A brief overview of Swedish

history

Introduction

The following historical section is by no means complete from a historical perspective. The purpose of this page is to provide a chronological historical overview of events in Sweden that may have had a connection with or impact on the lives and livelihoods of my and others’ Swedish ancestors.

Related Links

• Swedish history - 1500s - 1600s • The Reformation and King Gustav I • Swedish history - 1700s • Swedish history - 1800s • Swedish history - 1900s, Part 1 • Swedish history - 1900s, Part 2 • The New Sweden Colony in North America • Swedish Witch Trials • The Allotment System • Swedish School System • Swedish Banking • Swedish Monetary System • History of the Swedish Police System • Poor Relief in the past • Health Care and Diseases in the Past • The Many Swedish Wars • Swedish Inventions • Inns and Stage Services • History of Railways in Sweden • History of Church of Sweden • History of the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament)

Source References

• Wikipedia • Svenska krig 1521 – 1814. Ulf Sundberg, 1998 • Svenska freder och stillestånd 1249 - 1814, Ulf Sundberg, 1997 • Ånga och Dynamit, Historien om Sverige, Herman Lindqvist, 1999 • När Sverige blev stormakt, Historien om Sverige, Herman Lindqvist, 1994 • Ofredsår, Peter Englund, 1993 • Trolldomsprocesserna i Sverige av Bengt Ankarloo, 1996. Top of page

1900s - Part 1

The 20th century began somewhat dramatically for Sweden with the dissolution of the union with Norway in 1905. Furthermore, the military allotment system (with its standing army) was abolished in 1901 in favor of a conscript army, i.e., universal conscription. The 20th century also saw two major conflicts: World War I and World War II.

The Military Allotment System is Abolished

in 1901 – Universal Conscription is

Introduced

The military allotment system, which was established in 1682, was abolished in 1901 and replaced by universal conscription. At the same time, the Beväringen—the older conscription system used during the 19th century—was also abolished. On June 14, 1901, the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) passed a bill to abolish the military allotment system and instead establish a system based on universal conscription and a smaller corps of commissioned officers. The training period for conscripts was extended to 240 days, and the number of conscript classes was set at 12. The officer corps was expanded to include reserve officers, among others. The allotted and enlisted regiments were now replaced by a conscript army. The first conscripts under the new system were called up for military training in the spring of 1902. The vast majority of the conscripted recruits were then assigned to the Army. Universal conscription also meant longer, continuous periods of training, which included the winter months. This necessitated better barracks. For each regiment, a town was designated in the province where the regiment was stationed, known as a garrison town. In these garrison towns, construction of barracks for conscripts was now underway. Whereas the allotted soldiers had previously been scattered throughout the countryside, the conscript soldiers were now gathered in the regimental towns. At this time, many regimental or garrison towns, including Boden, Sollefteå, Enköping, Strängnäs, Eksjö, and others were established. The image shows newly built barracks at the Värmland Regiment, Karlstad, in the 1920s. In the allotment system and the early conscript service (Beväringen), soldiers trained exclusively during the summer at their respective regiments’ training grounds, such as the Södermanland Regiment’s training ground, Malmahed, in Malmköping. More information are available on the pages: Universal Conscription, and Swedish Armed Forces during the Conscription Period 1901 - 2010

The dissolution of the Union with Norway in

1905

Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden through the Treaty of Kiel on January 15, 1814. The Convention of Moss of August 14, 1814, meant that Danish King Kristian Fredrik abdicated the Norwegian throne and that Norway entered into a personal union with Sweden. Sweden's King Karl XIII became the joint king of both Sweden and Norway. A personal union is a union between two or more states with a common head of state, in this case, the King of Sweden. Several decades of tension between Norway and Sweden preceded the Union Crisis of 1905. Norway demanded greater self-determination, which Sweden opposed. Furthermore, Norway wanted its own consular service. Swedish King Oscar II, who reigned over both Sweden and Norway, and the Swedish government were opposed to this; all foreign policy matters were to be handled from Stockholm, Sweden. In actuality, the consulate issue was more about Norway's claim to be treated on an equal footing with Sweden than it was about Norway's formal requests for the creation of its own consular service. On June 7, 1905, Norway passed a law that effectively dissolved the union. Norway’s unilateral dissolution of the union led to tensions and military mobilization on both sides of the border. Both sides now began military preparations. Sweden recruited espionage agents among military personnel, border residents, forest rangers, border guards (customs officers), and employees of the telecommunications, postal, and railway services. The entire situation escalated, leading Sweden to carry out a partial mobilization on July 17, 1905. The Chief of the General Staff, Axel Rappe, devised an attack plan against Norway. On August 31, 1905, the Karlstad negotiations between Sweden and Norway began, but the negotiations soon became bogged down. About 50,000 soldiers were mobilized in mid- September, further increasing Swedish military readiness. A Swedish naval squadron of 42 warships was dispatched along the west coast to Gothenburg, which is near the Norwegian border. On September 13 and 14, Norway conducted a partial mobilization, and a significant portion of the Norwegian armed forces—22,000 men—were now under arms in Norway. However, during the negotiations in Karlstad, an agreement was made to create a demilitarized zone on both sides of the border. Following tough negotiations in Karlstad in August and October 1905, the union was dissolved peacefully. On September 23, 1905, the Karlstad Convention was signed, and the threat of war was averted. The terms for the dissolution of the union were agreed upon, and Sweden recognized Norway’s independence. In October 1905, the outcome of the negotiations was approved by both countries, and on October 26, it was signed by Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fredrik Wachtmeister, and Norway’s representative, Thor von Ditten. More information about the union and its dissolution can be found on the page: The Swedish-Norwegian Union

