| Swedish Neutrality |
Article Index for Swedish |
Website Links For Swedish |
Information AboutSwedish Neutrality |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SWEDISH NEUTRALITY | |
| world war ii politics | |
| history of sweden | |
| foreign relations of sweden | |
| politics of sweden | |
|
THE POLICY OF 1812 n movement.]] The new foreign policy, often called ''The Policy of 1812,'' was directed by Jean Baptiste Bernadotte , the elected crown prince. The policy of 1812 was in sharp contrast to Sweden's previous foreign policy, during which Sweden had been involved in many conflicts, especially with its arch enemy, Russia. However, in 1812, with Napoleon starting a campaign against Russia and Tsar Alexander , the Tsar was in need of allies, and so met with the Swedish king in Åbo. At the meeting it was agreed that Sweden would accept that Finland was part of Russia in exchange for the Tsar's help in pressuring Denmark to cede Norway to Sweden. Swedish troops led by Bernadotte took part in the Napoleonic Wars in 1813 and 1814, fighting against France (they had a small role at the Battle Of Leipzig ) and Denmark. Sweden forced Denmark to hand over Norway by the Treaty Of Kiel . This was recognised by the Allied powers at the Congress Of Vienna . Since this time Sweden has not taken part in armed warfare (with the exception of peacekeeping). SCHLESWIG QUESTION During the First War Of Schleswig , from 1848 to 1851 , Swedish troops were located in Jutland as support for Denmark against Prussian -supported rebels; the Swedish regular troops, however, never experienced any combat. Hundreds of Norwegian and Swedish volunteers joined and fought in the Danish army. After 40 years of successful trust-building with Russia, Sweden took no serious policy risks in the Crimean War , despite the possibility of a revision of the harsh Peace Of 1809 . Although Sweden concluded an alliance with Britain and France , ( November 25 , 1855 ), the country did not engage in warfare. At the Second War Of Schleswig , the Riksdag Of The Estates refused to fulfill King Charles XV 's promises of military support; and Sweden observed a strict neutrality, which would prove to be advantageous. Prussia would soon forge and dominate Imperial Germany , an unmatchable foe for Sweden — whose relative strength had diminished strikingly since its zenith during the Thirty Years' War . WORLD WAR I Prussia's dominance had made the following forty years peaceful in the Baltic Region , and by the outbreak of World War I neutrality seemed a natural state to many Swedes. Although feelings of cultural and scientific kinship with the German Empire were strong in Sweden, so were mercantile and personal ties with Britain and France. Opinion was split between Conservatives , with sympathies for Germany, and Liberals , with more mixed sympathies. Organized, but politically less influential, were the Social Democrats , who were in many cases Antimilitarist s and opposed to the war. The neutralist stance was reinforced when Denmark and Norway remained neutral. Voices for neutrality dominated the public debate, but Queen Victoria and some conservatives were strong advocates for entrance in the war on the German side, and the government's policy had a clearly pro-German bias. In 1916 , the pro-German policy was abandoned, having resulted in famine, rebellious opinions, and no tangible advantages. Once again, the conviction that strict neutrality was most suitable for Sweden dominated Swedish society. A new, less German-minded Conservative cabinet was appointed, and to calm the social unrest, democratic reforms were promptly initiated that cemented Sweden's neutralist policy and would soon lead to the still lasting political hegemony of Social Democrats. ÅLAND ISLANDS See Also: Åland crisis The politician who stood as the biggest thorn in the side of the government was the Swedish Foreign Minister , Rickard Sandler ( 1932 - 1936 and 1936 - 1939 ). Sandler strongly opposed the government's policy of strict neutrality, feeling it necessary that the government relax its stringent policy. Sandler expressed a desire to defend the Åland Islands from either German or Soviet control, by mining the area around the islands in conjunction with the Finnish government. |
|
|