481:
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449:, with Sweden's parliament being informed the day after. On 12 October it turned out that the political support was deemed insufficient in Sweden for a military engagement on Åland: the Rightist Party was in favor, the Social Democrats were split, and a majority of the Farmers party (Bondeförbundet) and all the Liberals were opposed. The opposition to Swedish military assistance on Åland was strengthened by the fear that intervention would become extended to
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22:
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595:. In addition, a smaller number of individuals joined the Finnish army units or operated mechanical shops repairing equipment, mainly in the Swedish speaking south of Finland. The Swedish government and public also sent food, clothing, medicine, weapons and ammunition to aid the Finns during this conflict. The military aid included:
567:
The belief that Sweden was best served by a defence in
Finland was enacted primarily by Douglas, whose Northern Army Corps comprised around 26,600 men who had been mobilised to guard the Swedish border with Finland in case the Russians invaded. He reasoned that the best way he could defend Sweden was
463:
The message perceived by public opinion in
Finland, as well as in Sweden, thus differed greatly from the Swedish government's intentions. For two months Finland literally fought for her national survival, but by the end of January 1940, the Soviet Union gave up its plans for a reconquest of the whole
543:
Swedish military strength was at one of its low points due to the grand disarmament of 1925. The rearmament program decided in 1936 had not yet had any substantial effect on the armed forces. The army had only 16 tanks apart from a small number of tankettes armed with machine guns. Air defence guns
275:
in Europe. Sweden did not become actively involved in the conflict, but did indirectly support
Finland. The Swedish Volunteer Corps provided 9,640 officers and men. The Swedish Voluntary Air Force also provided 25 aircraft that destroyed twelve Soviet aircraft while only losing six planes with only
579:
The
Northern Army Corps, barred from entering Finland, did not end attempts at aid, however. Swedish first line units would sometimes lose equipment and material that was needed on the other side of the border. The willingness to help out can be traced to officers in charge of Swedish supply units
535:
One of the main considerations that led the
Swedish government to declare Sweden a non-belligerent state was concern that they might otherwise lose control of the internal situation in Sweden. The Soviet demands on Finland in the months prior to the outbreak of war had roused public opinion. While
507:
During the war, Sweden's government rejected a total of three formal pleas from
Finland's government to engage militarily in Finland's defense against the Soviet Union. Detailed plans for Swedish deployment along Finland's border had been made ten years before, and they were regularly updated in
575:
The fact that the
Swedish government did not get news of Douglas' plan right away makes it entirely possible that the plan could have been implemented. However, when they found out the plan was scrapped although Douglas was allowed to retain command and later rose to become Chief of the Army.
370:
Even though central politicians and officials had been converted and convinced of the necessity for a closer
Swedish–Finnish cooperation, parliamentarians and prominent individuals did not change their anti-Swedish or anti-Finnish attitudes as easily. Impressions made (in both countries) in
285:
417:, had made a more aggressive impression. Litvinov's half-promises to accept and support joint Finnish–Swedish provisions for the defense of Åland against the potential German threat were not upheld by his successor. As a consequence, Soviet-leaning ministers in Sweden, such as
548:
fighters. Modern artillery was very limited, short range guns of the Great War era or older were the norm. Worse was that no modern military material was available for purchase, as the producing countries regarded exports secondary to equipping their own armed forces.
413:'s demise as Soviet Foreign Minister in March 1939 signaled an increasing tension and danger for Finland and the Baltic countries, and indirectly for Sweden. Litvinov was known as being friendly towards the West, whereas the new minister,
387:
all stuck. These impressions, in turn, were compounded by a tendency in Sweden to emphasize the danger of Nazi expansionism and to view the Soviet Union with a great deal of goodwill: in
Finland, however, the converse view was dominant.
