Originally posted by GigaShadow
Hmmm lets see... the Wallenbergs secret business dealings with Germany, Sweden to this day refuses to prosecute Nazi War Criminals, Sweden hid stolen Jewish assets during the war, etc. etc... I would hardly have labeled Sweden neutral in WW2. As for the Finns I have read they don\'t particularly like the Swedish - I wonder why?
As far as your "famed participation" in the Congo conflict goes... please I am trying to contain my laughter.
Refuses to prosecute Nazi War Criminals? Do we even have any? :eek:
Thats a first for me.
EDIT: Do you mean that we let germans into the country after the war (and also during their espace from Estonia, Latvia etc)? IIRC they were sent back and were taken care of by the russkies.
I found a few articles speaking of suspected war criminals living in sweden, but no nazis.
EDITII: Ah now I found it, it seems the nazi war criminal thing was based on a book about "The Swedes Who Fought for Hitler" by Bosse Schön where he uses lists of Baltic nazis - most of them dead - as proof, it has been known for a while. And I would not trust Herr Schön with anything as he used a known mythoman in his book who said he was a camp guard at one of the killing camps.
About the gold/assets there was an investigation and it turned out not to hold water, we have no known \'jewish\' gold. But if there was something I would not be surprised, that stuff went left and right. I thought it turned out that US soldiers stole some stuff also?
EDITIII: Here I found the conclusion of the investigation.
[Translated]
The investigation of Sweden and the jewish assets holds no drastic unmaskings.
Today it was handed over by the representative of the government to foreign minister Anna Lindh.
County governor Rolf Wirtén has lead the commission which are responsible for the inquiry. It was appointed to examine if Nazis and other during the war had transported stolen jewish assets to Sweden, or if there were any jewish assets here which had been left over by the rightful owners who were murdered by the Nazis.
No extensive assets of jewls, art, security papers (?), insurance or anything else has been found.
And this the inquiry puts an end to the speculation that there would be significant assets of jewish assets still left in Sweden.
(SvD)
The neutral thing has been under attack for several years since we let the Engelbrecht (which passed from Norway to Finland to help with the Soviet attack) transit happen, but people seem to forget that we supplied the Danish and Norwegian resistance with arms, we trained Danish and Norwegian "Armed Police" which would enter their countries to fight the retreating Germans (IIRC only the Danish one entered real combat.. The German surrender was quite controlled), that isn’t allowed if you are neutral either, but I guess its okay as long as it syncs with the allies.
The Finnish problem. I dont know why some Finns hate us? Little brother complex (we too have a US – Canada thing.. Sweden-Finland, Sweden-Norway)? I read in the newspaper an article written about a Finn, of course it had to do with the dreaded Finland vs Sweden hockey match, but he shed some light on some of the things why some Finns don’t like us. He claims that the Finns think we have too much luck with things (Like Donald Ducks cousin, whats his English name? Alexander Lukas he’s called here), everything seems to work out for us etc.
I dont know, but I doubt its because what happened when they were attacked by the Soviets. We DID help them, arms, ammunition (we gave away most of what we had), cannonfodder (men, 4000 of them, they even chanced a law so that Swedish Army men were allowed to go over there and fight), aeroplanes, artillery etc. The government took the official "not fighting" (Note the difference, "Icke Stridande", Not Fighting, not neutral) route but in the mean time they unofficially supported the war.. Huge campaigns were launched, Finlands Sak Är Vår (Finlands Cause Is Ours) etc..
Finnish children were evacuated into the country.
I myself find the whole thing silly, its only during the “Finlandskampen” (an annual event where athletes from Finland and Sweden fight for the prestige of beating the other, last year Sweden won both on the women and men side. Call it a glorified dick measuring competition if you will) that we are allowed to hate eachother.
If you see the political climate (something I think Americans have a hard time understanding as you were sitting across the Atlantic sea, not even being in the war from the start), enemies 360 degrees (remember, Finland was ‘allied’ with Germany, so the evil children eating Germans were there too!) I find it amazing that we survived without being invaded, I applaud the decisions taken by the Per Albin Hansson government. We did more good being ‘neutral’ than what we could do sending our armies and being invaded.
And I quote an Norwegian resistance man "Sweden being neutral saved perhaps as many as 30 000 Norwegian lives, as they found refuge in the country."
Meh, I think a wrote a little too much.
Giga: As a bonus for reading all of that I have copied an article from a english newspaper (The London Gazette) that I own given out in 1675, its from our more... shall we say, fighting years?
Stockholme June 30, 1675
The Letters from Holland brining an account of War having been declared there against this Crown, his Majesty assembled the Senate, to consult what measures to take, where it was resolved, That his Majesty should make War against the States General, both by Land and Sea; in order whereunto, the Fleet is making ready with all the diligence possible, and several Privateers are fitting out, by the Nobility, and others, for the annoying the Dutch Trade. The Goods and Effects of the Dutch Merchants here, have been likewise seized, as likewise all Debts owning by the Subjects of this Crown to the Dutch, by which means it is thought, the King will raise a Sum of Two hundred thousand pounds sterl, though even the Suedish Merchants will in some part suffer thereby. It hath also been invited to the Dutch Residents here, That the King desires he will forbear coming to the Court, or making any Addresses to his Ministers for the future. In the mean time preparations still continue fo the solennizing the Kings Marriage with the Princess of Denmark, as likewise for the Kings Coronation, and the assembling the States of the Kingdom in order thereunto.
Hague, July 27
Our Letters from Stockholme give us account, That our Merchants there are proceeded against with much severity, their Goods and Effects seized, and their Persons secured.
FINAL EDIT: Woo, what an broken post this is.. Now I must leave as I have some bicycle riding to do tomorrow.
