"Sweden fight the SA and SS? Almost! " Topic

I have now up-dated my blog about the Swedish NF mission in Saar in Germany in 1935. The Swedes did not fight the SS, but you can!

adalenfigures.blogspot.se

Interesting … thanks !

Although Sweden claimed neutrality during WW2, they were very pro-Nazi. Sweden supplied iron ore for German war industries and the ovens in concetration camps. When Allied pilots and aircrew were forced down in Swedish territory they were imprisoned for the duration of the war while German pilots and aircrew were immedialtly repatriated to Germany to continue fighting. The Hitler Youth had active chapters in Sweden at the time. For example, the founder of Ikea, although Swedish, was in the Hitler Youth as a boy and remained a dedicated Nazi all his life. Swedish volunteers served in the German Army during WW2. It seems rather unlikely that Sweden would ever have fought their fellow Nordic Supermen.

Blado48: Most of the things you wrote is not true.

Sweden was not pro-Nazi at all. Sure Sweden was pro-German in the beginning, and pro-Ally after 1942 (or something similar), but that is different to pro-Nazi.
There were no Hitler Youth chapters in Sweden. Sure, there were pro-Nazis (as there were almost in all countries).
Sure there were 280 Swedes fighting for the Germans (180 in SS), but there were around 1000 joining the Allies (mostly the Norwegians) to fight the Germans, and around 8000 Swedish sailors was used by the Allies merchant fleets.

Sweden cannot be proud of ww2, but it is not as bad as you claim it to be.

Sorry to upset you, I really wasn"t trying to start a "flame war" but what I wrote above IS TRUE. Deny it all you want, but it did happen.

After re-reading my first, it does sound very anti-Swedish and I apologize for the tone. Sweden was in a tough spot in WW2. W1th Germany (I won't call them Nazis anymore) occupying all the surrounding countries, Sweden had few options. She certainly wasn't alone in trading with the Axis and sending volunteers.

The US government declared "neutrality" at the start of the war, but it sent massive amounts of war material to the Allies and even repaired damaged British warships in American shipyards. At the same time private American companies were conducting "business as usual" with the Axis. In particular, the US sold oil and scrap metal for the Axis war machine. This practice didn't end until after Pearl Harbor. Americans of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry joined their respective armed forces – some were even charged with war crimes.

Germany billed her war with the Soviet Union as a "crusade agains communism" and all occupied European countries had collaborators. The Dutch sent the largest number of volunteers – about 50,000 men – to fight in German uniform.
One of the great ironies of the war occurred near the end in Berlin when Hitler's bunker was defended by French SS troops. Many German troops were trying to surrender to the Western Allies ahead of the Russian steamroller but these Frenchmen knew they would be shot as traitors no matter who captured them, so they fought to the end.

Britain had its Fascist element as well – remember Lord Haw Haw? "Neutral" Spain sent troops and many Soviet minorities, oppressed by Stalin, fought for Germany. In the Middle East, Iraq, encouraged by Germany, rose up against the British.

Many Latin American nations had strong ties to Italy and Germany. The US had a tentative plan to invade Brazil if it went over to the axis.

The Soviet Union was nominally an ally of the US in the war against Germany, but remained neutral in the war against Japan. The Soviets interned American aircrews who had force-landed in Soviet territory after their aircraft were damaged over Japan. After the war, when US authorities showed reluctance to turn some German prisoners whose homes of record were in the Soviet occupied zone over to the Russians, Stalin sent the US internees – about 6,000 men – into Soviet forced labor camps. They never returned. This was hushed up by the Truman administration.

The point I'm trying to make is that Sweden was not alone in dealing with Germany. However, she did have a special relationship with Germany and really did all the things I mentioned in my first post.

Some (one?) of your points are true. But most are not true or missleading. When you write something like that you should be more careful with facts. Are you sure that you are thinking about Sweden and not Switzerland? Many confuse us two.

Fact check:
Sweden exported iron ore to Germany: True.
Sold owens: Never heard about it, source?
Hitler Youth chapter in Sweden: Not true.
Allied pilots and aircrew imprisoned for the duration of the war: Not true. Do a simple google search and you will find that they were send to england before the war ended.
Kamprad belonged to Hitler Youth: Missleading. He was part of a fascist group that supported nazi-germany (so they were most likely nazist) when he was young, but it was not Hitler Youth.
Kamprad was dedicated nazi all his life: Not true. Or at least noone have come up with any evidence for that.
Swedish volunteers served in the German Army during WW2: Missleading. 10 times as many fought or were employed by the allies.
German pilots and aircrew were immedialtly repatriated: I know of a lot of soldiers that were not sent home at all, but instead to the allies after the war ended, so I very much doubt that the airmen would be treated differently.

Hi Bjorn,

I didn't say Sweden sold ovens. Some of the imported Swedish iron ore went to IG Farben in Germany who actually built the crematoria.

Hitler Youth-like organizations used different names in different countries. I used the name as short-hand for the Swedish Fascist youth groups patterened on the German Hitler Youth. Call them whatever you like, they did exist.

As you admit, the founder of Ikea was member of a Hitler Youth-like organization in Sweden and I have never seen any evidence that he recanted. In fact, he donated to "Fascist" goups after the war when the enormity of the Nazi horror became public knowledge. To say he was a "Fascist" only in his youth is misleading.

I admit that I don't understand your logic in the statement Sweden was pro-German in WW2, but not pro-Nazi. In WW2 the Germans were Nazis and Sweden's support for the Nazi government of Germany means Swedish government was pro-Nazi.

The Swedish government of the time did not change it's attitude toward the Allies nor change its treatment of interned Allied aircrew as prisoners until the end of the war when it became obvious that Germany was doomed and the Allies would prevail. They certainly did keep Allied aircrew imprisoned while returning German aircrews to combat. Hardly a "neutral" act.

My statement that Swedes joined the German military is not misleading, it is a fact that even you admit is true.
Of course, not all Swedish citizens were pro-Nazi and I did not say they were. Sweden was not alone in having citizens on both side of that conflict. Virtually every country in Europe (and beyond) had citizens who supported one side or the other in that war. Even Germany itself had anti-Nazi groups.

I'm sure you are a good, decent, patriotic citizen who loves his country. But you need to check your facts. Don't rely on what you were taught in school. All countries have chapters in their past that they find embarassing and it is natural for nations to try to put the best spin possible on their history. This is not intended as an indictment of modern Sweden. Please don't take anything I have written as a personal attack.

Best regards,
blado48

Blado48:
Sorry if I come out a little bit strong.
But I don't understand what this "special relationship with Germany" is?
When I read you posts it sounds like our relationship was like anyone elses, incl USA.
Most other countries did also export to Germany, had fascist organisations, had prominent persons that supported the nazis, had citizens that joined the Germans.
So why wouldn't we fight our "fellow Nordic Supermen"?

Bjorn,

I surrender! You win. I'm off to Ikea to buy a bookcase.

Blado48