Europe prepares citizens for war - they will hear

Europe prepares citizens for war - they will hear

survival instructions, storage and mass evacuation exercises-Europe is there, its citizens on Prepare the growing threat of conflicts that lurk at the front door. In the past few months, several European countries have given sobering advice. They imagine how garages and subway stations are converted into bunkers and at the same time promote psychological resistance.

The change in thinking

A central message is the need to convert the population's way of thinking to be willing to war. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told security experts in Brussels in December: "It is time to switch to war mentality." This happens in a context in which European leaders fear that Wladimir Putin , encouraged by military successes in Ukraine, could try to continue on the European continent, while the United States, Europe's long -standing and powerful ally, are more hostile to maintain European security. This raises questions about how far the United States would be willing to intervene, a NATO state should be attacked.

The preparations of the European countries

The European Commission has

Individual countries have also developed their own emergency guidelines. Germany updated its framework directive for defense in June, in which instructions are given what to do when conflicts break out in Europe. The document provides for a complete transformation of everyday life of German citizens in the event of war.

Despite the updated guidelines on civil security, it remains uncertain how seriously the citizens will actually accept these recommendations. Claudia Major, Senior Vice President for transatlantic security at German Marshall Fund, emphasizes the need to take the advice seriously. It indicates the promise of preparation not only for a Direct military threat Russia's, but also on what she describes as a "gray zone" between war and peace - including less aggressive actions and hybrid warfare.

However, she adds: "The challenge is to increase the willingness without slipping into alarmism and disaster. In countries that are particularly affected by Moscow's influence, the threat of Russia appears more tangible. It is more difficult to grasp in other countries.

protective measures from the past

The effectiveness of civilian protection plans also remains unclear. In the past, such plans were even mocked. During the Kalten War provided the British government to provide official information before the nuclear threats protect. The best-known information campaign in the United Kingdom was the "Protect and Survive" campaign, which was produced between 1974 and 1980. This series provided information about the dangers of nuclear fallout and instructions, which can be done in the hours and days after a nuclear attack.

This information was often considered unrealistic and the campaign was accused of spreading a wrong feeling of optimism in view of the nuclear annihilation. British Researcher Taras Young, author of the book "Nuclear was in the UK", explains that "Protect and Survive" was originally designed as a multimedia campaign in the 1970s, but should never be published until there was a high probability of a nuclear war.

Young draws a comparison to the modern information situation in Europe, including the British recommendations for preparing emergencies, and describes them as more realistic approaches that take more psychological aspects into account, such as dealing with trauma.

For major, the need to prepare citizens for external threats - especially in the area of ​​the "gray zone" - is of crucial importance. "We tend to look at the military aspect, but we are extremely vulnerable in the gray zone. We have to think about deterrent, defense and resilience, which implies a greater willingness of society. If society is not willing to support a war like the Ukrainian society."