People with specific heights could avoid conscription if WW3 breaks out

If you're short you might escape war

There are some people who would be exempt depending on one's job or health status, but one way out of conscription may be height, as the British Army has a minimum height requirement of 4'10 (147cm).

This means that you might escape conscription if you are a “short king”, in the event of a new world war.

According to the government, conscription will likely not happen in the near future while Chief of the Defence Staff has said he cannot see it returning in the short term, as there currently no plans for it to be introduced.

However, the rising tensions around the globe have brought the topic back again, as millions of Brits are nervous for their imminent futures.

Just this year alone, US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to carry out strikes on Venezuela, as it abducted Nicolas Maduro, the country’s president.

In the meantime, Trump has threatened to do things the “hard way” when it comes to Greenland.

These could be just some of the reasons why many Brits will likely still be anxious, considering the tumultuous start we have had in the new year.

And the issue of potential conscription in a worst-case scenario remains a concern, as something the government does not want to do but may be forced to.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Crawford said that the idea of conscription “shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand”, and that “if we can't recruit sufficient volunteers then conscription may be necessary.”

He added that “how it is applied is another debate altogether, but younger single men and women would seem to be the obvious target demographic”.

As per the results of a 2024 YouGov poll, millions of Brits wouldn’t want to fight in a war.

According to the data, in the event of WW3, 38% of Brits aged under 40 would refuse to serve in the armed forces.

On the other hand, 30% said they wouldn’t serve in the case of an “imminent invasion”.