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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 neutral powers were countries that remained neutral during World War II.Some of these countries had large colonies abroad or had great economic power. Spain had just been through its civil war, which ended on 1 April 1939 (five months prior to the invasion of Poland)—a war that involved several countries that subsequently participated in World War II.
The accession to the European Union in 1995 meant that neutrality as a principle was abolished. Sweden remained a non-aligned country in regard to foreign and security policy until joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2024. Swedish neutrality during World War II has been much debated in the
Along the way, Sweden's neutrality was tested — particularly during World War II, when it made concessions to Germany to stay out of war. “The Second World War was a near-death experience for ...
Sweden was a neutral state during World War II and was not directly involved in the Holocaust in German-occupied Europe.Nonetheless, the Swedish government maintained important economic links with Nazi Germany and there was widespread awareness within the country of its policy of persecution and, from 1942, mass extermination of Jews.
During the Cold War, Sweden maintained a dual approach: publicly, the strict neutrality policy was forcefully maintained but, unofficially, strong ties were kept with the US and it was hoped that the US would use conventional and nuclear weapons to strike at Soviet staging areas in the occupied Baltic states in case of a Soviet attack on Sweden.
As in the First World War, Sweden remained officially neutral during World War II, although its neutrality has been disputed. [88] [89] Sweden was under German influence for much of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades. [88]
When long-neutral Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland, both expected a quick accession process. More than a year later, Finland is in, but Sweden is still in the alliance’s ...