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Storlien, Sweden, 1940, German transit traffic Storlien, Sweden, 1940, German transit traffic, alpine riflemen. The matter of German troop transfer through Finland and Sweden during World War II was one of the more controversial aspects of modern Nordic history beside Finland's co-belligerence with Nazi Germany in the Continuation War, and the export of Swedish iron ore during World War II.
Sweden maintained its policy of neutrality during World War II.When the war began on 1 September 1939, the fate of Sweden was unclear. But by a combination of its geopolitical location in the Scandinavian Peninsula, realpolitik maneuvering during an unpredictable course of events, and a dedicated military build-up after 1942, Sweden kept its official neutrality status throughout the war.
The Midsummer crisis (Swedish: Midsommarkrisen) was a political crisis in Sweden after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941. [1] Sweden's neutrality was tested when Nazi Germany and Finland demanded that Sweden allow the transit of the Wehrmacht's 163rd Infantry Division by railroad from Norway to Finland. [1]
Sweden agrees to transit German troops on leave, to and from Norway. The Permittenttrafiken (transit of German troops) commences. The transit is later expanded to allow the transport of materiel and reinforcements. In all about 2,1 million German soldiers are transported to and from Norway on Swedish railways until the transit is stopped in 1943.
4 March - British commandos carry out attacks on Narvik, Norway via Sweden; 22 June - Midsummer crisis: Political crisis over the start of Operation Barbarossa; 25 June - 163rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) starts to travel through Sweden. 17 September - Swedish navy experiences its worst disaster ever in Harsfjarden [2]
Platinfuchs ("Platinum Fox") (1941) — Joint German-Finnish attack towards Murmansk from Finnish Petsamo; Polarfuchs ("Polar Fox") (1941) — Joint German-Finnish attack towards Kandalaksha from Finnish Lapland; Renntier ("Reindeer") (1941) — German occupation of Petsamo; Safari (1943) — German operation to capture and disarm Danish forces
As a result of Denmark and Norway falling into German hands, Sweden and Finland became strategically encircled by the German-Soviet pact. Since the Baltic states ( Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania ) had been forced to accept limited Soviet forces on their soil, in the autumn of 1939, they were de facto more or less in a state of occupation.
Finland, classed elsewhere as a "Nordic" country, participated in Barbarossa but later fought against German troops (see Military operations in Scandinavia and Iceland during World War II). Yugoslavia , for much of the war, was part of operations in southern Europe but it was liberated by the Red Army .