On October 13, 2025, the German government made a historic pivot in its national security doctrine. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Berlin officially named war as a realistic threat to the country.
The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) released its newly revised emergency guide titled “Preparing for Crises and Disasters” — and its message is blunt: “Even a war no longer seems as unlikely as it did a few years ago.”
“We are already in the fire,” warns BND chief
On the same day, Martin Jäger, head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND), delivered an unusually stark warning to parliament.
“We are already in the fire,” he said, referring to Russia’s escalating confrontation with Europe and describing the continent’s current state as “an icy peace at best.”
The synchronized timing between the BBK handbook and Jäger’s statement was no coincidence. The government’s clear message to its 83 million residents: be ready for extreme situations.
The new rule: ten days of self-sufficiency
Germany’s new preparedness doctrine recommends that every household should be able to survive ten days without electricity, running water, or access to supermarkets.
According to the BBK, each person should store at least 20 liters of drinking water and sufficient food supplies for ten days. The guide warns explicitly that a prolonged power outage would also disable water supply systems since the pumps rely on electricity.
Citizens are advised to fill all available containers with water while it still runs from the tap.
From natural disasters to war and sabotage
For 35 years, German civil protection guidelines carefully avoided any reference to military scenarios. Since 1990, official recommendations focused on floods, storms, or power failures — not conflict.
That era of post-Cold-War peace assumptions is now officially over.
The new 2025 edition explicitly lists hybrid threats such as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, targeted disinformation, sabotage, and war.
It also includes instructions on how to identify false information and what to do in case of explosions.
BBK President Ralph Tiesler stated: “We are witnessing a global situation that is deeply unsettling for many.” The update, he emphasized, reflects “a necessary reality check.”
What every household should have
The BBK checklist includes a detailed list of recommended supplies per person:
- 4 kg of pasta
- 3 kg of rice
- 7 large cans of vegetables (800 g each)
- 3 cans of fruit
- 5 bags of nuts (200 g each)
- 4 cans of fish
- 6 cans of sausage or meat
- 1 bottle of cooking oil
- 4 liters of long-life milk
- 500 g of hard cheese
- Hand-crank or solar-powered flashlight
- Battery radio for official updates
- Camping stove with fuel
- Warm clothing and blankets (since heating systems depend on power)
- Important documents such as passports and birth certificates kept ready
Space, cost, and practicality
According to the BBK, the full ten-day emergency stock for a two-person household requires about two to three moving boxes of space — roughly the size of a small basement shelf.
Estimated cost: €80 to €120, depending on where supplies are purchased.
The guide promotes a “living stockpile” concept: stored items should be part of everyday use, rotated regularly so that nothing expires.
While most dry foods last for years, milk typically keeps for six months.
The most challenging item to store remains water: 20 liters per person equals 80 liters for a four-member family — about eight crates of bottled water.
A turning point in Germany’s security mindset
The updated BBK guide, available free of charge under ISBN 978-3-939347-54-5, marks a fundamental shift in how Germany perceives its own security.
For decades, civil defense was treated as a relic of the past. Now, in an increasingly unstable world, preparedness is back in focus.
Germany remains one of the safest countries in the world, the handbook reassures — but if something happens, it’s better to be ready.
