Bangladesh, Dec. 6 -- Germany is once again grappling with a national debate many believed had been permanently settled more than a decade ago. After the Bundestag approved Chancellor Friedrich Merzs controversial overhaul of the countrys military service laws, tens of thousands of Germans – overwhelmingly young- poured into the streets to denounce what they see as the quiet return of compulsory conscription. The wave of demonstrations, spanning some 90 cities from Berlin to Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne, signals a profound generational backlash against a government accused of preparing the country for war under the banner of security reform.

The protests followed the December 5 vote in which lawmakers passed the Military Service Mo...