In September 1938, everything pointed to the approaching new war in Europe. On September 30, a message arrived that Britain, Germany, France and Italy had concluded the "Munich Agreement". Czechoslovakia, with the permission of Great Britain and France, was occupied by Poland, Germany and Hungary. The world was silent. Many could not understand how former mortal ideological enemies could unite and start World War II.British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini (September 30, 1938).
The Czechoslovak military factories and significant stocks of weapons of the former Czechoslovak army fell into Hitler's possession. Before the attack on the USSR, five of the 21 Wehrmacht tank divisions were equipped with tanks manufactured in Czechoslovakia.
In his famous speech at Skansen on August 27, 1939, Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson declared: "Our readiness for war must be considered good." He had in mind the economic side of preparing for war. Important raw materials were stockpiled. The main threat in Sweden was considered a possible blockade of the country, as happened during the First World War. On September 1, in connection with the outbreak of war between the former allies in the occupation of Czechoslovakia - Germany and Poland, the government published a declaration of neutrality. Already after the start strange war» between England / France and Germany, on September 3, another declaration of neutrality was issued.
"Strange War", "Seated War" (French Drôle de guerre, English Phoney War, German Sitzkrieg) - the period of World War II from September 3, 1939 to May 10, 1940 on the Western Front.
There was practically no fighting between England/France and Germany, with the exception of military operations at sea. The warring parties fought only battles of local importance on the Franco-German border. During the eight months of the "Strange War" the loss of the dead, wounded and missing amounted to only 2,000 people.
On May 10, 1940, Germany and Italy launched an offensive against France. The ratio of forces of the opposing sides was approximately equal, but already on June 25, 1940, having lost 3% of the killed total number soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition, France surrendered. The fascist armed forces included 2000 tanks and 150 warships, as well as other weapons of the 2 million French army.
The USSR used the non-aggression pact with Germany, signed a year after the Munich Agreement, to strengthen its positions. Bases were established in the Baltic states. Representatives of Finland were also summoned to Moscow. The Soviet government, reasonably believing that Finland would not resist the passage of fascist armies through its territory (the First and Second Soviet-Finnish wars of 1918–1922), intending to attack the Soviet Union, began negotiations to remove the border from Leningrad. At the same time, Finland was offered to exchange the lands that she received from Russia in 1809–1812 for much larger territories in the Karelian ASSR. Both Gustav Mannerheim and Juho Kusti Paasikivi recognized these demands as justified, however, at the insistence of Great Britain, France and the USA, Finland took the most uncompromising position. As a result, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov said, the possibilities of negotiations were exhausted, and the matter of solving the problem was transferred to the military.
In Sweden, this caused an internal political crisis. Foreign Minister Sandler was more determined to help Finland than other members of the government. Sandler was forced to resign. On December 13, a coalition government was formed, consisting of representatives of the Social Democracy, right party, the People's Party and the Peasants' Union. Per Albin Hansson remained prime minister. Diplomat Christian Günther became Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The "Winter War" in Finland deeply hurt the feelings of the Swedes. Under the slogan "The cause of Finland is our cause" was organized different kind help the Finns. The 12,000th Svenska frivilligkåren corps, consisting of former and current servicemen of the Swedish army, went to Finland from the 6 millionth Sweden. At the same time, the Swedish regime claimed that it was not a party to the conflict and was neutral. Sweden has provided Finland with significant loans. Weapons were sent to the eastern neighbor. The collection of funds and things gave good results.
The territory of Finland in different years.
Occupied by Finland
territory of the USSR
in 1941-1944.On March 13, 1940, the Soviet-Finnish war ended. Despite the assistance provided by Sweden, Italy, France, the United States and supposedly at war with each other - England and Germany, Finland lost part of the territory received from Russia in 1809-1812. The Finnish border was pushed back from Leningrad by 130 kilometers. Denmark and Norway, like Sweden, adhered to a policy of neutrality, but on April 9, 1940, Germany attacked them. Denmark was occupied in one day, and the Norwegians put up a 2-month resistance.
The Swedes did not help their Scandinavian neighbors. Sweden did not issue loans to Denmark and Norway, did not supply them with weapons, Swedish volunteers did not fight in the anti-fascist Norwegian and Danish troops. Sweden transported German soldiers and weapons through its territory to Norway.
In 1941, the "Swedish Volunteer Battalion" / Svenska frivilligbataljonen was created, consisting of 900 Swedish Nazis. The battalion was part of the Finnish fascist army, which captured the north-west of the USSR in 1941-1944. The Finns, as in the First and Second Soviet-Finnish Wars (1918-1922), expected to capture Karelia and the entire Kola Peninsula. The Finnish-Swedish army participated in the blockade of Leningrad and occupied most of Karelia, including its capital, Petrozavodsk. In the occupied territories, dozens of concentration camps were built for the non-Finnish-speaking population of the USSR. 500 Swedish Nazis fought in the armed forces of Germany. In its foreign policy, Sweden successfully adapted to the new balance of power in Europe. She supplied Germany with iron ore, steel, weapons, machine tools, ships, bearings, timber, and other materials necessary for the German military industry. Banks in Sweden gave the Nazis large loans. The government allowed the transport of German soldiers through the Swedish railways to Finland and Norway. From September 1940 to August 1943, more than two million Nazi soldiers were transported.
Newspaper Aftonbladet
dated June 22, 1941.
"European
liberation war.The Swedish government urged the press to be careful in their assessments of events on the world stage so as not to disrupt relations with a powerful neighbor in the south. Most of the media showed understanding of the problem and followed the rules of strict self-censorship.
On June 22, 1941, the most popular Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet came out with a pro-fascist article under the heading "European Liberation War". Some obscure newspapers refused to "keep the ranks" and published overtly anti-Nazi articles. Publications containing articles that could irritate the Germans were destroyed or confiscated. This policy reached its peak in March 1942, when at least 17 newspapers were confiscated because they contained articles about the torture of members of the Norwegian Resistance by the Germans. In 1943, after the major defeat of the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad, the confiscation of newspapers ceased.
After Germany attacked Denmark and Norway, Sweden's contacts with the West were broken. The Germans and the British laid minefields from the southern coast of Norway to the northern tip of Jutland. Sweden could not conduct free maritime trade. The government managed at the end of 1940 to agree with the Germans and the British on limited shipping communications with Western countries through mined zones. It was the so-called guaranteed shipping. Thus, Sweden could import certain important and Nazi Germany goods, primarily oil, hides, leather, as well as such "luxury items" as coffee.
In total, from 1939 to 1945, Sweden exported 58 million tons of iron ore, 60 thousand tons of bearings, 7 million tons of pulp, 13 million m³ of lumber, 70 thousand tons of machinery and equipment. Germany was the largest consumer of Swedish goods in 1939-1944, just like in World War I.
Despite the difficulties, Sweden was able to maintain a relatively high level life. calculated that the real wage decreased by only 10-15%. For certain populations, such as peasants, the blockade created the opportunity to raise prices for their products. They are up about 40%.
Many men fit for age military service, were regularly called up for retraining to receive a military education and serve as a coast guard "somewhere in Sweden."
During the war, Sweden began to intensively import weapons from Germany. In 1936, many thought that 148 million crowns was too much large amount on defense. In 1941-1942, the defense budget reached 1846 million, that is, it exceeded the original figure by more than ten times. There were heated discussions in the government about how to finance the rapidly growing defense spending. The Social Democrats believed that everyone should bear this burden in accordance with their income, that is, that the rich should pay proportionately more than ordinary workers. The right, by contrast, believed that everyone should pay an equal percentage of defense costs, provided that the poorest groups were compensated. The policy pursued by the coalition government can be seen as a compromise. Essential foodstuffs such as butter and milk were subsidized by the state to ensure that rising agricultural prices did not hit the poorest segments of the population too hard. The tax burden also intensified during the war. By 1943 calculated value taxes increased by 35%. Wartime administrative bodies were formed to distribute scarce goods. In fact, a kind of planned economy was introduced, on the basis of which all economic life was regulated. The liberal market economy has been largely abandoned.