Sweden's Defense During World War I,

1914–1918

World War I broke out on July 28, 1914, and lasted until November 11, 1918. Sweden, along with Denmark and Norway, declared its neutrality during World War I. Finland had been part of Tsarist Russia since 1809, which meant that Sweden shared a land border with one of the belligerent great powers. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the allotted military force had been almost completely disbanded, although many allotted soldiers were still on active duty and were even called up for duty during the war, the Neutrality Guard. In 1914, on the eve of World War I, the training period for duty in the infantry was extended to 340 days (250 days of basic training plus three 30-day refresher courses). The conscription age was also extended by one year by lowering the age of conscription from 21 to 20. To protect neutrality, conscripts and certain units of the “Land storm“ units (older conscripts) were called up shortly after the war began. Navy ships were stationed along the coast to prevent violations of neutrality on Swedish territory. Time and again, Sweden had to take action against violations of neutrality by the belligerents. Stricter Swedish neutrality regulations were enacted, and in 1916, submarines belonging to the belligerent nations were prohibited from entering Swedish waters, except in certain exceptional cases. Approximately 100,000 young men were drafted in Sweden during the war years. The image shows a Swedish soldier in the 1910-style uniform, carrying a rifle and an ammunition belt. Photo owned by me. Meat, pork, eggs, butter, and fish were subject to rationing, and their sale was regulated. There was also a shortage of gasoline during the war, which led to a ban on all private use of gasoline-powered cars, motorcycles, and motorboats. “Neutrality Guard” is a term used to describe the Swedish Armed Forces' combined resources and operations during both World War I and World War II. During the early stages of the Neutrality Guard, the so-called “land storm men” became the most popular symbol of Sweden's determination to defend itself. The land storm relied heavily on volunteer efforts. Later in the fall of 1914, the land storm was replaced by regular troops, a move that became necessary as winter approached; the land storm lacked the necessary equipment for that season. The heaviest burden fell on the naval forces, i.e., the Navy. They escorted both Swedish and foreign merchant ships in the Baltic Sea. Throughout the war, mine sweeping and the search for drifting mines were a very important part of the navy’s duties.

