fredstid

fredstid is a Norwegian term meaning peacetime, the period in which a state is not engaged in armed conflict. The word combines fred, meaning peace, and tid, meaning time. In Norwegian political and military discourse, fredstid is used to distinguish the normal, non-crisis state from wartime conditions (krigstid), when emergency measures and mobilization are more likely to be invoked.

Historically and in contemporary practice, fredstid is not typically a formal legal category but a common descriptor in policy documents, journalism, and academic writing. It is used to analyze how defense, civil administration, budgeting, and public life are organized during times of peace, as well as how institutions prepare for potential escalation. The concept helps illustrate the contrast between regular governance and the heightened controls, constraints, or rapid-response capabilities associated with wartime.

In modern discussion, fredstid encompasses ordinary civil liberties, routine governmental functions, and standard military readiness appropriate to non-conflict conditions. It remains relevant in debates over defense planning, crisis management, and international security, particularly as tensions fluctuate and the line between peace and crisis can become blurred.

See also: peacetime, wartime, emergency powers, defense planning, peace and security.