In the final period of the war, the Swedish people, first of all, became interested in events in the neighboring northern countries. Sweden also followed with unflagging interest the developments in Denmark. After the Battle of Stalingrad, the Swedish government became disillusioned with Nazi Germany and remembered neutrality. Only in October 1943 did the government allow the remaining Jews of Denmark to move to Sweden.
AT Last year War Sweden began to accept refugees from Germany and the Baltic states. The Soviet Union demanded in June 1945 that Sweden extradite all the soldiers who arrived there in German military uniforms. It was about two thousand soldiers. The vast majority were Germans, but there were about a hundred Balts. The government categorically refused to extradite 30,000 civilians who fled to Sweden (whom no one asked for extradition). With regard to the Baltic Nazis who arrived in the country in German uniforms, the government considered itself bound by an obligation given to the Allies before the end of the war that this category of persons would be deported to their places of residence. The government sought to establish a relationship of trust with the Soviet Union after the war and feared that a refusal to extradite war criminals would be perceived negatively. The prestige of the Soviet Union during this period was the highest, since the contribution of this state to the victory over Nazi Germany was the most significant. But public opinion in Sweden was against the extradition of the Baltic Nazis. However, the Swedish government remained firm in its decision. At the beginning of 1946, scenes occurred that could not but excite the Swedish fascists: 145 Balts and 227 Germans who had committed war crimes on the territory of the USSR were extradited to the Soviet Union. For many fascists, this fact became a shameful stain on the reputation of Sweden.
The rest of the fascist soldiers, including the Swedish ones, remained in Sweden and did not suffer any punishment for their crimes.
During the war, Sweden was the organizer of several humanitarian actions: in 1942 - grain deliveries to Greece, whose population was experiencing hunger. The Netherlands also received similar assistance. Folke Bernadotte, vice-president of the Swedish Red Cross, at the end of the war negotiated with Nazi leader G. Himmler for the release of Norwegian and Danish members of the Resistance from German concentration camps. Himmler gradually agreed to this. The released were transported to Sweden on the so-called "white buses".
On May 7, 1945, a message arrived that Germany had surrendered. For Norway and Denmark, the war turned out to be a severe test. Sweden, thanks to its two-faced policy, managed to survive this time easily and profitably.
In Norway, the Nazis killed more than 10 thousand people, in Denmark - 5 thousand. During the war years, many Swedish sailors who delivered goods to Nazi Germany died. 250 Swedish ships were sunk, killing about 1200 people.
In the period from 1938 to 1945, 12 thousand Swedes, 6 thousand Danes and 2 thousand Norwegians served in the fascist armed forces. "Neutral" Scandinavians fought mainly on the Eastern Front.
The war contributed to a certain leveling of class differences in Sweden. People of various social strata participated in lengthy military retraining. During the war years, national feelings were more pronounced, which contributed to a sense of unity.
Political life was generally calm. Elections were held three times during the war years in Sweden: in 1940, 1942 and 1944 (local elections were held in 1942). The 1940 elections were a great success for the Social Democrats, who received about 54% of the vote, the highest rate ever encountered in the history of Swedish social democracy.Sweden's neutrality
Sweden's cooperation with Nazi Germany during World War II is one of the hottest and most controversial topics in Swedish history of the 20th century. Between 1938 and 1943, relations between Sweden and Germany developed favorably. The government, financiers and entrepreneurs sought to rapprochement with Germany and did not condemn Hitler's actions. Sweden transported German Nazis on its railways to Norway and Finland. Until the end of 1943, the Swedes, at the request of Hitler, did not accept Jewish refugees from Europe. The Swedish Nazis fought on the side of Germany and Finland.
Until 1945, Sweden was the main trading partner of Germany, many large Swedish companies collaborated with the fascist regimes in Germany and Finland. During the Second World War, Germany bought 60% of bearings and 25% of iron ore from Sweden. Given that Swedish ore contained twice as much iron as ore mined in Germany, Czechoslovakia or France, we can say that about 40% of German weapons were made from Swedish iron.
LKAB supplied the Nazis with iron and copper ore;
SKF and VKF - bearings (VKF - SKF branch in Germany);
Asea, Atlas, Atlas Copco, Electrolux, Ericsson, Husqvarna, Sandvik, Volvo - machinery and equipment;
Bofors - weapons and ammunition;
SCA, Swedish Match - pulp and paper products, tobacco products.
Sweden also re-exported goods to Germany from other countries. The cargo was delivered on Swedish and German ships guarded by ships of the Swedish Navy.
Banks bought Nazi gold and gave loans to Germany (Central Bank of Sweden, SEB). Newspaper publishers who expressed views that could allegedly irritate Berlin were prosecuted, their circulations were confiscated, or their transportation was prohibited.
Sweden was not a neutral country, as it supported one side of the military conflict and violated Articles 4, 5, 9 and 11 of the Convention on the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in the Event of Land War (1907).
Important events in the history of Sweden and the world
1918
The Finnish army invades Russia (First Soviet-Finnish War, May 15, 1918–October 14, 1920).
1921
Finland starts the Second Soviet-Finnish War (November 6, 1921 - March 21, 1922).
1930
Founding of the Swedish National Socialist Party/Svenska nationalsocialistiska partiet (SNSP, 1 October).
Founding of the fascist group New Swedish Movement/Nysvenska rörelsen (October 28).
1932
The Swedish Nazis held their first public meeting. The Nazi leader of the Swedish National Socialist Party, Birger Furugård, spoke to 6,000 people in Stockholm (January 22).
1933
The National Socialist Workers' Party/Nationalsocialistiska folkpartiet is founded. In 1938, the party was renamed the Swedish Socialist Assembly / Svensk socialistisk samling, dissolved in 1950 (January 15).
1934
Parliament passes a law on forced sterilization of mentally and physically handicapped citizens of Sweden. Canceled in 1975. During the period of the law, 58,500 women and 4,400 men were sterilized (May 18).
1938
Great Britain and France allow Poland, Germany and Hungary to occupy Czechoslovakia (Munich Agreement, September 30).
Siegfried Hansson, head of the State Office for Social Protection of the Population, issues an order to the border guard demanding that all Jewish refugees attempting to enter the country be sent back (September).
Sweden, at the insistence of Germany, begins to mark all Jewish passports with a red letter "J" (October 15).
1939
King Gustav V of Sweden, during a visit to Berlin, awards Hermann Göring with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (February 2).
The Uppsala Student Union demands from the government not to accept Jewish doctors from Germany (February 17).
Lithuania signs a non-aggression pact with Germany (March 22).
Sweden recognized the fascist regime of Francisco Franco (March 31).
The Students' Union of Lund supported the demands of the Uppsala Students' Union of 17 February (March).
The League of Nations rejected the proposal of Sweden and Finland to militarize the Åland Islands and upheld the 1921 Convention for the Demilitarization and Neutralization of the Åland Islands (May 27).
Latvia and Estonia signed non-aggression pacts with Germany (June 7).
The USSR signs a non-aggression pact with Germany (August 23).
A war begins between the former allies in the occupation of Czechoslovakia - Germany and Poland. Sweden, like other Nordic countries, declares its neutrality (September 1).
The "Strange War" between England/France and Germany begins (September 3).
The Polish government and high command flee the country (September 17).
War begins between Finland and the Soviet Union. Sweden sends 12,000 Svenska frivilligkåren corps to Finland, consisting of former and current members of the Swedish army (November 30).
1940
The Swedish Parliament passed a law to introduce censorship in war time(January 8).
The State Information Administration was founded to control information placed in newspapers, books, radio and cinema (January 26).
Police search the premises of communist organizations (February 10).
In Luleå, a house was set on fire that housed the offices of the communist newspaper Norrskensflamman. Five people died (March 3).