Universal Suffrage

Bicameral Parliament from 1866 The medieval Swedish Estates Parliament, comprising the four estates, was abolished in 1865, and a bicameral parliament was established, consisting of the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. On June 22, 1866, the new parliamentary representation reform took effect. The members of the First Chamber were indirectly elected by the members of the country's County Councils (Swedish: Landsting), while the members of the Second Chamber were directly elected by eligible voters. Women did not have the right to vote, and men’s right to vote was restricted. The right to vote was based on income or wealth, and only 20% of adult men were eligible to vote. The Second Chamber was elected in single-member constituencies, much like the British or American electoral systems today. To be eligible to vote, a person had to have an assessed annual income of at least 800 kronor, or real property with an assessed value of at least 1,000 kronor, or a lease on agricultural property of a specified value. Only men over the age of 21 were eligible to vote for the Second Chamber, and an additional requirement was that taxes had been paid for the past 10 years. Just over 20% of the adult male population had the right to vote in 1866, but due to rising incomes, that percentage had risen to about 60% by 1908. The Parliament Buildings: At the end of the 1800s, the Riksdag (the Parliament) still convened at the House of the Estates (Swedish: Riksens Ständers hus) on Birger Jarl’s Square on Riddarholmen, also known as the Old Parliament Building. Both chambers of the Riksdag were housed there until 1905, when a new Parliament Building on Helgeandsholmen was completed. The image shows the current Parliament building on Helgeandsholmen in Stockholm. Image: Wikipedia. Universal suffrage for men in 1909: Following a decision by the Parliament in 1909, the proportion of men eligible to vote increased. At that time, the Parliament decided to abolish the so-called property qualifications—that is, the requirement to have an annual income above a certain amount or to own or lease a property with a certain assessed value. This meant that a greater number of men in the country gained the right to vote. It is therefore considered that universal suffrage for men was introduced in 1909. The voting age was 24. However, anyone who had not paid their taxes or was dependent on social services was ineligible to vote. In 1909, a proportional representation system was introduced for elections to the Second Chamber of the Riksdag (Parliament). Prior to that, elections to the Riksdag had been conducted as first-past-the- post elections, primarily in single-member districts. Universal suffrage for women: • On December 17, 1918, a specially convened parliament (the Urtima Riksdag) decided to introduce universal and equal suffrage for men and women. This laid the groundwork for the legislative changes that would grant women the right to vote. The right to vote is incorporated in the Constitution, and altering it requires two legislative votes, with a general election in between. • On May 24, 1919, the Parliament passed the first of the two necessary parliamentary resolutions to amend the Constitution to grant women the right to vote (equal suffrage for men and women). The voting age was lowered to 23. The conditions were that men had completed military service, were not bankrupt, were not under the care of the poor relief system, and were not serving a criminal sentence. • In the fall of 1920, a general election was held (in which only men were still eligible to vote). • On January 26, 1921, the Riksdag passed the second and confirmatory parliamentary resolution on women’s suffrage. This amended the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. • The first parliamentary election in which women had the right to vote took place on September 12, 1921. This was also the first parliamentary election in which women could be elected to the Riksdag. So, by 1921, universal suffrage for both men and women had been fully established in Sweden. The image shows a demonstration march for women's suffrage in Gothenburg, Sweden, in June 1918. Photo: Wikipedia. Restrictions on the right to vote: However, universal suffrage does not mean that everyone has the right to vote. In 1921, the voting age was 23. Today, the voting age is 18. Furthermore, Swedish citizenship is required to vote in parliamentary elections. Anyone who had been declared bankrupt or placed under the care of poor relief could not vote before 1945. Furthermore, until 1937, convicts lost their right to vote, as those convicted of a serious crime also lost the civic trust required to exercise that right. The requirement to have completed military service (conscription) in order to vote was abolished in 1924. Until 1989, individuals could be declared legally incompetent, in which case they lost their right to vote. In 1945, the voting age was lowered to 21; from 1965, it was 20; from 1969, 19; and finally, 18 from 1975 onward. For more information, visit the page: The History of the Swedish Riksdag

The Spanish Flu of 1918

In 1918, a severe influenza epidemic spread across the globe and came to be known as the Spanish flu. It reached Sweden in late June or early July 1918. The total number of deaths caused by the disease in Sweden has been estimated at just over 38,000. However, the statistics are uncertain. There was no specific cure. Food shortages during the war, malnutrition (especially among the urban population), and the resulting weakened immune systems contributed to the rapid progression of the disease. Symptoms of the Spanish flu included lower back pain, high fever, sore throat, severe and rapidly developing pneumonia, and even heart failure. For more information, visit the page: Health Care and Diseases in the Past

The Discovery of Penicillin

In 1928, the British scientist Alexander Fleming discovered that the mold Penicillium notatum produced a substance that killed bacteria. He named it penicillin. In 1939, Ernst Boris Chain and Howard Walter Florey began experiments to produce larger quantities of penicillin from broth cultures. Its bactericidal effect was confirmed in large-scale clinical trials in 1942. Mass production soon began in the United States, saving the lives of tens of thousands of Allied soldiers during World War II. The first treatment with penicillin in Sweden took place at Sabbatsberg Hospital, Stockholm, in 1944. In 1945, Alexander Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, along with Ernst Boris Chain and Howard Walter Florey.

