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Thread: Sweden in WW2

  1. #21
    conon394's Avatar hoi polloi
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    Several advanced swedish military plans were being discussed and made near the end of the war.
    Man would have pissed off the Finn's. Sure save Denmark but no intervention back in the Winter War.
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  2. #22
    Adar's Avatar Just doing it
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    The short version is: Invading Sweden would be far more trouble that it was worth. Germany wanted two things, natural resources and freedom of movement from Norway to Finland. Invading Sweden would be easy but it would also require a huge occupation force which would be too costly. Instead they made a deal for trade and a second one for transferring troops between Norway and Germany as well as moving a division from Norway to Finland to "protect" Finland (real reason, support invasion of Barbarossa by attacking Murmansk).

    Long version

    Sweden had an extremely close relationship with Finland before and during world war 2. This relationship is a key factor in Swedish politics during WW2.

    When Soviet pressure increased in 1938 for Finnish land concessions both Germany and liberal democracies like Sweden, Britain and France supported Finland.

    The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was essentially a betrayal by Germany since the nation officially was supporting Finland. After the pact was made Germany still covertly supported Finland under the condition that they would not make formal defense agreements with Sweden (to maximize German influence over Finland). This ment that during the Winter War (Soviet invaded on the 30th of november 1939) Britain and France were formally supporting Finland and made several proposals to send an intervention force. These deals were however since both Sweden, Norway and Germany knew that Churchill would use such a force to stop Swedish ore export to Germany and that Germany would consider such an agreement as an alliance between Sweden and the Allied nations.

    The timing of the Winter War made Sweden officially align with Finland as a non-neutral, non-belligerent nation against the Soviet Union. Sweden therefore sent both volunteers and a significant amount of it's military equipment to Finland but did not declare war. The close informal contacts with the Finnish military also made Sweden aware of Operation Barbarossa at an early stage of the planning. As a response to this the Swedish general staff led by supreme commander Thörnell strongly supported an active intervention in the war on the side of Finland which would also serve improve Swedish relations with Germany. The government however supported a strategy where Sweden would remain politically neutral while covertly supporting the Danish and Norwegian resistance to maintain good ties with the Allies while openly supporting Finland in the continuation war (Finnish war against Soviet 1941-1944).

    The German high command were well aware of the leanings of the Swedish military both due to formal and informal relations. Hermann Göring was for example married to Carin von Kantzow, sister in law to Eric von Rosen, a Swedish officer who created a Swedish volunteer airforce in Finland. This in combination with Swedish willingness to provide both raw materials and allow German forces transportation through Sweden made a German invasion of Sweden both costly and counter productive.

    Later during the war this decision proved costly as Sweden refused further transportation of German forces through Sweden while increasingly providing support to the Danish and Norwegian resistance. As Sweden mobilized and Germany weakened initial concessions were also reduced. After 1943 Sweden also refused to allow Germany to transport soldiers through Sweden and in 1944 the iron ore export was stopped completely.

  3. #23
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    Quote Originally Posted by Faaip de Oiad View Post
    It just wasn't for heavy water - it was for the Kreigsmarine to have bases to operate against British shipping.

    Other than that - Norway was really a just useless land that german troops had to occupy.
    It was Germanic land so it was needed to be occupied.

    How else could the Germanic Reich be created?

  4. #24
    Atterdag's Avatar Tro og Hĺb
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    Funny thing is that the thought of even pulling a Munich on Denmark never even crossed Hitler's mind, so cease the troll posts Latvian dude.
    Last edited by Atterdag; July 15, 2011 at 08:37 AM.
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  5. #25
    Ahlerich's Avatar Praeses
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    Quote Originally Posted by Stormherald View Post
    Spain i wouldnt say was neutral, more pro axis than anything. There were Spanish troops on the eastern front, the Blue division if i recall fighting at Leningrad.

    But would agree with Turkey.
    werent the spanish troops volunteers? just like the norwegian volunteers in the waffen ss. or turkish ss volunteers?



    judging by the emblem this must be bosnian ss men though. couldt find a turkish pic
    Last edited by Ahlerich; July 15, 2011 at 11:52 AM.

  6. #26
    Foederatus
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    Default Re: Sweden in WW2

    Quote Originally Posted by Ahlerich View Post
    werent the spanish troops volunteers? just like the norwegian volunteers in the waffen ss. or turkish ss volunteers?



    judging by the emblem this must be bosnian ss men though. couldt find a turkish pic
    If you read about the blue division it was pretty much goverment sponsered not just a few guys walking into occupied territory and enlisting.

    "Although Spanish leader Field Marshal (Generalísimo) Francisco Franco did not enter the war on the side of Nazi Germany, he permitted volunteers to join the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) on the clear and guaranteed condition they would exclusively fight against Bolshevism (Soviet Communism) on the Eastern Front, and not against the Western Allies or any Western European occupied populations. In this manner, he could keep Spain at peace with the Western Allies whilst simultaneously repaying Hitler for his support during the Spanish Civil War (see Condor Legion). Spanish foreign minister Ramón Serrano Súńer made the suggestion to raise a volunteer corps, and at the commencement of Operation Barbarossa, Franco sent an official offer of help to Berlin."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Division

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