What is "remplacement"

Remplacement militaire ( French for "military replacement") was the name for a policy of military conscription which originated in France and Belgium in the 19th century. Under the system, wealthy citizens chosen for military service by lot could pay a sum of money, originally enough to pay someone else to serve in their place, instead of being made to join the military themselves. It was abolished in Belgium in 1913 and replaced by a system of service militaire personnel ("personal military service"): a form of universal conscription.