A German minister has called for civil defence lessons in school. But why?

A prominent minister in Germany is pushing for teaching civil defence in schools to bolster children’s sense of "resilience" amid a wider push for society to be prepared for crises, pandemics and, most notably, wars.

German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, a member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), has previously courted controversy over perceived overtly Western remarks regarding Chinese researchers in the country.

Over the weekend, Stark-Watzinger told Funke Media Group, the Western nation's third-largest media publisher, that "society as a whole must prepare well for crises, from a pandemic to natural disasters to war. Civil defence is immensely important, and it also belongs in schools. The goal must be to strengthen our resilience."

While some accused her of "fascism", others have drawn wider socio-historic comparisons.

"Just like before WW1 & 2", a social media user said, a reference to a time when the Nazi party established the Hitler Youth to indoctrinate the youth and "unconsciously" prepared them for war.

However, amid heightened tensions with Russia, Stark-Watzinger's remarks appear to follow several German officials who have tapped into the perceived threat of escalations.

In February, Germany's defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, told Bloomberg that Russia could potentially attack NATO in five to eight years. Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence, General Carsten Breuer, underscored the need to make Germany "military ready within the next five years".

Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly rebuffed the potential threat, which has come at a time when Western powers are losing their grip on Europe. Putin has publicly stated that Russia has no plans to attack NATO and described the allegation as “complete nonsense”.

During her speech, 55-year-old Stark-Watzinger also underscored her push for German Army members, more commonly known as Bundeswehr, to work in closer proximity to wider communities.

"I think it is important that youth officers come to schools and report what the Bundeswehr is doing for our security," Stark-Watzinger said.

Following her comments, some officials in prominent positions in Germany appear to have backed her remarks.

Stefan Dull, the president of Germany's Teachers' Association, perceives it as a potential catalyst for dialogue.

"I expect the federal minister to now seek discussions with the education ministers in the federal states," said Dull. "A declaration of intent is not enough- politics lessons now have to teach about the war in Ukraine and the pan-European, even global threat situation."

Some have described Stark-Watzinger's comments as symbolic of a potential shift towards becoming a supposed "security power in Europe" in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In February 2022, German chancellor Olaf Scholz used the term 'zeitenwende' to describe a turning point for Europe’s biggest economy as he spoke of reforms in Germany's defence policy following heavy Russian investments in military spending.

Some analysts see it as fostering two wider depictions of current Germany.

The first Germany was said to appear "in official speeches and statements by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and members of his Social Democratic Party (SPD)," which is in "lockstep" with the nation's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The second Germany is said to relate to international and domestic reports, whereby the chancellor cannot fulfil expectations and pledges following his zeitenwende remarks.

In such a scenario, under Scholz, Germany is described as "alienated" from "its most important European partners and failed to lead a strong European defence policy."

Scholz has long opposed sending long-range missiles to Kiev, suggesting it would make Germany a "participant in the war".