Major Cutbacks in the Swedish Armed

Forces in 1925

After the end of World War I in 1918, Sweden and many other countries were convinced that the world had learned its lesson and that no more world wars would break out in the foreseeable future. In a war-weary Europe, the slogan “No more war!” rang out. The 1920s witnessed a period of détente and disarmament. The threat from Germany and the Soviet Union was now extremely minimal, and the economic situation necessitated austerity measures. But this peaceful coexistence was not to last very long. In 1939, World War II broke out. In 1925, the downsizing of the Swedish armed forces began. The Defense Review had completed its work in 1923 and presented a proposal on how to reduce the size of the armed forces. The proposal advocated for the armed forces to be tailored to the current situation. The Swedish Parliament passed the Defense Act on May 26, 1925, which went into effect on January 1, 1928. The defense decision meant that Sweden adopted a new military organization, which resulted in a significant reduction of the defense forces, leading to a decrease in the number of army units as well as a sharp reduction in the training time for conscripts. The 1925 Defense Decision remained in effect, for the most part, until the 1936 Defense Decision. In total, 10 infantry regiments, 8 cavalry regiments, 3 artillery regiments, and 4 regiments from the Army Maintenance and Supply Troops, Army Engineers, and the Quartermaster Corps were disestablished. Examples of infantry regiments that were disbanded as a result of the 1925 defense decision include the Göta Life Guard, the Västmanland Regiment, the Jönköping Regiment, the Kalmar Regiment, the Västgöta Regiment, and others. The main difference among the infantry regiments that remained was that they were reduced by one or two battalions from their previous strength of three battalions. Although the 1925 defense decision entailed a significant reduction in military forces, it also marked a transition to a new and more modern defense system. New Armed Service of the Armed Forces: The Army Air Corps and the Navy Air Service were separated from the Army and the Navy and formed a separate armed service of the armed forces, the Air Force, on July 1, 1926. In 1928, the first anti-aircraft regiment was organized within the Artillery Branch (A9) of the service. In 1937, the anti-aircraft was granted independent status within the artillery , and in 1942, it became a separate branch of the army.

Motbok - A Way of Controlling Alcohol

Consumption Introduced in 1917

In Sweden, a system of controlling alcohol consumption by rationing liquor, known as the Bratt system, was introduced in 1917. The system was in force until 1955, when it was abolished. Every citizen allowed to consume alcohol was given a booklet called a “motbok”, in which a stamp was added each time a purchase was made at a liquor store (Systembolaget). The Motbok system, or Bratt system, was an attempt to reduce alcohol consumption in Sweden by regulating alcohol use. During the 1910s, the physician and liberal politician Ivan Bratt campaigned for regulations on alcohol sales to curb alcohol abuse. On August 27, 1922, a referendum was held on whether Sweden should ban alcoholic beverages. After the prohibitionists narrowly lost the referendum, the permanent adoption of the motbok system became a political compromise between the two sides. The image to the left shows a campaign poster for the “No” campaign against a ban on alcoholic beverages, titled “Crayfish Demand These Beverages.” The poster was created by artist and author Albert Engström. Image: Wikipedia. The Bratt system was a rationing system, so a passbook, called “motbok,” was needed to record purchases. Initially, the passbook was used only for spirits, but it was later used for wine as well. The liquor control system was fully implemented in 1917, and the state-run liquor stores, known as Systembolaget, were granted a monopoly on all alcohol sales. The passbook (motbok) was a booklet with space for stamps, where purchases were recorded to keep track of the allocated rations. A passbook was strictly personal and could not be lent to anyone else. To obtain a passbook, one had to submit an application to the relevant liquor store (Systembolag) and was then registered as a customer. Purchases then had to be made at that specific store. The ration for alcoholic beverages was initially one or two liters per month but was later increased to a standard three liters. However, it was the individual’s social status that determined the size of the ration. Additional allocations for weddings, birthdays, and entertainment were routinely granted upon request. The image shows an excerpt from a “motbok” at the Åmål Systembolag in 1920, the purchases section. Image: Wikipedia. The Bratt system was completely abolished in 1955. Systembolaget - Government-Run Liquor Stores: In the mid-19th century, Sweden’s—and the world’s—first alcohol monopoly was established in Falun City through a private initiative by local miners and a government decision. All alcohol sales in the city were regulated and were to be conducted on a non-profit basis. In 1860, it became illegal to sell alcoholic beverages to individuals under the age of 18, and the Alcohol Production Ordinance prohibited home distillation. In 1865, a state-regulated tavern, AB Göteborgssystemet, also opened in Gothenburg. AB Stockholmssystemet was a company founded in 1913, headed by the physician and politician Ivan Bratt. Its purpose was to implement his temperance policy, which was primarily characterized by limiting the right to purchase a certain quantity of alcoholic beverages per month. During World War I, alcoholic beverages were heavily rationed. An advisory referendum on the outlawing of alcoholic beverages was conducted in 1922. Opponents of prohibition won the vote. The Riksdag subsequently decided not to ban wine, spirits, and beer, but also to continue a restrictive alcohol policy. The various Systembolaget liquor stores that existed at that time were local companies with a monopoly on alcohol sales in the respective cities where they were located; in other words, they were separate companies with slightly different names. In 1955, the government merged the local monopolies on alcohol sales into a new government-owned company, Systembolaget, which now held a monopoly on alcohol sales in Sweden. The “motbok” (passbook) was abolished as part of this process, and the regulations were simplified and clarified. The government-owned Vin & Sprit (Wine & Liquor) was founded in 1917 as Aktiebolaget Spritcentralen, later AB Vin & Spritcentralen, in connection with the introduction of the Bratt system. When the Vin & Sprit Company was established, all spirits producers and importers in Sweden were compulsorily acquired and came under V&S’s control. Existing brands were also taken over. Vin & Sprit’s monopoly on the import and wholesale trade of wine, spirits, and foreign strong beer, as well as on the production and export of spirits, was not lifted until 1994, in connection with Sweden’s accession to the EU.

