At about this time last year, Sweden began distributing a new edition of its civil defense brochure, In Case of Crisis or War. The mobilization and response of the Swedish public and the international community over the past year has been reflected in the Ministry of National Defense’s newly released civil defense handbook.
In 2014, Russia used military force to annex the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Recognizing the move as a warning sign, the Swedish government reinstated conscription less than three years later in 2017, meaning all Swedish citizens aged 18 to 70 — regardless of gender — can be called up for selection and military service. To revitalize its long-dormant civil defense system and boost defense resilience, it also updated its civil defense brochure in 2018.
Then, on Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
The Swedish government has been distributing its civil defense brochure for many years. The first edition was issued during World War II and it has undergone five updates over the past 80 years — although the version released seven years ago was particularly prescient.
Sweden reinstated conscription and updated its civil defense handbook in light of Russia’s military developments. Its foresight and action in the face of crisis were validated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, proving that the Swedish government had anticipated the situation and prepared for a deteriorating global environment. Confronted with the most urgent threat to national security since World War II, Sweden began distributing the latest edition of its civil defense brochure in November last year.
Aside from pre-existing content covering water, power outages, and evacuation and shelter procedures, the newest version also includes sections on cyberattacks and identifying disinformation.
The primary purpose of a civil defense handbook is to raise public awareness of potential crises and threats. Distributing printed materials is the most economical and effective method of promotion, and it also serves as a strategic countermeasure and deterrent against foreign hostile forces.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish government repeatedly reminded its citizens that armed conflict could reach its borders and that every Swede must prepare for war. The number of visits to Sweden’s online air-raid shelter map soared 35-fold, and downloads of the older edition of the civil defense brochure rose ninefold — clear signs that Swedes remain vigilant in times of peace and are applying information from the latest civil defense brochure.
Sweden’s latest civil defense brochure has become a model for other nations, with neighboring Finland, Norway and Denmark all following suit. In September, Poland released an update new edition of its Safety Handbook. A few days later, 19 Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace. Polish fighter jets and NATO allies scrambled and shot down multiple drones, marking the first time the alliance downed enemy aircraft in a member state’s airspace and demonstrating that crises are never as distant as some might imagine.
Even so, a small number of Swedish politicians have ignored or even undermined the necessity of civil defense. In April 2022, former Swedish integration and gender equality minister Nyamko Sabuni — then leader of the Liberals party — said of a potential Russian invasion: “If it gets any worse, we will drive over to Norway.”
Sabuni’s remark triggered an uproar, and the backlash forced her to resign and permanently withdraw from politics. Likewise, Taiwanese society must not tolerate politicians who mock the nation’s civil defense handbook.
Chen Yung-chang is a freelance writer based in Taipei.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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