Figure 1.--Here Swedish children worked on a paper drive are taking a break to have a look at the funnies. HBC has begin to collect information on comic strips, but we have no information about Swedish strips. |
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Sweden was the only Scandinavian country and one of the few Europen countries not to be drawn into World War II. Like many countries, Sweden proclained its neutrality. Sweden remained neutral in World war I and hoped t0 do so again after World war II broke out in Europe. When the NAZIs invded Denmark and Norway (April 1940), it was expected that Sweden would be next. In the end no military action took place on Swedish soil, but tht does not mean that Sweden was not affected by the War and played a part in it. Sweden acceeded to German demands to use the Swedish railroad system to move men and material into Norway, but only after the Germans were securely in control of the country. When the NAZIs invaded Denmark and Norway (April 1940), it was expected that Sweden would be next. We do not know to what extent Hitler considered invading Sweden and what disuaded him from doing so. The NAZIs finally concluded that Sweden would prove more useful as a neutral country. Sweden's primary role in the War was to supply raw materials (mineral ores, especially iron ore), finished steel, and manufactured goods to NAZI Gemany. Surrounded by the NAZIs, Sweden had few options. Cut off from other trading partnes, Sweden proceeded to expand trade with the Germans and Swedish raw materials supported the Gernman war effort until late in the war.
The Swedish monarchy in the 19th century evolved into a parlimentary democracy. Sweden was in the 20th century a politically stable country with only minor extremetist factions. There was in Sweden neither an important Communist or Fascist party that generated support for paticipation in the War. Despite his defeat in the struggle for the personal power of the King, Gustaf V won the affection of his people during his long reign, 1907-1950. During World War II, King Gustaf symbolized the unity of the nation. This meant that the monarchy was rooted in the personal popularity of the King. King Gustavus V died after the War at Drottningholm near Stockholm (1950).
Sweden did not have a significant military capability. Sweden had an even more limited military capablity than Switzerland. It could have easily been seized by the NAZIS had Hitler decided to do so.
Like many countries, Sweden proclained its neutrality. Sweden remained neutral in World war I and hoped to do so again after World war II broke out in Europe. Seden until the Napolenouc Era had been a major power in Europe. By the 20th century, Scandinavian attitudes had changed. The population had increasingly adopted a more pascifistic outlook with more muted national outlooks than was the case in much of the rest of Europe. In the end no military action took place on Swedish soil, but this does not mean that Sweden was not affected by the War and played a part in it.
When the NAZIs invaded Denmark and Norway (April 1940), it was expected that Sweden would be next. We do not know to what extent Hitler considered invading Sweden and what disuaded him from doing so. The NAZIs finally concluded that Sweden would prove more useful as a neutral country. Hitler had a racial world view. He hated the Poles and Russians because they were Slavs, explaining his invasion of those countries, both out of racial hatred and the desire to seize their land and resources. The invasion of Denmark and Norway was different. Here for racial reasons he admired the people of both countries who were even more Nordic than the Germans. The invasion here was primarily because the Allies were prepared to mine Norwegian harbors which would have cut Germany off from Norwegian iron ore as well as impaired the ability of the U-boats to reach the Atlantic. There was no real military imparaive to invade Sweden as the Swedes were willing to supply German with essential war materials.
Sweden was a country that was dependant on international trade. The major impact of the war that except for Germany, Swedent was cut off from internation trade. The Germans controlled the Baltic and the Danish pasages to the North Sea. This did considerable damage to the Swedish economy. Sweden was a net food importer and thus food became a problem during the War.
After the NAZI-Soviet destruction of Poland, Finland was the next country to be invaded. This time the Soviet Union acted alone. The Swedes as much of the world were sympathetic toward the Finns when the Soviets invaded (November 1939). There were some volunteers which fought with the Finns and the Swedes delivered supplies to the embattled Finns. Sweden refused, however, to support te Finns militarily. Sweden refused to allow Britiain and France to send troops across Swedish territory. In retrospect this probably saved the Allies from what would have been a catotrophic mistake. Hitler hoped that Swedish sympathy for the Finns might enduce them to join his crusade against the Soviets.
Hitler issued a Directive for "Case Weser exercise"--the invasion of Demamark and Norway (March 1, 1940). The swedes were shocked when the NAZIs invaded neigboring Denmark and Norway. When Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, Sweden mpbilized for a German attack, but it never came. Denmark did not seriously resist. The Norwegians had no professionl army. Britain and France intervened, but the Germans were soon in control (April). With the fall of France, Hitler and the NAZIs controlled much of Western Europe. The NAZIs demand the use of the Swedish railway system. The Swedes agreed to allow German sldiers to transit from Trelleborg, Sweden, to Oslo, Norway June 18). The Swedes also aceed to German demands that the Swedish railroad system transport German war material across Sweden to German units occupying Norway (July 8). This was important as the British Royal Navy and Air Force could intercept German marine cargo transports. After the War there was considerable butterness in Norway concerning the Swedish role in the NAZI occupation of Norway. In reality, however, if the Swedes had defied the NAZIs, a German invasion very liked would have ocurred. There was low-level covert training and supplying of resistance fightrs in both Norway and Denmark.
