First US Peacetime Draft Began 1940

The United States initiated its first peacetime military draft 86 years ago today.

On October 29, 1940, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson participated in a lottery to determine the first group of men to be conscripted into the Army. Stimson was blindfolded during the selection process. He reached into a glass bowl and pulled out a ball marked with the number 158. This specific number identified the first draft group. The event took place at a military facility in Washington, D.C. The ceremony signaled a change in how the nation prepared for potential conflict. Prior to this date, conscription typically began only after the country was already at war.

The decision to implement a peacetime draft followed rising tensions in Europe. Adolf Hitler had invaded Poland in September 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany days later. American leaders worried that the conflict could expand. They sought to build a larger standing army before an official declaration of war was necessary. The Selective Service Act of 1940 authorized this new approach. It allowed the president to call up eligible men for training and service.

Stimson chose to draw the first number himself to ensure the process appeared fair and random. He stood before a crowd of officials and media representatives. The glass bowl contained balls numbered from 1 to 158. The first number drawn determined which draft group would be called first. This group consisted of unmarried men under the age of 31 who were not already in the military. The system was designed to rotate responsibility for national defense. It aimed to spread the burden of service across the population rather than relying on volunteers alone.

The lottery set the stage for a massive mobilization effort in the coming years. Millions of Americans would eventually serve in World War II. The draft system remained in place until the end of the Korean War in 1953. It was reinstated in 1967 for the Vietnam War and again in 1970. The final peacetime draft selection occurred in December 1971. No American men have been drafted for military service since that date. The system shifted to an all-volunteer force model.

Historians note that the 1940 draft changed the relationship between the American public and its armed forces. It established a standing army that was larger and more active than in previous decades. The program required extensive administrative infrastructure. Local draft boards were created across the country to process eligible men. Records from this era are still held by the National Archives. They provide a detailed record of who was drafted and their service status.

The ceremony took place on a Thursday. It was the 302nd day of 1940. Stimson’s selection of number 158 remains a specific historical marker. It is often cited in discussions about the origins of modern American military manpower. The event occurred two years before the United States entered World War II directly. It stands as a key moment in the buildup to that global conflict.