Draft dodges throughout history?

July 25, 2011 10:22 AM

I need more info (links or book recs) about draft dodges and other similar happenings throughout history and the world (i.e. people relocating to avoid participating in a war). Sources about the Viet Nam draft dodge are great, though I'd rather also have sources about other happenings.
posted by mermaidcafe to society & culture (3 answers total)

Israel, as a conscription army of 3 years for men and 2 for women, has been suffering from an increasingly severe draft-dodging problem. Called Mishtamtim, the bulk of them do so on the grounds of conscientious objection.

One of the main ways of doing so for women is getting released on religious grounds, by claiming a religious lifestyle which cannot suit the army conditions. The IDF relies on private trackers, as well as Facebook, to try to root these kinds of dodgers out.

Every once in a while, a group of 12th graders will sign a letter stating that they will not be joining the army. By sending Michtavai Shministim (Senior Letters), these 12th graders state that they to not intend to participate in the draft process.

The army is struggling to deal with this problem, a by-product of a growing liberal, left-wing majority in Israel meeting a reality that presents significant security issues that must clash for attention with financial and social issues.

As for academic writing, Stuart Cohen has written profusely on the matter.

MetaMail me for any other questions...
posted by eytanb at 1:10 PM on July 25, 2011

You might find some good answers by searching on migration avoid conscription.

For example: this page from the Encyclopedia of diasporas says that one reason young men left Croatia in the late 1800s was "to avoid conscription into the military."

This page about German emigration records says "Compulsory military conscription was unpopular. Many young men emigrated without permission in order to avoid military service."

And this Wikipedia page about the Germanisation of Poles says "Migration to Germany was a way [for Poles] to avoid conscription and participation in the war."

I would think trying search terms like migrate/move/conscription/military service would get you some good results.
posted by kristi at 4:13 PM on July 26, 2011

Thank you for the help! I will check out all the sources given.
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:14 PM on August 24, 2011