Wartime neutrality – allegedly
16 May 2025
This time 80 years ago, Europe was still celebrating the end of World War II and the first thoughts of how to rebuild were only just beginning to take shape. Meanwhile, Sweden was instrumental to reconstructing Europe, as their official policy of neutrality kept its workforce and production facilities intact. But neutrality in times of war often actually meant collaboration with the Nazi regime.
To mark the 80th anniversary, Swedish television has released a series called "Sweden and the war". Based on private film clips that had never been shared before and newly recorded interviews, the documentary explores how ordinary Swedes lived at the time. This is a topic mostly reserved for discussions among historians, and isn't a big part of school education, according to the documentarists.
When the war broke out, the Swedish government’s main priority was to avoid getting involved, not only due to the tradition of non-alignment, but also due to the lack of military preparedness. Out of pressure and a fear of invasion, a deal was made for Nazi Germany to access Swedish railways, transporting more than two million soldiers to and from Norway.
On the trade front it was business as usual: Sweden kept selling its iron to Nazi Germany, which was used to make weapons for their military. While this strategy proved itself to be successful in terms of keeping Sweden unoccupied, in practice, it meant that Sweden was effectively assisting Germany in the war against the Allies.
At the same time, many Jews from surrounding countries fled to Sweden. It hosted resistance movements and refugee networks, such as those operating in the Baltics.
 | Amélie Reichmuth Sweden’s neutral stance was one of many moral dilemmas. While being part of enabling Nazi Germany’s war, they were also able to give refuge to many Jews, people escaping Soviet occupation, and others fleeing persecution. Telling the story of Sweden’s role in the war is crucial to learn the lessons needed to react to both current and future challenges. It’s also urgent, as those who were alive during the war are getting fewer. Over the past couple of years, Sweden has revisited its recent history, and by joining NATO last year finally abolished its 200 years of neutrality policy. |
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