The idea of voluntary national defense began to take shape at the turn of the millennium. In 1999, the then Chief of the General Staff, Army General Jiří Šedivý, issued an order to call up the first volunteers for military exercises. Public interest surpassed all expectations. A key driving force was Captain (Ret.) Jiří Kunc – the spiritual father of the entire project – who, along with Jiří Fuchs, František Koch, and Václav Marhoul, brought the idea of the AR from paper to reality. As Jiří Kunc himself recalled in 2005: “My friend Jiří Fuchs and I read through materials about the Czechoslovak National Guard, from 1934 I believe, and we said to ourselves, this is something completely relevant and applicable.” The result was, as he stated, that “another branch of the military was established, called the Active Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. In this, I see primarily an element of volunteerism and civic engagement, which I consider to be a very powerful thing in this society.”

The birth of the Active Reserve was not easy, says Jiří Fuchs, Chairman of the Association of Military History of the Czech Republic and one of the main initiators: “The creation of the Active Reserve was not the result of ideal conditions or enthusiasm from the top down, but rather the hard work of a few people who realized that without prepared citizens, national defense would never be functional.” Today, the AR consists of over 4,400 active reservists assigned to combat units, combat support units, Regional Military Headquarters, as well as within the Ministry of Defense staff.

The Role of the AR is Growing – and Will Become Even More Crucial
The security environment in Europe has changed fundamentally. General Jiří Šedivý is unambiguous in this regard: “The Active Reserve will continue to play its role in the future, and considering how the security situation is evolving, its significance will be much greater than it is today.” The founders share this perspective. Václav Marhoul sees the future of the AR “as 100% functional, equipped, trained, and fully integrated into all structures of the Czech Armed Forces.” Jiří Fuchs adds: “The Active Reserve must be a firm pillar of both the military and society, not just a supplement on paper, because future conflicts will not wait for the state to get ready.”

Defense Readiness Conference: May 20 at the Žižkov Army Museum
The topic of citizens’ readiness for national defense will also be the center of attention at a professional conference to be held on May 20, 2026, at the Army Museum Žižkov in Prague. The program will include a dedicated panel focusing on the present and future of the Active Reserve. The Association of Military History of the Czech Republic is one of the co-organizers of the event.

About the Association of Military History of the Czech Republic
The Association of Military History of the Czech Republic was officially registered in 2021, carrying on the legacy of the legendary CI-5 Club and its founder, Capt. (Ret.) Jiří Kunc. The chairman of the association is Jiří Fuchs, one of the founders of the Active Reserve. The association’s mission is to raise awareness of military history, support the Active Reserve of the Czech Armed Forces, and initiate active citizen participation in national defense and security. The association is a long-standing and respected partner of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

Army General (Ret.) Jiří Šedivý
How do you recall the creation of the Active Reserve of the Czech Armed Forces?
The creation of the active reserves was not a matter of a short discussion leading to a conclusion to build ‘active reserves’. It was a process that began at the turn of 1998 and 1999, supported by the views of several officers of the General Staff who saw the future of the military in full professionalization, and concurrently in the creation of a corps of reservists who would be under a contractual relationship with the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic. It is also true that in the beginning, there were more doubters than supporters. Today, even those who wanted nothing to do with the concept of active reserves at the time of their inception claim allegiance to the idea. Therefore, those who stood at the birth of the active reserves and who support them even today deserve all the more respect.

How do you see the role of the Active Reserve in the future?
The Active Reserve will continue to play its role in the future, and considering how the security situation is evolving, its significance will be much greater than it is today. Their role will shape into both main areas of the Czech Armed Forces’ activities. Thus, they will be indispensable in that part of the military which will fulfill tasks in the defense of the Czech Republic by operating in cooperation with allies outside the territory of the Czech Republic. They will play an even greater role in territorial defense. However, the current state cannot be considered optimal. Territorial forces, which will be developed on the basis of the active reserves, must be equipped to the same high quality as the ‘field army’. Legislation must also continue to evolve for the service of the active reserves.

Václav Marhoul
How do you recall the creation of the Active Reserve of the Czech Armed Forces?
As a massive effort by the very first volunteers, who tried unsuccessfully to convince the highest military command and unit commanders that the AR is not, and does not want to be, some group of people who just want to play soldiers.

How do you see the role of the Active Reserve in the future?
As 100% functional, equipped, trained, and fully integrated into all structures of the Czech Armed Forces.

Jiří Fuchs
How do you recall the creation of the Active Reserve of the Czech Armed Forces?
The creation of the Active Reserve was not the result of ideal conditions or enthusiasm from the top down, but rather the hard work of a few people who realized that without prepared citizens, national defense would never be functional. Our inspiration and practical model was the US National Guard, which has long shown that connecting the citizen and the soldier gives the state genuine resilience. It was a time when there was more explaining than doing, and that made it all the more necessary to persevere and build the foundation on personal responsibility, not on illusions.

How do you see the role of the Active Reserve in the future?
The Active Reserve must be a firm pillar of both the military and society, not just a supplement on paper, because future conflicts will not wait for the state to get ready. Its strength will always rely on people who are willing to take responsibility, maintain their capabilities, and be ready to act when needed, not when it is already too late.

Capt. (Ret.) Jiří Kunc – (Transcript from a video profile, recorded in 2005; Jiří Kunc passed away on August 18, 2018)
I mostly read non-fiction, and that is how I got into military history, which became another passion of mine. It is mainly the modern history of the Czechoslovak and Czech Republic, the 2nd and 3rd resistance movements, and the historical events and facts associated with them. My friend Jiří Fuchs and I read through materials about the Czechoslovak National Guard, from 1934 I believe, and we said to ourselves, this is something completely relevant and applicable. So, I took these materials and went to the then Chief of the General Staff, General Jiří Šedivý.

We agreed with the Army General that we would ‘disrupt’ the Conscription Act, which is a very complicated matter because this legal norm is linked to another 80, 90, or 100 other legal regulations. It is a very complex matter for lawmakers. We agreed that we would start building organic units of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. Through this, another branch of the military was established, called the Active Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. In this, I see primarily an element of volunteerism and civic engagement, which I consider to be a very powerful thing in this society.

The link to download the official press release is here.