A Cold War-style leaflet has reemerged in the chilly climate of Scandinavia.
A Cold War-style leaflet has reemerged in the chilly climate of Scandinavia.
The Swedish government sent out “be prepared for war” fliers to its more than 4 million households and gave them tips on how to contribute to the country’s “total defense.”
The booklet from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, which says potential crises could include terrorism, technological attacks and climate change, has a checklist to check for false information and tips about supplies to keep at home.
“If crisis or war comes,” as the book is called, was first issued during the Second World War and last sent out in the 1980s, according to The Local Sweden .
Motivated in part by rising tensions with Russia, Sweden, which is debating joining NATO, last year decided to reintroduce conscription for both young men and women into the armed forces that was nixed in 2010.
Sweden has also increased its defense budget in the years before it brought back its pamplet, which is also available in English and features cartoon pictures of catastrophe.
“For many years, the preparations made in Sweden for the threat of war and war have been very limited. Instead, public authorities and municipalities have focused on building up the level of preparedness for peacetime emergencies such as flooding and IT attacks,” one section of the brochure reads.
“However, as the world around us has changed, the Government has decided to strengthen Sweden’s total defence. That is why planning for Sweden’s civil defence has been resumed.”
In 2014 the country, which did not participate in the 20th centuries world wars, celebrated the fact that it had been 200 years since its last war.