The Concept of Torp and Torpare (Croft and

Crofters)

In genealogy research for your Swedish roots, you will eventually come across terms like "torp" (croft) and "torpare" (crofter). The term “torpare” has had slightly different meanings over the centuries. From the 17th century onward, the term “torp” also came to refer to a small, tax-exempt agricultural unit. It was usually located on private land, and the right to use it was granted to a tenant (called a “torpare”) who performed day labor or other services for the landowner. The crofting system, with its crofts and crofters, became a way for the larger landed estates to secure a labor force. The crofts were built on the estate’s land, and the crofters were required to perform a certain number of days’ work on the landowner’s estate each year as payment for the lease. In other words, the croft became a form of payment for labor on estates and larger farms. The crofters occupied an intermediate position between the tenant farmers, who paid rent in cash, and the farmhands and “statare,” who lived off work paid for in kind. Crofters, on the other hand, had their own homestead—the crofts—as well as livestock and associated farmland (which they leased). As mentioned, the rent was paid in the form of days of labor to the landowner. Crofts could be located far from the estate. The right to use the crofts was inherited. There has been a similar system of crofts and crofters in Scotland in the British Isles. However, this system did not exist in England. So, the term “crofter” is a British English term for a tenant farmer who paid his tenancy with daily labor on the landowner’s estate. The Swedish word “torp” is a cognate with the English "thorp" (a secondary settlement or small group of houses in the countryside), which is found in many English placenames. The number of crofts (labor-tenure crofts) in Sweden peaked in the 1860s, at around 100,000. However, following the land reform of 1827 (“Laga Skifte”), the rate of increase slowed. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the obligation to undertake day labor was sometimes replaced by monetary rent, and larger crofts often became tenant farms. The image shows a crofter with his family in front of his croft in Torsås parish, Småland (Kalmar County). The image is used with permission from Morgan Emilsson. Day labor as a form of payment for the right to use the crofts was banned in 1943 under the new tenancy legislation. Thus, the crofter institution came to an end. For more information, see the page: Croft and Crofters and The Old Agricultural Society and its People

"Statare"—A Farm Laborer System Paid in

Kind

The “statare” farm laborer system emerged in the mid-18th century and was not abolished until 1945. The “statare” system originated in Södermanland County and the Lake Mälaren region and was found primarily in the vast plains of central and southern Sweden. It did not exist at all in Norrland (the northern half of Sweden). The system of statare remained a phenomenon associated with large landed estates, although the occasional larger farm might also have had statare. The “statare” were propertyless, landless, and livestock-less; they were poor, married farm laborers. They were typically hired on a one-year contract basis and lived on the estates in special farmhands' quarters, known as “statarlängor.” The “statare” were married and were hired as a family unit; that is, the wife was also expected to work. Wages were paid mostly in kind, that is, in the form of an agreed-upon benefit. The one-year employment contract ran the last week of October and remained in effect for one year thereafter. It was during this week—known as “slankveckan”—that they changed farms. When the farmhand moved on, he received a leave of absence form, which served as both a reference from his former employer and proof that he was available for employment. Under the so-called "Legostadgan" (the Servant Charter), the landowner may physically reprimand and punish his employees. The “Legostadgan” was not abolished until 1926. The image shows “statare” farm laborers (barnhands) and farm maids (milkmaids) at the Janslunda estate, Ytterselö, Södermanland, circa 1907. Photo by Martin Söderholm. The “statare” farm laborer system was finally abolished in 1945. For more information, see the pages: The Statare System , Snickartorp (a statare lodging) under Berga Estate

