If Britain went to war because there were "too many troops", British citizens would be called into battle.

January 23, 2024, 21:47 | Updated: January 24, 2024, 20:44

British Army too small, War Secretary will warn — The British army is too small, military commanders will warn.

Photo: Getty/Alamy

In the event of war with Russia, British citizens will be called into battle because the army is “too small”, the army chief has warned.

General Patrick Saunders will warn the government that Britain needs to “mobilize” its people if it goes to war with Russia, the Telegraph reported.

Sir Patrick wants British men and women to be ready to fight if NATO goes to war with Russia, which gained the upper hand with its invasion of Ukraine.

This follows warnings from senior NATO officials that the West faces an all-out war with Russia within 20 years.

read more: War hero Ben McBean says Britons will have to be dragged ‘kicking and screaming’ if drafted into Russia

Members of the British Army Royal Irish Battle Group — A member of the British Army’s Royal Irish Battle Group.

photograph:
getty

Admiral Rob Bauer said as NATO and member governments prepare for a conflict with Vladimir Putin’s government, civilians also need to recognize they have a role to play.

He told reporters last week that if war broke out, civilians would need to be mobilized in large numbers, and governments would need to prepare ways to manage that process.

LBC’s opinion: Gen Z will not accept the draft as compensation for the failures of the previous generation.

read more: ‘There’s a feel of 1939’: Tobias Ellwood says Britain is ‘complacent’ after British military chief says Britons could be called into battle caveat

Former Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace and General Sir Patrick Sanders — Former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and General Sir Patrick Saunders.

photograph:
Alamy

Meanwhile, Sweden, which is preparing to join the NATO alliance later this year, has also warned its people that full-scale war could soon occur.

The country’s Minister of Defense, Karl Oscar Bolin, recently told the nation: “The world faces a riskier security outlook than at any time since World War II.”

“Are you an individual? Have you ever wondered if you have the time to join a self-defense organization? If not, get moving!”

Bolin’s words are said to have sparked a flood of participation in volunteer organizations, and increased sales of flashlights and battery-operated radios.