Mandatory military service did that to whole generation of young men almost everywhere where it was, certainly in eastern europe. 2 years, older were punishing

Mandatory military service did that to whole generation of young men almost everywhere where it was, certainly in eastern europe. 2 years, older were punishing younger, by the time younger were older they were part of the system. From time to time somebody died, lifelong traumas were frequent. Its still present ie in modern day russia, from what I read about it still much much worse than elsewhere. IIRC around 500 die there annually, everybody knows it, nobody does anything I guess to 'man-up' when its actually 'fuck-up'. Its sadly a broken place beyond any hope for repair, at least in this century.