Search for a command to run...
Abstract In the Nordic-Baltic region, small states bordering Russia have adopted a broad security approach with a comprehensive defence posture to enhance societal resilience. This strategy relies on a population willing to perform national defence tasks, including mobilisation, deployment of state assets, and cooperation with Defence Forces and allies. The interdependent concepts of societal resilience and the will to defend are crucial for national security and civil preparedness, especially in small states facing volatile global security environments. This chapter advocates for viewing societal resilience and the will to defend as interconnected facets of a holistic national defence framework. We explore the nuanced concepts of the will to defend and the will to fight, assessing their suitability for describing societal resilience. Based on our findings we recommend using the term “will to defend”, distinguishing between passive and active forms, as a measure of societal resilience in small states with a total defence strategy. The modern understanding of resilience sees it as a multifaceted process dependent on individuals’ characteristics and their relationship with the environment and culture. Resilience is built through purposeful preparation rather than emerging solely in times of crisis. The “will to defend” plays a key role in enhancing resilience and is crucial for achieving high societal resilience. Without strong willingness of the population, rapid mobilisation and effective defence are doubtful. The will to defend is a measurable construct that can be assessed at micro, meso, and macro levels, with variations across different cultural contexts. By linking resilience to the will to defend, we argue that an integrated assessment of emotional, cognitive, and behavioural readiness can indicate a nation’s capacity to withstand crises. Although not directly measuring operational skills, the will to defend reflects collective willingness to acquire necessary capabilities and participate in coordinated resistance, making it a valuable benchmark in resilience research.