Sweden's Defense During World War II,

1939–1945

World War II was an armed conflict that lasted from the fall of 1939 to the fall of 1945. The major powers formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies (primarily the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and later the Soviet Union) and the Axis powers (primarily Germany, Italy, and Japan). World War II is considered to have begun on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. When World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, Sweden, along with a number of other countries—including Norway, Denmark, and Finland—declared themselves neutral. Thus during World War II, Sweden remained neutral. Sweden did not actively participate in the war, but the Swedish population was still indirectly affected. Rationing was introduced, civilian vehicles were converted to run on producer gas, and conscripts were called up for military service—the Neutrality Guard. The image shows a Swedish soldier on guard duty in Värmland during the years of heightened alert. Photo: Army Museum. On August 27, 1939, Sweden’s then-Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson declared in a speech at Skansen in Stockholm (open-air museum and zoo), with a confident tone, that “our preparedness is excellent.” The speech has often been quoted but also misinterpreted. Following the 1925 defense decision, which entailed major cutbacks in the military—including the disbandment of regiments, a shortened training period for conscripts, and officers leaving the military—Sweden’s military strength was not satisfactory. But what Per Albin Hansson was referring to was rather Sweden’s civilian preparedness, specifically the food and fuel supplies, which were in excellent order. The Swedish Armed Forces raised the alert level as early as September 1, 1939, and a partial mobilization was carried out, which meant that conscripts were called up for standby duty in field units as part of what was known as the Neutrality Guard. Both younger and older conscripts were required to perform standby duty for extended periods. This entire period is also referred to as the “years of readiness.” The Finnish Winter War of 1939–1940: After the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union gained considerable freedom of action with regard to the Baltic states and Finland. On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, and the Finnish Winter War had begun. On December 2, Sweden decided to mobilize an army division of approximately 100,000 men to protect the Swedish border with Finland. When the Winter War broke out, Sweden made an exception to its policy of neutrality, and in December 1939 the government declared that Sweden would be a non-belligerent party alongside Finland in this conflict. In other words, we sided with Finland in the conflict without entering the war. This allowed Sweden to send material support to Finland as well as recruit Swedish volunteers to be deployed in Finland. The Swedish Volunteer Corps organized Swedish citizens who had signed up as volunteers to fight on Finland’s side in the Winter War. On December 21, 1939, the first troop of volunteers departed from Stockholm. When the volunteers arrived in Finland to serve in the Swedish Volunteer Corps, they were required to sign an employment contract, which meant they were employed by the Finnish armed forces. The Swedish Armed Forces had granted the Swedish Volunteer Corps officers ans soldiers leave of absence in order for them to participate. The image shows a combat patrol from the Swedish Volunteer Corps on skis in snow gear, on duty at the front in Finland during the Winter War. Photo: Wikipedia. A total of 8,260 Swedes were enlisted in the Swedish Volunteer Corps. The Volunteer Corps arrived at the Salla Front in late February 1940. The Swedish Volunteer Air Wing in Finland, F 19 Finland, was a Swedish volunteer air unit that formed an air wing (a fighter division and a bomber division) that operated in Finland in 1940 during the Winter War. On December 30, 1939, the Swedish government decided to place war aircraft at the disposal of the volunteer air unit. Denmark and Norway were occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940: On April 9, 1940, German troops occupied Denmark and Norway. At that time, the majority of the Swedish armed forces were stationed along the Finnish border in Norrbotten in the far north. On April 11, 1940, general mobilization was therefore initiated in Sweden, and the number of men under arms was increased in a matter of weeks from approximately 60,000 to 320,000. From 1939 to 1945, more than one million Swedish conscripts were called up for military alert service. In February 1942, the February Crisis occurred, when the Germans began building up a strike force in Norway in preparation for a possible invasion of Sweden. This was known in Sweden, as they were able to intercept German communications, and in response, a total of 300,000 men were mobilized for a massive military exercise in Jämtland province near the border with Norway. The units that were mobilized were of a substantially different caliber from those called up during the first state of heightened readiness in 1939. They were well- trained and highly skilled, and the mobilizations proceeded quickly and efficiently. In 1936, a modest rearmament program began, focusing primarily on military weapons. Significant resources were allocated to tanks, but the Air Force was also modernized. In 1942, the Riksdag enacted an important defense resolution (FB 42), resulting in a significant increase in the defense budget. Among other things, the training period for conscripts was now increased to 450 days. Starting on June 23, 1940, Swedish warships were painted with white horizontal stripes on their decks and sides so that they could be clearly identified as neutral vessels. After occupying Norway, the Germans demanded access to Sweden’s telephone network to maintain telephone communications with their forces in Norway. Sweden consented to this, because it enabled the Swedish military intelligence service to intercept German communications. The Cryptography Department, the predecessor to the FRA (Swedish Defense Radio Establishment), was responsible with intercepting German communications. However, German communications were encrypted using a code that initially seemed impossible to crack. This was