Peace is concluded between Finland and Russia (March 12).
A ban is introduced on the sale and transportation of communist newspapers (March 21).
German invasion of Denmark and Norway. King Christian X of Denmark signs the surrender (April 9).
Swedish Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson calls for restraint when criticizing Germany (April 13).
The government announced that German troops would be transported on the Swedish railways (May 9).
End of the Strange War. For 8 months of the “war”, the loss of the dead, wounded and missing amounted to 2,000 people (May 10).
German and Italian invasion of France (May 10).
The last units of the Norwegian army surrender, the king and the government of Norway leave for Great Britain (June 10).
The acts of surrender of France to Germany (June 22) and Italy (June 24) were signed.
Sweden and Germany conclude an agreement that declares that Sweden will transport Nazi soldiers and ammunition through its territory to Norway (July 6).
The transit of German troops through the territory of Sweden begins (September).
British bombers mistakenly drop three bombs on Malmö, no one is injured (October 3).
Swedish ship Janus was torpedoed, 4 people were killed (October 24).
Sweden and Germany sign the largest trade agreement in the history of cooperation (December 16).
1941
Germany, Italy and Romania start a war with the USSR. The Swedish press publishes favorable pro-German articles. The National Organization of the Right (Moderate Coalition Party/Moderaterna) and the Foreign Minister propose to ban the Swedish Communist Party (June 22).
Future US President Harry Truman (1945-1953) in an interview with the New York Times said: “If we see that Germany is winning the war, we should help Russia, if Russia is winning, we should help Germany, and let them more kill each other, although I do not want under any circumstances to see Hitler as the winners ”(June 24).
Finland invades the USSR for the third time in 24 years (June 25; First and Second Soviet-Finnish wars of 1918–1922). Sweden allows 18,000 German divisions to transit from Norway to Finland (June 25).
The formation of the Swedish Nazi battalion Svenska frivilligbataljonen begins (June 26).
The Swedish government decides to help fascist Finland (July 11).
The first group of Swedish Nazis from the Svenska frivilligbataljonen battalion arrived in Finland (July 24).
Three Swedish destroyers exploded in Horsfjärden Bay, killing 33 people. The cause of the incident remained unexplained (September 17).
King Gustav V of Sweden congratulated Hitler on his victories on the Eastern Front (October).
Conclusion of a trade agreement with Germany (December 20).
1942
Ingvar Kamprad becomes a member of the fascist group New Swedish Movement/Nysvenska rörelsen (January).
Ingvar Kamprad joins the Nazi party Swedish Socialist Assembly/Svensk socialistisk samling (March 1).
Government seizes copies of 17 newspapers that have published articles about German torture in Norwegian prisons (March 13).
In connection with the increase in copper exports to Germany, Sweden starts issuing iron coins (March 28).
The Swedish ship Ada Gorthon, carrying iron ore for Nazi Germany, was sunk by a Soviet submarine (June 22).
A Soviet submarine torpedoes the Swedish ship Luleå, which was carrying to Germany iron ore killed 8 people. Swedish Navy patrol boats escorting 28 cargo ships dropped 26 depth charges. The boat received no damage (July 11).
Soviet planes mistakenly drop bombs on the Swedish island of Öland, no one was hurt (July 24).
1943
The filtration camp for 30,000 refugees who arrived in Sweden begins to operate (January 5).
Victory Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad (February 2).
Film actress and singer Tzara Leander returns to Sweden after 6 years of work in Germany. In Germany, she was required to take German citizenship and waive most of her fees (March 4).
The Jewish Agency asks the Swedish government for assistance in rescuing 20,000 Jewish children from Poland, but is refused (March 5).
Submarine HMS Ulven sinks into minefields, killing 33 (April 15).
Nazi Ingvar Kamprad founds IKEA (July 15).
The government decides to stop the transit of German military personnel and military equipment to Norway. For three years, Sweden transported more than two million Nazi soldiers (August 15).
The RAF and US Air Force dropped bombs on the VKF plant (a branch of the Swedish ball bearing factory SKF in Germany) in Schweinfurt, but failed to cause serious damage (August 17).
7,000 Danish Jews transported to Sweden (October).
German fighter jet shoots down a Swedish SE-BAG courier aircraft, killing 13 (October 22).
A British plane dropped fifty bombs on the outskirts of Lund, there were no casualties (November 18).
A Swedish trade delegation leaves for the United States to discuss post-war Swedish-American relations (December 20).
The US and UK are demanding that Sweden stop exporting to Germany, warning that otherwise Allied bombers could bomb the SKF factory in Gothenburg "by mistake". The Swedes agreed to reduce exports (December).
1944
SKF cuts ball bearing supplies to Germany (April 13).
Two Swedish reconnaissance aircraft shot down over the Baltic Sea (May 14).
No German air courier transport between Norway and Finland via Sweden (June 1).
SKF stops deliveries of ball bearings to Germany (October 16).
A US Air Force bomber crashes near Trollhättan (November 1).
A torpedo hits a steamer of the Gotland company Hansa, killing 84 people (November 24).
1945
Sweden does not conclude a new trade agreement with Germany (January 11).
Folke Bernadotte, vice-president of the Swedish Red Cross, met Heinrich Himmler in Berlin to negotiate the release of Norwegians and Danes from German concentration camps (February 19).
Fascist Finland declares war on Nazi Germany (March 4).
The Swedish Red Cross sends 75 buses and trucks to Germany to get Scandinavian prisoners out of Nazi concentration camps (March 9).
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided that the Swedish Red Cross would first of all remove citizens of Denmark and Norway from German concentration camps (March 26).
In the Neuengamme Nazi concentration camp, the Swedish Red Cross moves 2,000 sick and dying French, Russian and Polish prisoners from the hospital barracks to a regular one to make room for Danish and Norwegian prisoners to be taken to Sweden (March 27–28).
The Swedish Red Cross takes over four hundred Danish Jews from the Theresienstadt concentration camp (April 18).
Released prisoners of German concentration camps begin to be taken out of Neuengamme (April 20).
About 3,000 women were taken out of the Ravensbrück concentration camp (April 22–29).
The Joint Planning Headquarters of the British War Cabinet is developing a plan for the attack of Great Britain, the United States and parts of the Nazi army on the USSR. Churchill planned to start World War III on July 1, 1945. In the USSR, they knew about the betrayal of the "allies" and took appropriate countermeasures (Operation Unthinkable, April-May).
In the bay of Lübeck, British aircraft sank the German ships Cap Arcona, Thielbek, Deutschland, on which there were prisoners of concentration camps. More than 10,000 people died. According to one version, the prisoners were going to be transported to Sweden, according to another, ships with prisoners were to be sunk at sea (May 3).
Complete surrender of Germany (May 8).
The first liberated Nazi concentration camp prisoners arrive in Sweden. Several thousand Nazi troops flee to Sweden (May).
The US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The death toll from the bombings and radioactive contamination amounted to more than 350 thousand people (August 6, 9).
The Soviet Union begins hostilities against Japan (August 9).
The USSR defeated the millionth Kwantung Army of Japan (August).
End of World War II (September 2).
The United States is developing a plan for war against the USSR - "Totality". The Americans were going to drop atomic bombs on Baku, Gorky, Grozny, Irkutsk, Kazan, Kuibyshev, Leningrad, Magnitogorsk, Molotov, Moscow, Nizhny Tagil, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Stalinsk, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Chelyabinsk, Yaroslavl.
1946
Extradition to the Soviet Union of 145 Baltic and 227 German Nazis who arrived in Sweden in German military uniforms (January 27).
Great Britain and the USA begin the "Cold War" (Churchill's Fulton speech, March 5).
In Swedish schools as the first foreign language instead of German, they begin to teach English (August 26).
1947
It became known that during the Second World War, the Swedish security service Säpo cooperated with the Gestapo and sent German refugees back to Germany (January 31).