Sweden's primary role in the War was to supply raw materials (mineral ores, especially iron ore), finished steel, and manufactured goods to NAZI Gemany. Surrounded by the NAZIs, Sweden had few options. Cut off from other trading partnes, Sweden proceeded to expand trade with the Germans and Swedish raw materials supported the Gernman war effort until late in the war. Sweden allowed the Germans to use its railways to move men and material across the country. This proved useful both in Norway and the northern operations against the Soviet Union.
While Sweden femained neutral in the War, a few Sweedes volunteered for war duty with biligerant countries. Sweedes strongly supported neigboring Finland in the Winter war. A number of Swedes volunteered to fight with the ebattled Finns War after the Soviet invasion (1939). I'm not sure about the actual numbers. A much smaller number voluntered to fight in the the NAZI anti-Bolshevik war against the Soviet Union. Most Sweedes believed in democracy and were horrified with Hitler and the NAZIs. There was, however, also concern with Stalin and the Communists. Thus Hitler's crusade against Communism appealed to a few Sweedes.
Jews have lived in Sweden since the Middle ages under a wide range of restrictions. The effort to achieve emancipation began after the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. King Charles XIV took the first step when he rescinded some restrictions placed on Jews (1838). This provided Jews basic civil rights and legal protection. Sweden was one of the first European states to take this step. There were still restructions on intermarriage. Most of the remaining restrictions were removed by the 1870s, but a prohibition on holding politica office conctinued into the 20th century, finally veing removed in 1951. Aftercemacipation in the mid-19th century, Jews became full Swedish citizens and anti-Semitism was much less prevaleng in Sweden than most other European countries. Sweden's Jewish population increased after emancipation, reaching about 6,500 in 1920. While this was a substantial increase, the Jewish population was minor compared to the large Jewish populations in Russia, Poland, and other European countries. Much of the increase was the result of emmigration resultung from pogroms and other repressions in Russia which at the time controlled much of Poland. Sweden adopted restrictive immigration laws after World War I. After tge NAZIs seized power in Germany (1933), small numbers of German Jews emmigrated to Poland. The NAZI Anschluss in Austria brought fears of expanded Jewish emmigration. University students at Uppsala and Lund demonstrated against increased Jewish immigration (1938). A wave of anti-Semmetic action spread over Europe even before World War II began. The Swedish Government prohibited the Jewish ritual slaughter of animals. The Swedish Government allowed only 3,000 Jews to immigrate or enter Sweden as a transit point (1933-39). When reports of NAZI attricities reached Sweden, the Government began reassessing its policies. The NAZI pogrom of Kristallnacht shocked Swedes and other Europeans. After the the NAZI invassion and occupation of Poland much more apauling accounts of NAZI brutalities reached Sweden. The Government opened Sweden to any Jews which could reach Sweden. Sweden olayed a key role in saving Noewegian and Danish Jews. Sweden gave refuge to 900 Norwegian Jews (1942). Even more importantly, Sweden accepted 8,000 Danish Jews, virtually the entire Danish Jewish community (October 1943). Sympathetic Danes snatched the Danish Jews from the NAZIs just as they were about to be rounded up and transported them on small fishing boats to Sweden. Sweden also played a major role in effots to save Hungarian Jews. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was dipatched to Budapest and became a thorn in Eichmann's side, saving thousands of Hungarian Jews. Another Swede, Count Folke Bernadotte, managed to gain the release of some Jews and non-Jews from NAZI concentration camps. As with other countries, Sweden's record is not without blemishes. Some Swedes, traded in NAZI gold and other looted valuables. Sweden was also an important supplier of iron ore and ball bearings. This had to be put in perspective. The NAZIs had already invaded Norway to the east and Finland to the west was a NAZI ally. The German military could have easily occupied Sweden in 1940-42. Only in 1943 as the German military position on thecEastern Front deteriorated did a threat of NAZI invasion recede. (SWitzerland was in a similar position.) Thus it is diffifult to fault the Swedes for maintaing trade relations with the NAZIs. Even during the NAZI accendancy, however, Sweden refused to close its borders to Jews as the Swiss did. Sweden like other European vcountries had their own domestic Fascists. A small number even emmigrated to German and served in the SS and as concentration camp guards.
The United States after World War II provided Marshall Plan aid to Sweden. As Sweden did not sustain ay significant war damge, the country's economy recovered quickly after the War. One factor was that German competitors were destroyed or badly damaged in the War, but this was patially offset by the fact that a postrate Germany could not afford to buy Swedish products. Sweden after the War used its prosperous economy to finance the "Folkhemmet" welfare state.
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