Sweden reissues WWII booklet to prepare Swedes for war in digital age

Amid a worsening global outlook, Sweden is asking its five million households to mount a psychological and digital defence against disinformation in the possible event of a war. 

In a reissued booklet that was first printed during the Second World War called ‘In Case of Crisis or War,’ the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has warned all households in the country that online disinformation campaigns “occur on a daily basis” to “sow mistrust and erode our will to defend ourselves”. 

That comes in the form of spreading lies, stories taken without context, or false narratives to “elicit strong emotions” related to certain national issues, the pamphlet reads. 

For a psychological defence in time of war, the Swedish government recommends to only share information that comes from reliable sources, like any of their official postings. 

Another thing Swedes need to do to “strengthen [the country’s] resilience” is to store their information at home and work. 

The government is asking citizens to create strong passwords, not to click on links in emails, install security updates and perform regular backups of important information to an external hard drive or cloud service.

Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s civil defence minister, warned in a January speech that “there could be war in Sweden”. 

“The world is facing a security outlook with greater risks than at any time since the end of the Second World War,” Bohlin told a security and defence conference at the time.

“All of this will demand more of us than before, and this begins with the realisation that defending Sweden is a matter for all of us”.

Euronews Next reached out to MSB and the Swedish Armed Forces but didn’t receive an immediate reply.  

World ‘greatly deteriorated’ since last issue

First sent out in 1940, the ‘In Case of Crisis or War’ booklet gave Swedes an idea of how to act during a time of crisis. 

Sweden has updated and reissued this booklet to the public five times. The most recent, in 2018, was the first re-release in 30 years with the previous edition covering the Cold War from 1961-1991. 

The 2018 edition was issued, according to local media, because of Russian aggression towards Ukraine and in an effort to revive a “dormant” civil defence. 

Since then, the world has “has greatly deteriorated,” due in part to ongoing wars, cyberattacks, and misleading information, MSB said. 

The 2024 version is the first one to mention the threat of disinformation or digital attacks. 

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The booklet also adds a section about NATO’s response to a crisis in Sweden, after the country formally joined the alliance earlier this year. 

Swedes will receive the new pamphlets either by digital mailbox or in the post starting December 4. 

Which other countries are releasing wartime booklets?

The Swedish guide is the latest in a series of booklets issued by Nordic countries asking their citizens to prepare for conflict or war. 

The Finnish have a section in their digital wartime booklet to anticipate cyberattacks that could disrupt essential services, like public transportation or the healthcare system, or cause a slowdown of digital services. 

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Another section gives Finns suggestions on what to do in the case of a communications outage, like getting a radio that operates on batteries, contacting a network operator and agreeing on a place to meet your loved ones in case you’re unable to get in touch. 

The Danish Emergency Management Agency’s guide asks their citizens to “think before you share information,” by verifying what is being shared online and to keep an eye on government social media and websites during a crisis. 

The Norwegians have their version as well with standard advice on preparing for up to a week of self-sufficiency during a crisis or war, but it does not include anything specific about digital threats.