.html|archive-date=26 December 2014}}</ref> Between 1991 and 1996, the Dutch armed forces phased out their conscript personnel and converted to an all-professional force. The last conscript troops were inducted in 1995, and demobilized in 1996.<ref name="DutchSuspended"/> The suspension means that citizens are no longer forced to serve in the armed forces, as long as it is not required for the safety of the country. Since then, the Dutch army has become an all-professional force. However, to this day, every male and – from January 2020 onward – female<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2016/02/02/kaderwet-dienstplicht-wordt-aangepast-voor-vrouwen | title=Kaderwet dienstplicht wordt aangepast voor vrouwen | first=Ministerie van | last=Defensie | work=rijksoverheid.nl | access-date=15 October 2016}}</ref> citizen aged 17 gets a letter in which they are told that they have been registered but do not have to present themselves for service.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/defensiepersoneel/dienstplicht | title=Dienstplicht | date=12 January 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106011836/https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/defensiepersoneel/dienstplicht | archive-date=6 January 2021 | url-status=live | access-date=6 January 2021 }}</ref>