Quote Originally Posted by Sheo
Apparently the Ancien Regime practiced recruitment by ballot, which is sort of similar. The first proper one occured during the French Revolution.
But that's the thing. A proper levee en masse could literally bring a million men under arms, a devastating number compared to the professional armies of the time.

Btw, I wonder if a communist "republic" could actually be created in-game through clever use of taxes and buildings, etc. It'd be pretty cool, methinks.