– This is the first book of its kind. There has not previously been a comprehensive overview of how total defence functions in various European countries, says Associate Professor Gjermund Forfang Rongved.
He is the editor and the one who initiated the book, titled 'European Total Defence - Past, Present and Future'.
Contributors from eleven European countries write about total defence in their respective nations. NATO has also been given its own chapter.
Together with a handful of the authors of some of the book’s chapters, Forfang Rongved was invited to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels to present their findings to him on Wednesday, 2 April.
Highly varied
Total Defence is a collective term for a nation's military defence and civilian preparedness, and how these two sectors support each other and cooperate during a crisis. This encompasses everything from prevention and contingency planning to operational matters.
Given the current turbulent and tense global situation, total defence has undoubtedly become a topic of widespread discussion. The NATO secretary general is no exception.
This is a subject the defence alliance is deeply concerned with, and one of the reasons why Forfang Rongved and some of the authors were invited to NATO Headquarters in Brussels to present some of the book’s conclusions.
The book provides a thorough analysis of the four major Nordic countries, the Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, along with a perspective from NATO itself.
One of the main conclusions is that there are significant differences from country to country across Europe regarding the state of total defence.
– There are some countries that are well advanced when it comes to planning and coordinating effectively so that the civilian and military sectors can work together during a crisis or war. Norway and Finland are examples of that. But many countries, perhaps especially in former Eastern Europe, have primarily focused on deterrence and building up the military sector, says Forfang Rongved.
Considering total defence is essential
The book highlights that European countries have been increasingly incentivised to develop total defence plans together.
The United States has gradually distanced itself from Europe, especially during the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency. The war in Ukraine has also accelerated thoughts about the importance of making total defence more central.
– This is going to be incredibly important going forward. Six months ago, this answer would have been underlined one and a half times. Now, it is underlined two or three times. Considering total defence is absolutely essential if Europe is to be able to protect itself, says Gjermund Forfang Rongved.
The author of the chapter on NATO in the new book, Professor Paal Sigurd Hilde from the Norwegian Defence University College’s Institute for Defence Studies, also participated in the presentation to NATO Chief Mark Rutte.
He has, among other things, examined to what extent NATO serves as a framework for national total defence and comprehensive societal deterrence.
According to the book, particularly in Europe, NATO procedures, standards, and systems form the core of the collective, extensive civil-military efforts that support deterrence and defence.
– Why do we need this book, Gjermund?
– Now that we can say with reasonable certainty that this will be a focal area going forward, and important across European countries, it’s useful to highlight both successful and unsuccessful experiences of how total defence functions. It is crucial for learning.
Learn from Ukraine
One of the countries that has done so is Ukraine, which has its own chapter in the new book. Something particularly interesting has happened there.
If you place European countries on a spectrum, with one end representing those that have prioritised conventional defence and military power, and the other end representing those with strong coordination between the civilian and military sectors, Ukraine was, before the war, positioned firmly at the extreme end of the first.
That has completely changed.
– We have ended up placing Ukraine far along the total defence side in the book. Because of the war, they have become among the best at this, says Forfang Rongved.
– We have a tremendous amount to learn from what has happened in Ukraine. It is not about them being good at planning for an effective total defence, but rather the practical experiences they have gained since Russia launched its attack. They have been compelled to make civilian and military resources work together, concludes Gjermund Forfang Rongved.
Forfang Rongved has previously published the book 'Totalforsvaret i praksis' ('Total Defence in Practice'), which examines the Norwegian total defence system.
Contact information:
- gjermund.rongved@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 61 28 80 09