536:
there had been large demonstrations in support of
Finland, Russia was a traditional enemy, and fear of the Russians had been a part of the Swedish mindset since 1719, when Russian galleys burned Swedish coastal communities during the
445:, Finland's situation seemed increasingly dangerous. On 4 October Finland's government asked if Sweden was prepared to contribute to Ă…land's defense with military means. The following day, Molotov invited a Finnish delegation to
652:. The goal was now fixed on keeping Sweden out of the growing European conflict; if they had not gone to war to defend Finland, there was no way that they would do it for Norway. The last surviving Swedish veteran of the war,
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According to Krister Wahlbäck, the Finnish government retrospectively complained about Sweden's passivity: any help had not only been insufficient, but also for the most part come from the military industry's own initiative.
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Even worse, training had been very reduced in a 1925 decision to cut back on the armed forces, and most units had no winter training and had to leave army units needing to conduct rehearsal training after a mobilization.
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were seen as likely aggressors, eager to regain territories lost as a result of World War I, and likely to want to expand their influence further, if possible. Finland re-oriented its foreign policy towards
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to move into Finland and meet the Russians there. When the Russians had reached a certain point inside Finland, the whole Northern Army Corps would move across the border and take up positions along the
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and to quiet a strong Swedish activist public opinion advocating participation in the war. The statement had this effect, but was also to produce substantial bitterness in Finland.
355:
policy of the Swedish type. The detailed plans for military cooperation were supplemented by intensified contacts between diplomats and politicians. Social Democrats under
705:
Leskinen, Jari (1999). "Suomen ja Viron salainen sotilaallinen yhteistyö Neuvostoliiton hyökkäyksen varalta 1930-luvulla". In Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti (eds.).
425:, proposed Sweden's withdrawal from these plans. Parliament agreed, being eager to continue Sweden's successful policy, since 1812, of non-confrontation towards Russia.
468:). This would mean that the Soviet Union might gain much greater territory than the Red Army had been able to seize control of by military means. Through the so-called
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was informed that Swedish troops were not to be expected. It remains controversial to this day whether he delivered this message to his colleagues and his president.
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in 1929. Sweden agreed that it would first suggest the Gulf blockade to the Estonians in 1930. Officially Sweden would not participate, but it would give
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Several books written about the Winter War include reference to the Swedish volunteers and many older Finns today still acknowledge their contributions.
276:
two to actual enemy action and four to accidents. Sweden also provided a portion of the weapons and equipment used by the Finns throughout the war.
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in organised units before the war ended, which can be compared to the largest contributor to the International brigades, France, during the entire
648:
calling for active intervention in the war. It also helped to establish the political priorities before the events of 9 April 1940, when Germany
464:
of Finland. It was now deemed sufficient if Finland ceded its industrial heartland, including its second largest city Viipuri (Viborg, currently
186:
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It is known that at least 15,000 Swedes volunteered to fight alongside the Finns, with 10,000 accepted for training and 8,000 actually went to
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The Winter War also helped reaffirm the Swedish position. Aid to Finland had been as much about aiding a neighbour as about neutralising the
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politicians and military officers. Both to the right and to the left, a closer cooperation with Finland was seen as a means to counter the
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policies dominated Swedish impressions of Finland. Cooperation with Finland had in the 1920s and 1930s primarily been advocated by fringe
291:
was offered on the condition it was given free passage through non-belligerent Sweden instead of taking the road from the Soviet-occupied
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of the two countries. However, no formal alliance had been concluded, and a proposed official recognition of cooperative defense of the
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transport aircraft turned into bomber, and 3 reconnaissance aircraft, totally comprising 1/3 of the Swedish air force at the time.
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Within the Swedish military, officers who had been volunteers in the Finnish Civil War were now senior officers, most notably
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to help defend Finland against the Soviet invasion. This statement from the king was aimed at pressuring Finland to accept
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According to the dominant view in Sweden's foreign ministry, Finland's foreign policy had, since its independence and 1918
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303:, been "unsteady and adventurous". In addition, Finland's domestic politics were viewed with great suspicion by Swedish
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Sweden's king helped the public perception of Sweden's intentions converge with the government's intentions.
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with Finland. However, behind the scene, the general staff of Sweden and Finland had negotiated secretly the
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135,402 rifles, 347 machine guns, 450 light machine guns with 50,013,300 rounds of small arms ammunition;
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that states a Knowledge editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.