due to the German G-cipher machine. However, as early as the summer of 1940, the Swedish Armed Forces' Cryptographic Unit IV successfully cracked the German G-cipher in a matter of weeks. As a result, the Swedish intelligence service was able to decode nearly 300,000 German messages over the next few years. The Swedish Air Force was established as a separate service of the armed forces on July 1, 1926. In 1936, a major expansion of the Air Force began in accordance with the 1936 defense decision. The image shows three J22s, a Swedish fighter aircraft, during World War II. As early as 1922, trials with tanks began in Sweden. In 1928, a tank battalion was formed within the Göta Life Guards (I 2). In 1939, the battalion was divided into two armored battalions: one attached to the Skaraborg Regiment (I 9) and one attached to the Södermanland Regiment (I 10). The Armored Troops were established as a separate branch of the Swedish Army on October 1, 1942. The image shows the Swedish M/1942 tank equipped with a 7.5 cm gun during a training exercise during the years of WWII. Image: The Swedish Military Archives. In 1921, experiments with anti-aircraft defense began within the artillery (A9). In 1928, the first anti- aircraft regiment (A9) was organized. In 1937, anti- aircraft defense was granted independent status within the artillery, and in 1942, it became a separate branch of the armed forces. Following a parliamentary decision in 1940, the Home Guard was established, thereby replacing the former Landstorm. The Home Guard’s mission was to serve as the first line of local defense in the event of an enemy attack and to hold back the enemy until reinforcements could arrive in the form of regular troops. Following the invasion of Norway, Germany demanded that German personnel and equipment be permitted to transit via Sweden before reaching German troops in Norway. The government initially refused this transit traffic, but before negotiations were concluded, it permitted, from April 16 to June 10, 1940, that German soldiers on leave and supplies be sent to Norway. Between June 1940 and 1943, large quantities of German supplies and unarmed German soldiers were therefore transported by train to and from Norway across Swedish territory. On August 5, 1943, transit to Norway was finally halted. It should be mentioned, however, that German fighter planes crossing the border into Sweden were shot down without warning shots. Rationing: A shortage of essential imported goods soon arose in Sweden during the war. The National Food Commission began distributing ration cards as early as October 1939. The first rationing measures took effect in March 1940 (coffee and tea). Sugar was rationed in April of that same year, followed in quick succession by most foodstuffs as well as gasoline, firewood, and so on. After the peace in 1945, rationing gradually ceased, and the last item to be deregulated was coffee (1951). To compensate to some extent for the shortage of motor fuels, many gasoline-powered vehicles were converted to run on producer gas (wood gas). Norwegian and Danish troops are being trained in Sweden: During WWII, approximately 50,000–60,000 refugees came to Sweden from Norway, but a significant number also arrived from Denmark (especially after 1943). Drawing on this group of refugees, many of the young Norwegian men were recruited, trained, and equipped to form a Norwegian force in Sweden, known as the “police troops.” In total, just over 15,000 Norwegians were trained in Sweden. The Norwegian troops were issued a modified version of the Swedish Army’s m/1939 field uniform. The buttons, however, were replaced with new ones bearing the Norwegian lion. On January 12, 1945, approximately 1,300 men from the Swedish-trained police troops entered Northern Norway and relieved the Russian Red Army in Kirkenes, Finnmark. At the end of the war, the remaining troops were transferred to Norway, where they were used for maintaining order and arresting collaborators. Just as Norwegian police units were deployed, a Danish force—the Danish Brigade—was also established in Sweden. However, there were significantly fewer Danish refugees than Norwegian ones. By the end of the war, the Danish Brigade numbered approximately 3,600 men. Since the deployment of foreign combat units in Sweden conflicted with the declaration of neutrality that Sweden had issued at the outbreak of war between Germany and the Western powers in September 1939, great effort was made to conceal the true nature and scope of these operations from the Germans; among other things, the term “police troops” was used. Operation Save Denmark: Operation Save Denmark (RD) was a planned Swedish military operation toward the end of World War II aimed at liberating Denmark from German forces stationed there. On May 4, 1945, Chief of General Staff Major General C. A. Ehrensvärd announced that planning for a landing in Denmark was fully complete. The operation involved a landing of significant Swedish army units supported by large naval and air forces. The objective was to crush all armed German resistance on Zealand and to restore public order. In May 1945, there were approximately 28,000 German troops stationed on Zealand, Denmark. To accomplish this, substantial Swedish forces would be deployed. In total, the Swedish force comprised approximately 60,000 troops. Additional military personnel included the crews of the warships and Air Force personnel. The Danish brigade was to be deployed in Operation Save Denmark (RD) alongside the Swedish forces. The plan was to launch the Swedish operation around May 18, 1945. However, the German forces in Denmark surrendered on May 5, 1945, before the Swedish plan could be put into action; the Germans were likely aware of what was in the works. Immediately after the German troops in Denmark surrendered on May 5, 1945, the Danish brigade was transported by ship to Helsingør in Denmark. The image shows a unit from the Danish Brigade in the port of Helsingør after crossing over from Sweden on May 5, 1945. For more information, visit the following pages: Sweden’s Military Preparedness 1939 - 1945 , Swedish Military War Units - WWII , The Norwegian and Danish Police Troops in Sweden , The Organization of the Swedish Armed Forces, 1900s , Swedish military intelligence service , The Cryptography Department Further: Swedish Volunteer Corps in Finland , Operation Save Denmark

