Conscription Issues in France

The French government activated the draft in september 17 98. The initial levee was set at 203 thousand, but as the men came forward, nearly 60 thousand were deemed medically unfit for service. Of the hundred and forty three thousand deemed fit for service, only 97 thousand actually showed up on the day that they were told to show up. About 25 thousand deserted on the trip between their home towns and the front lines.