1949
Fascist Portugal joins NATO (April 4).
1950
On the initiative of Frédéric Joliot-Curie, the Standing Committee of the World Peace Congress in Stockholm adopted an appeal to the peoples of the world condemning the use of atomic weapons and demanding their prohibition. From March to November 1950, 273,470,566 people signed the appeal "On the prohibition of the use of atomic weapons", of which 115,514,703 people in the USSR (almost the entire adult population of the country, March 19).
Dissolution of the Nazi Party Swedish Socialist Assembly/Svensk socialistisk samling (SSS, June).
1956
Nazi Northern National Party/Nordiska rikspartiet (NRP) founded, dissolved 2009
1974
In Portugal, rebel troops overthrow the fascist government (April 25).
1975
The law on forced sterilization of mentally and physically handicapped Swedes, adopted in 1934, is repealed. During the operation of the law, 62,900 people were sterilized.
The death of Francisco Franco, the dismantling of the fascist regime in Spain begins (November 20).
1994
Founding of the Nazi party National Socialist Front/Nationalsocialistisk front (NSF, August 8).
1996
The World Jewish Congress asks Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, France and Norway to investigate which authorities, banks and other organizations during World War II dealt with assets in gold and other valuables that belonged to Jews and were received from Germany (December).
1997
Founding of the Nazi organization Swedish Resistance Movement/Svenska motståndsrörelsen (SMR, December).
1998
An interim report on the cooperation of Swedish banks with Nazi Germany has been published. It turned out that during the Second World War, the accounts of the Central Bank of Sweden received 60 tons of gold from Germany and countries occupied by the Nazis. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) received 100 kilograms of Nazi gold. In 1949 and 1955, the Swedish State Bank returned 13 tons of gold stolen by the Nazis from the Central Banks of Belgium and the Netherlands. 649 accounts belonging to Holocaust victims were found in Swedish banks (July 9).
2008
The Nazi party National Socialist Front/Nationalsocialistisk front has been renamed the Party of the Swedes/Svenskarnas parti (SvP, November 22).
2009
Dissolution of the Nazi Northern National Party/Nordiska rikspartiet (December 31).
2014
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt attended a Nazi rally in Odessa (April 13). Sweden did not support the resolution of the UN General Assembly on combating the glorification of Nazism (November 21).
2015
The Swedish State Security Service/Säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) stated that at least 30 Swedish Nazis took or are taking part in punitive operations in the territory of the former Ukraine (January). The Nazi Party of Swedes / Svenskarnas parti officially ceased its activities (May 10). Magnus Söderman, leader of the Nazi organization Swedish Resistance Movement/Svenska motståndsrörelsen, is included in the list of officials who are banned from entering Russia (May).
The neutrality of Sweden is almost unique, since only two significant European countries - Sweden and Switzerland - managed to refrain from interfering in European military operations for several years. That is why the neutrality of Sweden and Switzerland acquired a mythical connotation in everyday consciousness and began to be considered by many politicians and even in some scientific publications as a kind of perfect shape the policy of non-intervention of a small state in military conflicts and non-participation in military blocs and alliances. Such an approach to the neutrality of Sweden and Switzerland, especially in isolation from historical reality, does not correspond to reality. In addition, the neutrality of Sweden was systematically violated during the 20th century, and Sweden itself balanced between various powers to maintain its political independence and territorial integrity.
Sweden's neutrality in World War I
Sweden's neutrality was due to many reasons: firstly, it is a small country with few human resources and little economic potential; secondly, Sweden exported raw materials (mainly iron ore, nickel, non-ferrous metals, coal) both to the Entente countries and to the countries of the Triple Alliance. Since this brought considerable profits, there was no incentive to spoil relations with leading countries; thirdly, Sweden's neutrality was not strict.
According to K. Mulin, “Since universal conscription was introduced in 1901, the problem of national security has acquired an amazing ability to periodically cause real storms of political emotions”. Especially heated discussions caused clear and exaggerated threats to Swedish neutrality.
Sweden's neutrality in World War II
After June 1940, Germany achieved almost complete dominance in the Scandinavian region. The balance of power was upset both in the East (the Moscow Treaty) and in the West (as a result of the defeat of France). Conditions for keeping Sweden's strict neutrality deteriorated substantially; Sweden faced the inevitable need to adapt to a certain extent to the new conditions.
On June 18, 1940, the Swedish government agreed to Germany's demand for a permit for the transit of German holiday soldiers on Swedish railways to Norway and back. Sometimes the policy of Sweden towards Germany in the period from 1940 to 1941 is called the policy of concessions. However, writes A. V. Johansson “This term is too categorical for a comprehensive characterization of the essence of Swedish-German relations. The Germans believed that German victories would bring latent pro-German sentiments to light. The Swedes wanted to avoid provoking the Germans, emphasizing at the same time that relations with Germany must be maintained within the framework of the neutrality declared by the Swedes..
After the start of the war between the USSR and Germany, public opinion in Sweden sympathized with the USSR. Thus, despite various extremist antics, the Swedish government during the Second World War maintained a policy of neutrality, but this policy was very dubious, from a moral point of view.
During the Second World War "neutrals"- Sweden and Switzerland continued to maintain economic cooperation with the Nazi regime and other fascist states - this was an example of economic selfishness, since the second world war was fundamentally different from all previous wars - it was a war with fascist ideology. And the violation of neutrality by Sweden and Switzerland is a shameful episode in the history of these states.
The neutrality of Sweden during the " cold war» and after its completion
Immediately after the Second World War, Sweden tried to maintain a balance between the antagonistic blocs that were then in the process of formation. This found expression, on the one hand, in large-scale credit and trade agreements with the Soviet Union in 1946 and, on the other hand, in participation in the Marshall Plan in 1948. Sweden joined the Council of Europe, formed in 1949, and in The following year, she became a contractual member of the GATT. However, Sweden did not join the EEC, as it believed that the supranational goals of this organization were incompatible with neutrality. Despite the fact that the Nordic countries have different orientations in the implementation of security policy, there has been a large-scale integration of them, partly within the framework of the Nordic Council; however, defense matters are not within its competence.
With the coming to power of Olof Palme, a new generation came to the leadership of the SDRPSH. Incredible temperament, deep interest in all matters, extraordinary oratorical skills made Olof Palme the mouthpiece of a generation of young people who responded to the isolation of the Second World War. Being a neutral state that had neither a colonial past nor political ambitions, Sweden during the period of the liberation struggle "third world" carried a special mission - to spread the ideas of international solidarity.
Swedish neutrality was not isolationist: “We pursue a policy of active neutrality”- U. Palme argued. Since the beginning of the 1970s, Swedish defense spending has declined: over the past 20 years, their share in GNP has decreased from 5 to 2.8%, the defense spending item in the state budget has been cut from almost 20 to 8%. In the nineties for Sweden essential on the issue of integration acquired its position in relation to the EU (European Community). The social-democratic government refused membership in this organization, motivating the refusal with concern for the observance of Swedish neutrality; however, one of the decisive considerations may also have been concern for the future of the Swedish model of the welfare state in a united Europe - for an export-dependent state such as Sweden, this was fraught with serious problems in trade and foreign policy.
After graduation "cold war" the near-consensus about the importance and inevitability of Swedish neutrality collapsed. Political commentators and historians have criticized the post-war foreign policy Social Democrats and accused them of being too benevolent and soft towards the USSR, being too critical of the United States, and of inadequately evaluating certain regimes in countries "third world". The Social Democrats were also accused of being unfounded in their portrayal of the Swedish foreign policy as a moral model for the free world.
Since coming to power in 1991, the new non-socialist government has largely deviated from its former foreign policy line on several issues. It cut Sweden's broad commitments to various countries. "third world" and chose instead to focus its foreign policy activities in Europe and in those countries that are close to Sweden geographically, primarily in the Baltic states.
