For more than 40 years, peace in Europe has been largely dependent on deterrence provided by Allied armed forces composed of units of regulars and reservists. Mobilisible reserve forces have been an essential element in the Allied capability to deter the Warsaw Pact from aggression, providing about half the military capacity. A new generation of reservists, emerging from Eastern as well as Western Europe, is taking the place of the conscripts and voluntary reserves of the sixties, seventies and eighties. This authoritative study describes reservists of the early 1990s, on the brink of a new age.

NATO's Reserve Forces adopts a country-by-country approach, examining clearly and methodically the current extent of each member nation's reserves. Evaluated on both national and international levels, differing approaches towards the recruitment, training and maintenance of these forces of 'citizen soldiers' are highlighted. Assessing every country's ability to mobilise and readiness to fight, NATO's Reserve Forces allows the reader to form a comprehensive overview as to the effectiveness of this vital element of the Allied defence.