why did sweden remain netural durin world war 2 even though its neighbouring countries...?

Question

had fallen victim to the nazi war machine?

Answer 1

That's a quite complicated question. It's because of the diaries of our politicians from back then that makes me think that they really weren't siding with them. They said they were sickened and just had a bad conscious for their decision and said the other choice would have been worse (meaning confronting the Germans). Ofc they might just have written that because they didn't want future generations to know the actual reason.. but I'm not a conspiracy kind of a person.. it sounds way too far fetched. Then we have also been neutral for about 130 years or whatever (about 200 years today) in peace time so that we could remain neutral in case war would come, which it did.



Sweden couldn't have stopped them anyway and Sweden was a "safe zone" for refugees. BUT we traded with them. We sold a lot of steel which made us money and let them transport their troops on our railroads to other countries (meaning Norway and Finland) and at the same time we took in refugees from those countries, including my grandmother (Norway). But in retrospect the alternatives would be worse. If we would have objected to trade they would have invaded us and have unrestricted access to our steel which would then be free for them. Then they could also build concentration camps, kill tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers. They would have had unrestricted access to our railroads. There would be no more safe country left in northern Europe. Think about it. Pretend you were prime minister of Sweden, a country that claims to be nonaligned for 130 years and then this happens which you can't stop. The faith of millions were in your hands and if anyone dies it would be because of your decisions. You have a choice not to get attacked and beaten like almost all of Europe. I mean if it's only about your life the decision would obviously not be the same but.. well what would you have done? As much as I am ashamed and disgusted by their decision I have to admit that I would have done the same thing in their place.

Answer 2

Officially it was neutral, just like Switzerland.

Here's a quote:

The official policy of Sweden during World War II was neutrality. Swedish neutrality in international disputes has been its policy for more than a century, since the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Answer 3

The official policy of Sweden during World War II was neutrality. Swedish neutrality in international disputes has been its policy for more than a century, since the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Answer 4

Why should we care more about our neighbouring countries than any other countries in Europe that had been occupied?



Sweden is a small country and can hardly protect another country. A policy of neutrality means protection for Sweden's own inhabitants.

Answer 5

Sweden change into impartial actual contained in the sense that they neither militarily helped nor hindred the Nazi. mutually -- throughout their so-observed as neutrality - Sweden exported iron ore to grant Nazi Germany's warfare market via the Norwegian port of Narvik.