At the same time, the Social Democrats inevitably had to rethink the idea of neutrality under the new conditions. Now, writes A. V. Johansson, “It is still difficult to assess the existing points of view due to the rapidly changing situation in the world. In any case, the dogmatic course of neutrality seems to be a thing of the past.”. Thus, Sweden's policy of neutrality on present stage subject to significant changes, which may even lead to a complete departure from the principle of sovereignty.
Along with this look:
Swiss neutrality
ICRC in ethnic conflicts
ICRC
By the beginning of the Second World War 1939 - 1945. Among the Nordic countries, Sweden had the strongest armed forces. Despite the fact that Sweden maintained military neutrality since 1814 and did not officially participate in military conflicts, many citizens of this country in the 19th - first half of the 20th centuries. actively participated in many wars as volunteers. For example, in the civil war of 1936-1939. 500 Swedish citizens participated in Spain. At the beginning of World War II, Swedish volunteers (8260 people, 33 people died) in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. fought on the side of Finland. In the spring and summer of 1940, 300 Swedish volunteers served in the Norwegian army. Since the summer of 1941, against the Red Army as part of Finnish army 1500 Swedish volunteers fought (25 people died), and in the German army - 315 (40 people died).
Swedish volunteers in Spain. 1937
In addition, Sweden has traditionally been one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of various kinds weapons. Since 1923 the firm AB Landsverk produced tanks and exported them to many armies of the world, and the company AB Bofors was a manufacturer and supplier of various types of artillery pieces. In this regard, the Swedish army has always been well equipped technically and equipped with the latest weapons.
King Gustav V of Sweden
Difficult international situation in Europe in the second half of the 1930s. forced the Swedish government to take drastic measures to increase the defense capability of the country's Armed Forces. Since 1936, by decision of the Swedish Parliament, annual spending on the army and navy has been increased from 118 million to 148 million US dollars. Of these, air force spending increased from $11 million to $28 million. Firm AB Svenska Järnvägsverkstädernas Aeroplanavdelning began the development and production of combat aircraft.
With the outbreak of World War II, spending on the Armed Forces increased sharply. Since 1942, Sweden's annual military budget has amounted to US$755 million.
As of September 1939, the Swedish Armed Forces numbered 110,000 men. By the beginning of active hostilities in Northern Europe, mobilization was carried out in Sweden and the number of military personnel increased to 320,000 people. Also in June 1940, civil defense detachments were formed, which included 5,000 people. In total, by 1945, the Swedish Armed Forces included up to 600,000 soldiers and officers.
The commander-in-chief of the Swedish Armed Forces was King Gustav V ( Gustaf V).
Since 1937, the direct leadership of the army was carried out by the "chief of the army" ( chefen for armen) Lieutenant General Per Sylvan ( Per Sylvan).
Lieutenant General Per Sylvan (right). 1940
In 1940 Per Sylvan was replaced by Lieutenant General Ivar Holmqvist ( Carl Axel Fredrik Ivar Holmquist).
Lieutenant General Ivar Holmqvist
Count Wilhelm Archibald Douglas. 1919
Since 1944, the post of "chief of the army" was held by a veteran of the Finnish Civil War of 1918, Lieutenant General Count Wilhelm Archibald Douglas ( Wilhelm Archibald Douglas).
By the beginning of 1941, the Swedish land army had increased from five to 10 infantry divisions ( Fordelning). The divisions were consolidated into six military districts. The troops on the island of Gotland were subordinate to a separate command, forming the 7th military district.
The infantry division included three infantry and one artillery regiment. The cavalry was organized into four regiments (four machine gun and two cannon armored cars each) and consolidated into two cavalry brigades. Each brigade was assigned one battalion in armored vehicles (four armored vehicles).
The infantry was armed with 6.5 mm rifles. M/38, 6.5mm Rapid Fire Rifles M/42, 9 mm submachine guns M/37-39 and Suomi-KP Model 1931, 6.5 mm light machine guns M/37, 6.5 mm heavy machine guns M/42, 4 mm mortars M/40, 20 mm heavy machine guns M/36 and M/40, 80 mm heavy mortars M/29, 120 mm heavy mortars M/41, 20 mm anti-tank rifles M/42, backpack flamethrowers M/41.
Swedish gunners. 1943
The Swedish infantry was adequately supplied with powerful (3-ton) Swedish-made trucks ( Scania-Vabis lastvogn LB350, Volvo terränlastvagn n/42 and others), which greatly increased the degree of its mobility.
swedish truck Volvo n/42. 1943
In 1942 - 1943, equipped with armored cars, trucks and motorcycles, the infantry was organized into two motorized and one bicycle brigades.
Swedish motorized infantry. 1942
Artillery had 37 mm anti-tank guns M/38, 105 mm howitzers M/39, 105 mm howitzers M/40H and M/40S, 150 mm howitzers M/38 and M/39, 105 mm field guns M/34. Swedish artillery was equipped with armored tractors for transportation. Terrangdragbil M/40 and M/43 Volvo, as well as belt tractors Allis Chalmers, although part of the light artillery was transported by horse-drawn.
Swedish artillery tractor M/43 Volvo
Since 1940, the Swedish coast began to be fortified with numerous machine-gun nests, and by 1942 a powerful coastal defense system had developed, equipped with large-caliber artillery - a 152-mm gun M/98, 152 mm gun M/40, 210 mm gun M/42, as well as light rapid-fire 57-mm guns M/89B.
210 mm M/42 coastal artillery gun. 1944
In 1939, two air defense regiments were formed, armed with 20-mm M/40 machine guns, 40-mm M/36 anti-aircraft guns, 75-mm M/30 anti-aircraft guns, 75-mm M/37 and 105 anti-aircraft guns -mm anti-aircraft guns M / 42, as well as 1500-mm searchlights M/37 and radar installations.
swedish radar
In September 1939, in addition to Swedish-made tanks, French and Czechoslovak tanks were listed in the combat schedule of the Swedish Armed Forces. For this period, tanks were in service: small StrvM/37(48 cars), light Strv M/31 (three cars) StrvM/38(16 cars), StrvM/39(20 cars), StrvM/40L og K(180 cars), StrvM/41(220 cars) and average StrvM/42(282 cars). In addition, armored personnel carriers were among the Swedish armored vehicles. Tgbil M/42KP(36 vehicles), armored vehicles Landsverk L-180(five cars) and Pbil m/39(45 cars).
Since 1943, a self-propelled artillery mount has been adopted Sav M/43 in the amount of 36 cars.
Swedish self-propelled gun Sav M/43. 1943
Until 1942, self-propelled guns, tanks and armored vehicles were part of the states of several cavalry (tank squadrons) and infantry regiments:
- tank battalion of the Life Guards of the Goth Infantry Regiment;
- tank battalion of the Skaraborg Infantry Regiment;
- tank battalion of the Södermanland Infantry Regiment;
- tank squadron of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment;
- tank squadron of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment;
- tank squadron of the Skony cavalry regiment;
- tank squadron of the Norland Dragoon Regiment.
In 1942 - 1943. all tank regiments were consolidated into three separate tank brigades and the Life Guards Gotha Tank Regiment (two motorized battalions and one tank company).
Swedish tank M/42. 1943
The Swedish Air Force, which arose in 1926, by 1945 included about 800 aircraft of various types (fighters, attack aircraft, bombers, torpedo bombers, reconnaissance aircraft) and various production - Swedish, German, English, Italian, American.
In August 1941, an airborne battalion (595 people) was formed as part of the Swedish Air Force. The paratroopers landed from Swedish-made gliders ( LG 105) and parachutes.
swedish glider LG 105. 1944
The Swedish Navy was the only military branch of this country that took part in combat clashes during the Second World War. In 1940, the Swedish Navy carried out mining of its territorial waters, and also in 1942 episodically conducted military operations against the Soviet Navy. As a result, the loss of the Swedish Navy amounted to eight ships and 92 soldiers killed.
