"From the mud and bloody hell of Flanders to forlorn battles in Siberia and bitter street fighting to the very heart of Berlin 1945. From Africa to the Arctic, fighting men from a country frowned upon for its 'cowardly' neutrality participated in all the crucial battles of World War I and II. Their homeland was Sweden, which has enjoyed almost two hundred years of peace ... despite Sweden's policy of neutrality, no fewer than 23,000 Swedish citizens went to war between 1914 and 1945 ... [this book] also puts an end to the myth that most Swedes enlisted in Hitler's forces. Only 200 joined the Waffen-SS or the Wehrmacht of 1939-1945. In the same period, 9,000 Swedish citizens joined the Americans, the British, the Norwegians, and the Poles. In addition, well over 200,000 men of Swedish descent served in US, British, Canadian, and Australian Armed Forces"--Page 4 of cover

We thank Ekman & Co AB and Gadelius Holding Ltd for their kind and generous support, making this research available online for free. Lottaz and Ottosson explore the intricate relationship between neutral Sweden and Imperial Japan during the latter’s 15 years of warfare in Asia and in the Pacific. While Sweden’s relationship with European Axis powers took place under the premise of existential security concerns, the case of Japan was altogether different. Japan never was a threat to Sweden, militarily or economically. Nevertheless, Stockholm maintained a close relationship with Tokyo until Japan’s surrender in 1945. This book explores the reasons for that and therefore provides a study on the rationale and the value of neutrality in the Long Second World War. Sweden, Japan, and the Long Second World War is a valuable resource for scholars of the Second World War and of the history of neutrality.

This is the story of Sweden ́s Army during the wars 1700-1721 against a number of enemies, foremost Russia, until the collapse of the Swedish Empire.

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all managed to stay out of the First World War, but all three were deeply affected by it. When the trade war and blockades came into play, the Scandinavian countries were subject to relentless pressure. Inflation and shortages of consumer goods caused widespread hardship and, ultimately, political unrest. The result was the widening social divide and bitter political divisions that marked the inter-war years. In Scandinavia in the First World War, the authors analyse aspects of the military and economic consequences of the Great War, and explore how intellectuals engaged in political propaganda and the peace movement. They also look at the experiences of the groups who came into immediate contact with the war: seamen, journalists, volunteer nurses, and thousands of Scandinavian soldiers. With a comparative introduction to the history of the Scandinavian countries during the First World War and detailed case-studies, this volume presents a wide-ranging survey of the situation in the neutral Scandinavian states. With its cross-disciplinary approach, it touches on cultural, social, and military history, as well as literary and minority studies.

The Scanian War was bloody and inconclusive, yet established the modern border between Denmark and SE - Sweden and formed the foundation for comprehensive Swedish military reforms.

Sandwiched between Nazi Germany and the "Russian Bear," Sweden walked a diplomatic tightrope on if and how it should support Finland during the Russo-Finnish Winter War. Social and political forces motivated the Swedish leadership to promote neutrality and avoid official military engagement, while at the same time the Swedish Volunteer Corps comprised the largest volunteer combat force (more than 8,200 strong) in any modern war. This book discusses the political background of the 1939-1940 Winter War; setbacks the volunteers suffered due to weather and terrain; and the ever-present fear that war would come to the Scandinavian Peninsula.

After the death of Gustavus Adolphus, his chancellor Axel Oxenstierna assumed overall command and led the Swedish army to victory in the Thirty Years War.