Association at the 2026 Defense Readiness Conference. The Creation of the Active Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic Examined by Historians for the First Time!

The topic of military readiness and the preparedness of citizens for crisis situations is once again gaining paramount importance today. For our association, participating in this professional platform was crucial—the conference focused not only on the history of military readiness education but also on the historical and current role that military and historical associations have played in the history of our country.

In his opening speech, Minister of Defence Jaromír Zůna emphasized that our nation’s security cannot be left solely on the shoulders of the professional military. “The defense of the state does not begin and end with the military. The defense of the state concerns society as a whole,” the Minister stated, warning against the illusion that security is a given: “No society can remain secure in the long term if it views its own defense as someone else’s business.”

According to the Minister, military readiness is primarily the ability of a democratic society to take responsibility for itself—to know how to act in a crisis, how to help one’s community, and how to face modern threats.

The Director of the Military History Institute Prague, Brigadier General Aleš Knížek, subsequently added that the purpose of the meeting was to define a modern and civic approach to military readiness—one built on societal resilience, solidarity, and the courage to protect our values. “After all, military readiness has never been, and is not today, just about weapons,” General Knížek reminded.

Read more at: https://www.vhu.cz/ministr-obrany-jaromir-zuna-zahajil-konferenci-o-brannosti-zadna-spolecnost-nemuze-byt-dlouhodobe-bezpecna-pokud-se-na-vlastni-obranu-diva-jako-na-vec-nekoho-jineho-rekl/

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