The article presents a general picture of the involvement of human contingents from the Saratov region to recruit the Armed Forces of the USSR on the eve and during the Great Patriotic War. The article highlights in detail the conduct of three waves of the so-called general mobilization of the military in 1941, subsequent party-komsomol and other special mobilizations, as well as the regular conscription of recruits in 1942–1945. The role of the training of military-trained reserves through Vsevobuch, the people’s militia and defense organizations is shown.