By August 1, 1943, the Swedish Navy had 228 warships - one air cruiser with 11 aircraft on board, seven coastal defense battleships, one light cruiser, 11 destroyers, 19 submarines, 64 patrol, minesweeping and patrol ships, 54 torpedo boats.
Swedish battleship Gustav V. 1943
The most likely adversary was the General Staff of the Swedish Armed Forces in 1940-1943. determined Germany, and in 1943-1945. - USSR. The military potential of Sweden made it possible to provide serious resistance in the event of an enemy invasion. Also in April 1945, Sweden planned to land its troops in Denmark. This operation was prevented by the diplomatic efforts of the countries participating in the Anti-Hitler coalition.
Svergies Militara Bedredskap 1939 - 1945, Militarhistoriska forlaget, Militarhogskolan 1982.
Svensk Upplsagsbok, Forlagshuset Nordens Boktryckeri, Malmo 1960.
"... In the very first days of the war, a German division was passed through the territory of Sweden for operations in Northern Finland. However, the Prime Minister of Sweden, the Social Democrat P. A. Hansson, immediately promised the Swedish people that no more would be passed through the territory of Sweden one German division and that the country would in no way enter the war against the USSR.Nevertheless, through Sweden, the transit of German soldiers and military materials to Finland and Norway unfolded; German transport ships transported troops there, hiding in the territorial waters of Sweden, and until the winter of 1942 / 43 they were accompanied by a convoy of Swedish naval forces. The Nazis achieved the supply of Swedish goods on credit and their transportation mainly on Swedish ships ... "
"... It was the Swedish iron ore that was the best raw material for Hitler. After all, this ore contained 60 percent of pure iron, while the ore received by the German military machine from other places contained only 30 percent of iron. It is clear that the production of military equipment from metal smelted from Swedish ore, cost the treasury of the Third Reich much cheaper.
In 1939, the same year when Nazi Germany unleashed the Second World War, 10.6 million tons of Swedish ore were delivered to it. After April 9, that is, when Germany had already conquered Denmark and Norway, the supply of ore increased significantly. In 1941, 45,000 tons of Swedish ore were supplied daily by sea for the needs of the German military industry. little by little Swedish trade with Nazi Germany increased and eventually accounted for 90 percent of all Swedish foreign trade. From 1940 to 1944, the Swedes sold more than 45 million tons of iron ore to the Nazis.
The Swedish port of Luleå was specially converted to supply iron ore to Germany through the waters of the Baltic. (And only Soviet submarines after June 22, 1941 at times caused the Swedes great inconvenience, torpedoing Swedish transports, in the holds of which this ore was transported). The supply of ore to Germany continued almost until the moment when the Third Reich had already begun, figuratively speaking, to expire. Suffice it to say that in 1944, when the outcome of the Second World War was no longer in doubt, the Germans received 7.5 million tons of iron ore from Sweden. Until August 1944, Sweden received Nazi gold through the banks of the same neutral Switzerland..
In other words, the Norschensflammann wrote, “Swedish iron ore ensured the Germans success in the war. And that was a bitter fact for all Swedish anti-fascists.”
However, the Swedish iron ore came to the Germans not only in the form of raw materials.
The world-famous SKF concern, which produced ball bearings, supplied these, not so, at first glance, cunning technical mechanisms to Germany. Ten percent of ball bearings received by Germany came from Sweden, according to Norschensflammann. Anyone, even a person completely inexperienced in military affairs, understands what ball bearings mean for the production of military equipment. Why, without them, not a single tank will move from its place, not a single submarine will go to sea! Note that Sweden, as noted by Norschensflammann, produced bearings of "special quality and technical characteristics" that Germany could not get anywhere else. In 1945, the economist and economic adviser Per Jakobsson provided information that helped disrupt the supply of Swedish bearings to Japan.
Let's think: how many lives were cut short because formally neutral Sweden provided fascist Germany with strategic and military products, without which the flywheel of the Nazi military mechanism would, of course, continue to spin up, but certainly not with such high speed how was it? The question of the “infringed” Swedish neutrality during the Second World War is not new; Russian Scandinavian historians and diplomats, who by the nature of their activities worked in the USSR Foreign Ministry in the Scandinavian direction, are well aware of this. But not even many of them are aware that in the autumn of 1941, that very cruel autumn, when the existence of the entire Soviet state was at stake (and, consequently, the fate of the peoples inhabiting it), King Gustav V Adolf of Sweden sent Hitler a letter in which he wished "the dear Reich Chancellor further success in the fight against Bolshevism"..."
Hermann Göring and Gustav V Adolf
1939-1940
8260 Swedes participated in the Soviet-Finnish war.
1941-1944
900 Swedish Nazis participated in the occupation of the USSR as part of the Finnish army.
Wallenberg family
With great reluctance and embarrassment, the Wallenberg family recalls that during the war years, the Wallenbergs took part in financing and supplying iron ore to Nazi Germany from Sweden (from 1940 to 1944 the Nazis received more than 45 million tons of ore), steel, ball bearings, electrical equipment, tools , pulp and other goods that were used in military production.
Many in Sweden still remember this and reproach the Wallenbergs for collaborating with the Nazis.
The Wallenberg family, through banking and industrial empires from the largest corporations, stakes in other large companies, controls a third of Sweden's GDP.
The family controls more than 130 companies.
The largest: ABB, Atlas Copco, AstraZeneca, Bergvik Skog, Electrolux, Ericsson, Husqvarna, Investor, Saab, SEB, SAS, SKF, Stora Enso. The Wallenbergs own 36% of the shares listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
Wallenberg-owned bank SEB received more than $4.5 million from the German Central Bank between May 1940 and June 1941 and acted as a purchasing agent (through intermediaries) for the German government in buying up bonds and valuable papers in New York.
In April 1941, Finance Minister Ernst Wigforss and SEB Bank President Jacob Wallenberg agreed to issue a loan to Germany for the construction of ships in Swedish shipyards, the Nazis received a very significant amount for those times - 40 million crowns, which corresponds to today's 830 million crowns.
Swedish historian and ambassador Christer Wahl Brooks, together with archivist Bo Hammarlund, proved the duality of the policy of the Swedish Ministry of Finance during the Second World War. The head of this department, Ernst Wigforst, went down in history as an opponent of the passage of Nazi troops through Sweden during the attack on Norway. Wahl Brooks found out that Wigforst actively helped Nazi Germany with money, although he did it in the Swedish interests.
As part of a routine check in the archives of the Ministry of Finance, Hammarlund found a document in the form of a letter dating from April 1941, according to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. This letter was written by the director of the Swedish bank Skandinaviska Banken, Ernst Herslov, but was never officially registered.
The letter contains a summary of the conversation between the finance minister and Herslov. Wigforst argued for the need to send Germany loans that would allow the Nazis to pay for the work of Swedish shipbuilders. “The Minister made it clear that it would be desirable to make loans available,” Herslov wrote. In fact, the money was supposed to help Sweden increase exports to Nazi Germany. According to historians, the existence of such secret deals is much more serious evidence of assistance to the Nazis than the opening of borders for the free movement of Nazi troops.
The researcher was shocked that such important conversations from the state point of view were conducted tete-a-tete between the minister and the banker. By law, the decision to grant loans to a foreign state would have to be approved by the Swedish government. “You can understand why Wigforst avoided publicity in this case,” writes Dagens Nyheter.
In the text of the letter there is an indication that Wigforst managed to secure the allocation of loans.
Historians have found confirmation of their hypothesis in the diaries of the head of the Swedish central bank, Ivar Rooch. He mentioned that his company allocated significant sums to ensure that Germany supplied Sweden with less products in response to iron ore and other raw materials for the war industry exported from Scandinavia.
According to Val Brooks and Hammarlund, the amount of bribes reached 40 million crowns.
The letter also indicates that in the spring of 1941, Germany continued to actively build ships in Sweden, although officially Stockholm declared its neutrality. A similar policy was pursued by Madrid, which helped with the basing of Nazi submarines and the placement of Berlin spies, but did not officially consider itself a belligerent.
