Krigstider

Krigstider is a term used to describe periods when a country is at war or otherwise in an armed conflict that significantly changes governance and daily life. The word originates from Danish and Norwegian roots, combining war (krig) with times (tider). In a broader sense, krigstider denote a transitional phase between peacetime and peace, marked by emergency measures and mobilization.

During krigstider, governments typically expand emergency powers, impose censorship, and control information, transport, and prices. The economy is redirected toward war production; conscription or general mobilization is implemented; civil defense measures, such as air raid precautions, blackout rules, and evacuation, are common. Rationing of food, fuel, and goods becomes widespread, and shortages influence everyday behavior and social life. Civil society often reorganizes around voluntary defense groups, emergency services, and a strengthened police or military presence.

The end of krigstider comes with the conclusion of hostilities, treaties, or liberation, followed by demobilization, reconstruction, and a transition back to peacetime norms. The term is used most often in Nordic contexts but is applicable to wartime periods elsewhere, reflecting the altered political and social order that wartime conditions bring.

See also: Wartime economy, Censorship, Conscription, Civil defense, Emergency powers, Rationing.