Kalla kriget 1945 - 1990

Det Kalla kriget var en period av skarpa motsättningar utan konventionellt krig, mellan främst Sovjetunionen och USA och deras respektive allierade stater, som varade från omkring 1945 och fram till omkring 1990 då Berlinmuren föll (9 november 1989) och Sovjetunionens kollaps därefter. Det kalla kriget har på olika sätt starkt påverkat och präglat Europa. Sverige hade under Kalla kriget ett strategiskt geografiskt samt politiskt läge i Europa som försatte landet i en balansgång mellan de olika maktblocken. Under 1950-talet och framåt byggdes cirka 60 moderna kustartilleribatterier längs den svenska kusten. Detta var moderna bergsanläggningar och de som byggdes under slutet av 50-talet och framåt skulle kunna motstå den tidens kärnvapenanfall samt kemiska och biologiska attacker. Dessa bergsfästningar var utrustade med kök, matsalar, förråd, logement, toaletter och duschrum, vatten- och luftrening, dieselelverk, fältsjukhus och rum för stabsfunktioner och eldledning. Bilden visar en fast 7,5 cm kustartilleripjäs (lätt tornpjäs) på Hemsö fästning under kalla kriget. Svenska säkerhetspolisen (Säpo) lade sitt fokus på att övervaka de kommunistiska östeuropeiska ambassaderna i första hand Sovjetunionen, eftersom de ansågs som ett hot gentemot Sveriges säkerhet. Övervakning och telefonkontroll på Sovjetunionens ambassad gav Säpo information om deras verksamheter. År 1963 greps Sveriges överste i flygvapnet, Stig Wennerström, efter bevis att han var en spion för Sovjetunionen uppdagades. Nato, Atlantpakten eller den västliga försvarsalliansen, bildades 1949 och är en militär försvarsallians som bl.a. bygger på ett kollektivt försvar där medlemmarna förbundit sig att hjälpa varandra om något medlemsland blir angripet. Efter kalla kriget: Efter kalla krigets slut omkring 1990 inleddes en successiv avveckling av Sveriges försvar. Nedmonteringen av det svenska försvaret efter 1990 är den hittills största nedmonteringen i Sveriges historia. Sveriges dåvarande socialdemokratiska regering under statsminister Göran Person hävdade bestämt att nu när Sovjetunionen kollapsat fanns inte längre någon risk för krig och därmed kunde svenska försvaret kraftigt nedrustas. Regeringen Persson ansåg att det inte fanns någon anledning till att finansiera ett försvar med en hög beredskap som tidigare varit nödvändigt. Nedrustningen var så långtgående att en stor del av det svenska försvaret las ner. Person tystade all opposition med att säga att om säkerhetsläget längre fram blir sämre igen är det bara att rusta upp igen. Försvarsbeslutet 2004 ledde till den största förbandsnedläggning i svensk historia sedan 1925-års försvarsbeslut. Med en moderatledd regering från 2006 under statsminister Fredrik Reinfeldt skulle en upprustning vara mycket tänkbar med tanke det nu rådande säkerhetsläget med ett Ryssland som rustade kraftigt. Men Reinfeldt saknade helt intresse för försvaret och han valde i stället att skönmåla säkerhetsläget och hade inga planer på att öka försvarsbudgeten. Försvaret var ett ”särintresse” för honom har han sagt flera gånger. Men det visade sig på 2010-talet att en upprustning inte är gjort i en handvändning. Med nedlagda regementen, officerare om slutat, betydligt färre antal värnpliktiga, material och vapensystem som skrotats eller inte förnyats så kom upprustningen på 2010-talet att ta mycket lång tid.