Ingvar Theodore Kamprad(Swedish: Ingvar Feodor Kamprad) (born March 30, 1926) is an entrepreneur from Sweden. One of the richest people in the world, founder of IKEA, a chain of stores selling household goods.
In 1994, the personal letters of the Swedish fascist activist Per Engdahl were published. From them it became known that Kamprad joined his pro-Nazi group in 1942. Until at least September 1945, he actively raised money for the group and attracted new members. The timing of Kamprad's departure from the group is unknown, but he and Per Endal remained friends until the early 1950s. After these facts became known, Kamprad said that he bitterly regrets this part of his life and considers this one of his biggest mistakes. After that, he wrote a letter of apology to all Jewish IKEA employees.
The founder of the Swedish furniture concern IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, was much more closely associated with the Nazi movement than was previously known. So, Kamprad was not only in the fascist movement "New Swedish Movement" / Nysvenska rörelsen, but also in the Nazi association of Lindholm / Lindholmsrörelse. This became known from the book of the employee of the Swedish television SVT - Elisabeth Åsbrink / Elisabeth Åsbrink.
This book also publishes for the first time data that the 17-year-old Kamprad, already in 1943, was filed with the Swedish Security Police Säpo, where he was held under the heading "Nazi".
Already after the war, in the 50s, Kamprad continued to be friends with one of the leaders of the Swedish fascists, Per Engdahl / Per Engdahl. And just a year ago, in a conversation with Elisabeth Osbrink, he called Engdahl "a great man."
The involvement of Ingvar Kamprad in the Nazi movement in Sweden was known before, but this information was not previously published.
The representative of Ingvar Kamprad - Per Heggenes said that Kamprad has repeatedly apologized and asked for forgiveness for his past Nazi views. He repeatedly said that today he does not feel any sympathy for the Nazis and Nazism.
"It's all 70 years old," Per Heggenes said, noting that Kamprad himself knew nothing about being monitored by the Security Police.
Historians question Sweden's neutrality during World War II
A number of studies commissioned by the Swedish government confirm the assumption that Sweden, which officially remained neutral during the Second World War, was ready in many ways to meet Nazi Germany halfway.
The revelation could add fuel to the debate over the country's immigration policy and Sweden's decision not to join NATO.
Once mighty and warlike, Sweden last time participated in the war 200 years ago. World War II was a serious test of Swedish neutrality. The prospect of an invasion, both by the fascist troops and the allies, then seemed quite realistic.
So far, Sweden seemed to be quite pleased with itself. Yes, she supplied significant amount Germany's iron ore, allowed Nazi troops to freely pass through its territory and did not let Jews who fled from the Germans.
However, at the same time they allowed the Allies to deploy an intelligence network on their territory, and at the end of the war they provided shelter to Jews from neighboring countries occupied by the Germans. They also developed an emergency plan to participate in the liberation of Denmark.
Thus, Swedes who married Germans had to provide evidence that their parents, as well as grandparents, did not have Jewish roots. Marriages between Germans and Swedish Jews were annulled.
By order of the German partners, German companies fired Jewish employees. Newspapers were ordered not to criticize Hitler, nor to publish articles about the concentration camps and the occupation of Norway.
Cultural ties between Sweden and Nazi Germany remained very close.
Meanwhile, the attitude of the Nazis towards the Swedes remains very vague. On the one hand, they were respected as "an exceptionally pure example of the Nordic race." On the other hand, the German leadership complained that the modern Swedes had become too peaceful and non-conflict, that is, they did not look much like the ideal of an Aryan warrior.
Neighboring countries often accuse Sweden of adopting an overly didactic tone when it comes to moral and ethical disputes. Some attribute this to the country's Protestant heritage. Some see this as a throwback to Sweden's once "dominant" position. Still others believe that complacency is due to the fact that Sweden has not been at war for a long time.
Whatever the real reason, it is likely that the Swedes will now be more willing to moderate their tone and become more self-critical, and also recognize that their past may not seem so pure to other countries. An example of this is the recent controversy over the controversial Swedish human sterilization program.
According to the law of 1935 on "racial hygiene", due to the fact that they did not have enough "Nordic" appearance, they were born from parents different races or showed "signs of degeneration".
In the 1920s, 30s and 40s. the idea of "racial hygiene" was extremely popular not only in Germany. Denmark, Norway, Canada, and 30 US states have adopted sterilization programs.
Marie Stopes, the pioneer of family planning in Britain, was a vocal advocate of this idea: she argued that by encouraging working-class people to have fewer children and more from the upper classes, the gene pool of the Anglo-Saxon nation could be improved.
However, most European countries abandoned this idea after the war. The Swedish Institute for Racial Biology continued to operate until 1976.
It is also interesting that sterilization was advocated not only by extreme right-wing nationalists, but also by governments formed by social democrats.
Sweden received even more military orders after the outbreak of World War II. And basically these were orders for Nazi Germany. Neutral Sweden became one of the main economic pillars of the national Reich. Suffice it to say that only in 1943, out of 10.8 million tons of iron ore mined, 10.3 million tons were sent to Germany from Sweden. Until now, few people know that one of the main tasks of the ships of the Navy of the Soviet Union that fought in the Baltic, there was not only a fight against fascist ships, but also the destruction of the ships of neutral Sweden, carrying cargo for the Nazis.
Well, what did the Nazis pay with the Swedes for the goods received from them? Only by the fact that they looted in the territories they occupied and most of all - in the Soviet occupied territories. The Germans had almost no other resources for settlements with Sweden. So, when you are once again told about "Swedish happiness", remember who and at whose expense the Swedes paid for it.
In educational institutions in Russia, teachers, together with students, are busy preparing a peace lesson. And if a few years ago, to be honest, even in the pedagogical community, the peace lesson held on September 1 was perceived as something rather “on duty” than truly relevant, now the situation has changed radically. It has changed, since the very concept of "world" is updated against the backdrop of well-known events.
And it’s hard to stay out of this actualization, when very close to you exactly the same people experience the whole nightmare that war brings with them: they lose loved ones and relatives, they lose their shelter, they face the reincarnation of the ideas of misanthropy.
Along with the realization that the peace lesson in absolutely any educational institution in the country ceases to be a “passing” event, and by definition should carry a very deep meaning, the increased interest of the young generation (and not only young) Russians in history attracts attention. . The reasons are basically the same - the events in the neighboring state, where the distortion of history becomes one of the main locomotives of the fratricidal war.
In the course of the conversation with the students involved in the preparation of the peace lesson, a very interesting topic was touched upon. The topic concerns how, in the conditions of world wars, some states resist aggressive campaigns, while others, without hesitation, declare their neutrality and quite calmly turn huge human grief into a more than profitable business. The topic seemed relevant also due to the fact that for a considerable number of representatives of modern young students with whom they have the opportunity to work, information about the presence of “neutrals” in World War II who escaped the Nazi occupation and the need for armed resistance was a real revelation. And I’ll quote one of the voiced questions verbatim, especially since, as they say, it’s not in the eyebrow, but in the eye: “What, could it be so?” It’s not that the young man who asked such a question wanted to say that the USSR also had to declare neutrality, it’s just that we are talking about the understandable surprise that the very fact of the possibility of declaring neutrality in the WORLD WAR can cause.
Historiography informs us that Sweden was one of the states of Europe that declared neutrality in World War II. This state and its “neutrality” will be discussed in the material. In order for the subject of discussion to be, as they say, illustrated, it is worth immediately presenting this entertaining photograph.
The photographer reports that the photo shows the diplomatic mission of the Third Reich in May 1945 in the Swedish capital. On the flagpole crowning the diplomatic mission, you can see the half-mast flag of Nazi Germany in connection with (attention!) The death of Adolf Hitler ... It would seem that this is some kind of phantasmagoria, a theater of the absurd: the victory of the Allies, May 1945, neutral Sweden and suddenly - mourning death the main ideologist of a monstrous campaign in its scale, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people around the world. Just one question: How is it?
