It entails a high level of readiness of both the state and its society to defend itself in cases of dangers and catastrophes such as war, crisis, or natural disasters.
It implies that in a state of war or emergency, all functions of society, both military and civilian, are included in the defence efforts.
[1] This means that in the event of a crisis, all social institutions, such as army, police, parliament, government and its agencies, local authorities, the health system, civil society organizations, entrepreneurs, and individuals would all be mobilized to defend the state.
States applying total defence are also more likely to engage in peacetime tripartite compulsory arbitration in order to maintain essential services.
Depending on the country's geography, other aspects of total defence could include the establishment of national redoubts and stay-behind forces, training conscripts in free war tactics, and designing civil infrastructure, such as highway strips, to be easily repurposed for military use.