BERLIN—The country on the front line of Europe’s rearmament effort is struggling to meet its military recruitment goals. The problem isn’t pacifism, but young people posing a new variation on the age-old question: “What is in it for me?”
European nations have stepped up military spending and begun preparing for a potential conflict with Russia. As a part of the effort, countries such as Germany and France have sought to get young people thinking about military service again.