Total Defence Forces in the Twenty-First Century

Joakim Berndtsson, Irina Goldenberg, Stéfanie von Hlatky, Joakim Berndtsson, Irina Goldenberg, Stéfanie von Hlatky

• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780228019282
• eBook ISBN:
  9780228019411
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Geopolitics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Total defence, as a concept, combines and extends military and civil defence: in a state of war or emergency, all social institutions mobilize to defend the state. Total defence forces, led by a diverse workforce of defence and security professionals, are critical to both national defence and international security goals.

Total Defence Forces in the Twenty-First Century looks at the various groups that make up this workforce: members of the military's regular force, reservists, defence civil servants, and contractors working for private military and security companies. When civilian staff and military personnel work towards a common goal, their distinct professional cultures and identities can make integration challenging. Despite the often high levels of partnership, underlying differences affect the quality of the collaboration and, ultimately, organizational and operational effectiveness. Defence ministries around the world are increasingly recognizing the importance of optimizing the ways in which they employ and integrate civilian and military personnel.

This volume focuses on a critical question: what are the main challenges to workforce integration and collaboration, and how can such challenges be overcome to deliver the full potential of the total defence force? Together, scholars and practitioners provide some answers.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Series Page
• Title page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Tables and Figures
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Introduction
• 2 What Does Total Defence Look Like in Action? Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis in Israel
• 3 The Republic of Ireland’s Single Force Concept Is (Not) a Total Defence Workforce
• 4 Tensions in Retention during Military Transformation: Lessons from Re-establishing a Total Defence in Sweden
• 5 Civil-Military Relations in Our Own Backyard: Partnership between Military Members and Defence Civil Servants
• 6 Defence Leadership at the Top – Control by the Civil Service?
• 7 Institutionalizing Women, Peace, and Security in Professional Military Education
• 8 The Hybrid Civilian: Constructing Identity in the Total Defence Enterprise
• 9 Mil-Civ Differences in Mental Health Effects of Deployment: Challenges of a Blended Military Force Structure
• 10 Understanding and Explaining the Tensions between Full-Time Regulars and Part-Time Reservists within the British Army
• 11 Strengthening the Canadian Defence Team: Integrating Reserve and Regular Forces
• 12 Adaptive Access to High-Quality Knowledge in the Netherlands Armed Forces
• 13 Policy Alternatives to Enhance Total Force Capabilities: Could New Forms of Reserve Service Help Alleviate Military Shortfalls?
• 14 The Role of Private Military Security Companies in Counterinsurgency Operations
• 15 Cultural Aspects Facilitating and Hindering the US Department of Defense’s Integration of Private Military Contractors
• 16 US Contingency Contractors as Part of the Total Defence Force: Framing the Spectrum of Nonstate Security Actors
• 17 Business-Military Relations and Collaborative Total Defence in Scandinavia
• 18 Conclusion
• Contributors
• Index