Poland prepares to stand its ground with massive new civil defence programme

Poland prepares to stand its ground with massive new civil defence programme As it races to become NATO’s frontline fortress against Russia, Poland has launched large-scale civilian courses teaching survival skills during times of crisis. The programme is intended to help bridge the gap between the military and society while psychologically preparing civilians for war. Imagine the following scenario: it is 2042 and the Ukrainian front is frozen. The Russian authorities have decided to make Poland the main target of an attack on NATO. Russian forces advancing from the north (Kaliningrad Oblast) and east (Belarus) cross Poland’s eastern border, link up, and push forward as far as the Vistula River. Massive cyberattacks hamper communications and the roads are blocked with innumerable panic-stricken refugees seeking safety as thousands of drones buzz overhead. NATO allies, divided and weakened since the United States withdrew from the Alliance several years ago, hesitate to intervene as Polish forces find themselves overwhelmed. This is just one of the scenarios projected by a recent Polish report. The wGotowości, or Readiness, programme was created to prepare Polish society for any number of situations ranging from cyberwar to a full-scale invasion. The initiative is “the largest program of universal, voluntary defence training in Polish history”, the country’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said when the program was launched in November last year. The programme stands out among similar initiatives to train European civilians for war because of its massive scale. Kosiniak-Kamysz said he hoped 400,000 people would complete training sessions by the end of 2026. The wide age range – with no upper limit – includes everyone from teenagers to seniors. Promoting the military within society “The programs are not actual training for military reservists, but rather projects promoting the military within society and intended for introductory purposes,” said Col. Prof. Dariusz Kozerawski, a reserve colonel of the Polish Army and a member of the Department of National Security at the Jagiellonian University. Jacek Raubo, a defence and security expert agreed: “It’s about promoting the Polish Army and other security structures among the public. Poland currently offers various forms of military service [while] recruitment for uniformed services is expanding and intelligence and counterintelligence services also constantly need personnel.” Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has increased its military spending to 5 percent of its gross domestic product. It has also bought tanks, air defence systems, infantry fighting vehicles, rocket systems, stealth jets and drones to build one of the largest artillery inventories in Europe. It has also set a target of 300,000 troops by 2039, which would make its armed forces the largest in NATO, after the US and Turkey. “The wGotowości ‘Readiness’ programme should be analysed as part of a broader system for building resilience in Poland,” said Raubo, adding that the programme can be considered a success if in a crisis, even just one citizen makes good decisions based on the awareness built in the training modules. Surviving bombings The nature of warfare is evolving quickly, with a fundamental shift to drones and technologies linked to artificial intelligence. Yet civilians “must understand that war brings destruction and loss beyond the military sphere”, Raubo said. “Promoting the ability to survive in cities and rural areas, the ability to self-organise in the event of a crisis (even radical scenarios, such as occupation), not to mention surviving bombings and fluctuating access to water, food, electricity, or heat, is crucial. New and groundbreaking technologies are one thing; the ability of humans to survive in crisis is another.” In an article on Poland and Europe’s struggle against hybrid warfare, Oksana Trefanenko, a staff writer at the Harvard International Review, underlined the importance of military training for civil society. “Investing in initiatives that strengthen societal resilience is an essential element of defence strategy, as public trust in democratic institutions significantly reduces the effectiveness of disinformation and psychological operations.” Hope as a resource As seen in Ukraine, hope is just as much of a resource as the weapons used on the battlefield. “Wars aren’t fought by armies, but by societies. If the belief in our ability to withstand the war breaks down, so too will the will to fight,” said Taras Chmut, a civil-society activist interviewed by the Economist. Read more'Disposable spies': Poland records unprecedented number of Russian espionage cases Programmes like wGotowości might reinforce that sense of hope, given that they promote the idea that everyone can contribute to the war effort. Yet they are not a panacea to Poland’s immense security challenge. Critics of the program say it overburdens the officers responsible for teaching the courses as they face the Herculean task of protecting Polish territory from an unprecedented number of sabotage incidents orchestrated by Moscow. “The overloading of operational forces with tasks like conducting the ‘Readiness’ program, protecting railway lines, patrolling the Polish-Belarusian border and cleaning up after floods should be performed by other formations subordinate to the Ministry of Interior and Administration, like the police or border guard,” said Kozerawski. As a Cold-war ambiance progressively settles over Europe, Poland faces “enormous challenges”, Raubo said. “A potential adversary may be exploring new domains: cyber, information-cognitive, space and electromagnetic. Citizen training must encompass an increasingly broad spectrum of responses.” Military experts interviewed by FRANCE 24 viewed the courses positively – while maintaining that their impact on increasing national defence was minimal. Nevertheless, they represent a small act of resistance in an increasingly dangerous world.