But this question is actually easy to answer. By and large, Sweden during the Second World War, declaring its neutrality, was not going to be neutral at all. Quite definite sympathies for Nazi Germany and its leader manifested themselves in the mid-30s. To be honest, at that time it was not only German citizens who applauded Hitler’s speeches and raised their hands in the Nazi salute…
Even the occupation of Norway, neighboring Sweden, by the Nazis, which began in 1940, did not cause a negative reaction from “neutral Stockholm. After several meetings between the "neutral" Swedish king Gustav V and representatives of the top of the Third Reich, "independent" Swedish newspapers and magazines, as if by a wave of a conductor's baton, suddenly stopped publishing articles that would contain at least some hint of criticism of the actions of the Nazis in Europe. All this was called "temporary censorship in connection with the military situation in Europe."
A Swedish newspaper calls the war unleashed by Hitler a "European liberation"--
And a few years before that, the Swedish church begins to speak out in the spirit that the National Socialists of Hitler's Germany "are on the right track, as they are fighting for the purity of the Aryan race." At the same time, the Swedish church from about 1937-1938. officially distributes a circular in which local priests were forbidden to bless marriages between ethnic Swedes and representatives of the so-called "Untermensch" - Jews, Slavs, etc. Such information became public after the end of World War II thanks to research conducted in one of the oldest universities in Sweden - Lund University.
From an older history: Sweden declared itself a non-bloc state in peacetime and a neutral state during wartime back in early XIX century. It happened in 1814 immediately after the signing of an armistice agreement with Norway. The declaration of Swedish neutrality was officially proclaimed in 1834 by King Charles XIV Johan (the founder of the still ruling Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden). It can be considered a remarkable fact that a man born as Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, who at the beginning of the 19th century received the rank of Marshal of the Empire in the Napoleonic army, announced the non-bloc status of Sweden and its sovereignty in the event of a major war. Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte participated in the battle of Austerlitz. In 1810, Bernadotte was dismissed from service in France and, according to historians, was officially invited to the post of Swedish and Norwegian monarch "in connection with his humane treatment of Swedish prisoners." Already after ascension to the Swedish throne, the newly minted Charles XIV Johann made an alliance with Russia and began to fight on the side of the anti-Napoleonic coalition ... After all these throwings of the king-marshal, it was reportedly drawn to the proclamation of the neutral status of the Swedish kingdom, which Sweden skillfully used.
Returning to the events of the Second World War, it should be noted that the “precepts” of Karl XIV Johan were applied exclusively from a pragmatic point of view. So, the grandson of King Gustav V, who ruled Sweden from 1907 to 1950, Gustav Adolf (Duke of Västerbotten) is known for the fact that before and during WWII, he was active in “diplomatic” work with representatives of the Third Reich.
Among those whom the duke met were such persons as, for example, Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler. These meetings, it should be noted, predetermined a very strange (if not more) neutrality of the Swedish crown. The first noteworthy "neutral" agreement was a contract for the supply of Swedish iron ore to the Reich, which was not terminated at all after the start of Hitler's expansion on the European continent.
Gustav V - on the right, Goering - in the middle, Gustav Adolf - on the left--
It is also noteworthy that Norway, neighboring Sweden, also declared its neutrality. And if during the First World War the Norwegians managed to “leave” on a declaration of a neutral status, then WWII did not allow the Norwegians to do the same. Through the Norwegian "neutrality" Hitler stepped over quite calmly - announcing that Norway needs protection from the "probable aggression of Great Britain and France." Operation Weserübung-Nord began, during which Berlin, of course, did not ask the official Oslo whether Norway really needed "protection from the likely aggression of the British and French."
But through the "neutrality" of Sweden, Berlin did not step over ... Well, how did not ... More on that below. Most Swedish historians declare that, they say, the neutrality of Sweden in WWII is “understandable”, because only about 6 million people lived in Sweden, and therefore the country could not afford to compete with the powerful Third Reich, making all the concessions to Berlin. An interesting statement ... Interesting, especially considering that the population of the same Norway at that time was even smaller, but at the same time, firstly, the neutrality of the Norwegians quickly, sorry, wiped the authorities of the Third Reich, and, secondly, themselves the Norwegians organized a more or less "intelligible" resistance movement against the Nazi occupation.
So about the "neutrality" of Sweden... In fact, it was a typical fact of opportunism, in which Sweden was de facto occupied, but not in a military, but in a political sense. And the country's authorities were quite pleased with this Nazi occupation. After all, for them, growing Germany was a great market for what was mined or created by Swedish companies. They sold at a reasonable price not only raw materials - the same iron and copper ore, but also goods created by Swedish companies. Swedish bearings were used to equip German equipment. Ships with rolled metal, weapons, machine tools, lumber went to the Reich. At the same time, Sweden, through a whole network of financial agents, credited the economy of Nazi Germany, having previously blocked the issuance of loans to neighbors in Norway. In other words, economically, Sweden did everything in order to earn dividends on the military successes of Nazi Germany and its commodity-money demands.
From Swedish official sources on the volume of deliveries of goods to Nazi Germany (1938-1945):
Iron ore: 58 million tons
cellulose - 7 million tons,
bearings - 60 thousand tons,
lumber - 13-14 million cubic meters,
vehicles and anti-aircraft guns - more than 2 thousand units.
Cargoes were delivered to the Reich under the protection of German and Swedish warships. Several Swedish ships ("Ada Gorthon", "Luleå", etc.) with a cargo of iron ore destined for Germany were sunk by Soviet submarines. After that, Swedish patrol ships dropped about 26 "neutral" depth charges into the sea in order to damage Soviet submarines. Apparently, since then, Sweden has had a special passion for searching for Soviet (Russian) submarines ...
Further more. The “neutrality” of Sweden was transformed into the creation of the so-called volunteer battalions in the country, which took the side of the Nazis. The Swedish armed formation Svenska frivilligbataljonen began to take shape in a real force operating as part of the Nazi coalition immediately after the German attack on Soviet Union. The Swedish "volunteers" were trained on Finnish territory - in Turku.
In early October 1941, Gustav V and Gustav Adolf (Duke of Västerbotten) visited the Swedish Nazi battalion, praising his “neutral” actions on the side of the Nazi allies in the Hanko area ... And about a month later, the Swedish monarch sends Hitler a congratulatory telegram in which he expresses admiration the actions of the German army to "destroy Bolshevism."
But after the defeat of the Nazis near Stalingrad and Kursk, “neutral” Sweden suddenly changes course ... Stockholm informs its German friends that it is forced to block the sea routes that German warships and transport ships had previously followed through Swedish territorial waters. As they say, Stockholm felt the wind of change, and how the weather vane reacted almost instantly. In October 1943, a circular banning marriages with "untermenschs" was canceled in Sweden, and Jews who left the kingdom were allowed to return. At the same time, they did not close the embassy of the Third Reich (just in case the fireman ...), suddenly the Reich will rise ...
An important fact of the "neutrality" of Sweden can be considered that, at the request of the USSR in 1944-1945. Stockholm extradited about 370 German and Baltic servicemen of the Nazi troops, who, as Moscow reported, were involved in war crimes in the North-West of the USSR, including the Baltic republics. As you can see, the Swedish weather vane reacted here too ...
During the war, the Swedish economy not only did not undergo a serious test, but even acquired it very much. At the same time, the average earnings of Swedish workers declined, but this reduction in real terms amounted to only about 12% in 6 years, while the economies of most European countries, like the countries themselves, lay in ruins. The banking sector in Sweden grew along with large industrial companies that supplied goods to Germany.
It can be stated that today's non-bloc status of Sweden is another declarative "parable", behind which the real interests and sympathies of Stockholm are perfectly visible ... Such a story ...
Author Volodin Alexey