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The Nordic trend did not officially allow Swedish participation in security management of the
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publicly rejected pleas from Finland's government for military intervention in the
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Swedish Volunteer Corps recruitment poster. Translated "Finland's cause is yours".
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709:(in Finnish) (1st ed.). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. pp. 127–140.
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seemed to offer only a hollow protection against foreign aggression. In the
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Publicly, Finland was supported, but Finland's Foreign Minister
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on 30 November 1939. This took place three months after the
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personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
805:"En av de sista svenska frivilliga i Vinterkriget är död"
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had been rebuffed by Sweden's parliament in June 1939.
307:. After the Socialists' defeat in the civil war, anti-
87:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
572:, all without approval of the Swedish government.
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488:In the "StatsrĂĄdsdiktamen" on 19 February 1940,
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437:and the following Soviet aggressions against
429:The political response to the Soviet invasion
453:, which few parliamentarians would support.
323:position of the Social Democrats in Sweden.
259:was fought in the four months following the
239:The Commander of Swedish volunteers General
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
791:FinlandsfrĂĄgan i svensk politik 1937-1940
731:"Swedish Army Order of Battle: 1939–1940"
531:Swedish volunteers during the Winter War.
223:Learn how and when to remove this message
205:Learn how and when to remove this message
147:Learn how and when to remove this message
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624:17 fighter aircraft, 5 light bombers, 1
564:, commander of the Northern Army Corps.
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544:were few and the air force had only 36
359:were rehabilitated and included in the
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756:"Swedish Army Infantry Regiment: 1937"
666:Swedish intervention in the Winter War
560:, a member of the General Staff, and
846:Swedish volunteers in the Winter War
681:Finnish–Estonian defence cooperation
671:Swedish Volunteer Corps (Winter War)
580:likening the Swedish Army Stores at
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39:or discuss these issues on the
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851:Soviet Union–Sweden relations
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502:harsh Soviet peace conditions
397:Gulf of Finland blockade plan
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280:Background to Swedish policy
271:that triggered the start of
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707:Talvisodan pikkujättiläinen
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523:Swedish military's position
96:"Sweden and the Winter War"
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789:Wahlbäck, Krister (1964).
650:invaded Denmark and Norway
584:as a Finnish supply base.
367:became ambassador there.
269:German invasion of Poland
856:Finland–Sweden relations
686:Samfundet Nordens Frihet
656:, died in August 2020.
435:Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
243:and his Chief of Staff
841:Sweden in World War II
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373:Finland's independence
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289:Franco-British support
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245:Carl August Ehrensvärd
185:by rewriting it in an
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476:Message from the King
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779:Wangel 1982, p. 136.
610:with 301,846 shells;
602:144 field guns, 100
365:Juho Kusti Paasikivi
81:improve this article
433:In the face of the
604:anti-aircraft guns
538:Great Northern War
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470:StatsrĂĄdsdiktamen,
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187:encyclopedic style
174:is written like a
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451:Mainland Finland
443:Baltic countries
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371:connection with
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261:Soviet Union
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241:Ernst Linder
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654:Bengt Essén
458:Elias Erkko
423:Östen Undén
349:Scandinavia
836:Winter War
830:Categories
815:2022-10-12
766:2007-06-02
741:2007-06-02
692:References
570:Kemi river
558:Axel Rappe
498:Winter War
383:, and the
353:neutralist
326:After the
317:right-wing
257:Winter War
107:newspapers
36:improve it
640:Aftermath
615:sea mines
321:hegemonic
301:civil war
137:July 2007
42:talk page
660:See also
617:and 500
494:Gustaf V
492:'s king
441:and the
411:Litvinov
401:materiel
342:and the
606:and 92
589:Finland
415:Molotov
361:cabinet
293:Petsamo
265:Finland
181:Please
121:scholar
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490:Sweden
466:Vyborg
447:Moscow
439:Poland
351:and a
249:Tornio
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582:Boden
517:Ă…land
128:JSTOR
114:books
711:ISBN
626:DC-2
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255:The
100:news
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