Swedish neutrality in WW2

>allows krauts to pass through their country
>neutral

Sweden should had been treated as a member of the axis powers.

Yes, it was right for them to protect their citizens from possible war. However, they profited from both WWI and WWII more than they should have by trading with both sides and it tells much about a country.

But what could they realistically have done?
>Soviet Union attacks Finland and causes the bloodiest war in nordic history (there was also a real scare in Sweden about the Soviets expanding their influence into the whole of scandinavia after dealing with Finland)
>less than half-a-year later Germany takes out both Denmark and Norway
>a year from that and you are surrounded by German influenced nations attacking the Soviets and forcing you to either make concessions, join the axis or simply get conquered
What would you have done in this situation? One of the possibilities was to help Finland out in their "separate war" with the Soviets in order to not officially join the axis but how would the Swedish populace have reacted to sending their army into a frozen wasteland to the east?

>>2602789
>how would the Swedish populace have reacted to sending their army into a frozen wasteland to the east?

Same way as they always have.
>better have fingols die in masses than have even a single swede die fighting against russians
That was their policy even when Finland was part of the Sweden and I doubt that they would have been willing to change that policy when it was an Independence country.

>>2602805
come the fuck on, you know that's not the real reason, Pekka

>>2602789
>One of the possibilities was to help Finland out in their "separate war" with the Soviets
Sweden didn't declare war outright, but did send volunteers, over 8000 people going over, and supplied airplanes who flew under a different flag and lots and lots of armaments.

>Volunteers arrived from various countries. By far the largest foreign contingent came from neighbouring Sweden, which provided nearly 8,760 volunteers during the war. The Swedish Volunteer Corps (Svenska Frivilligkåren), formed from the Swedes, the Norwegians (727 men) and the Danes (1,010 men), fought on the northern front at Salla during the last weeks of the war. A Swedish unit of Gloster Gladiators, named "the Flight Regiment 19" (Lentorykmentti 19, LeR19; 19. flygflottilj, F19) also participated. Swedish AA-batteries with Bofors 40mm-guns were responsible for the air defence of northern Finland and the city of Turku.[172]

>>2602766
What is "right"? The Swedish government did what was best for its people. The public was generally lukewarm to negative in opinion towards Nazi Germany and the press had to be censored not to damage relations with the Germans. The closest to sympathies with the Germans came from sympathy for Finland and fear of the Russians/Communists.

Sweden needed coal and other necessities to keep its people fed and warm and its economy running. Germany had coal and needed iron and certain products like ball bearings. So naturally they traded and with the overwhelming force of the German Wehrmacht at their doorstep the Swedish government made the concessions they had to make. Notably some in the German government actually complained about the lack of coke/coal even while they were trading it away to Sweden.

The United Kingdom's government was generally sympathetic towards Sweden and understanding of the difficult situation the kingdom found itself in. The Americans were more difficult to please and basically had this anon's attitude going into it
>>2602770

The Swedes pretty much rolled back their concessions as soon as they could, with the Germans being distracted with the eastern front and it becoming increasingly obvious who the winners were. Sweden also housed and trained police forces for the free governments of Norway and Denmark and took in refugees that escaped Germany.

>>2602805
>That was their policy even when Finland was part of the Sweden
Huh? Every province in Sweden had to supply soldiers. Now you're just being silly.

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>>2602805
Pekka at some point you have to stop being butthurt over the fact that you were forced to learn Swedish in school.

>>2602814
8000 men as volunteers isn't all too much though (not even a full sized division) considering the totality of the war and the fact that even Finland, with a population smaller than that of Swedens, had an army of 400,000-500,000 during operation barbarossa

But this is irrelevant. Sweden seems to have made the right choice in the end because they didn't get occupied at any point of the war, they made profit by trading with both the axis and the allies and they completely maintained their neutrality even during the cold war.

>>2602766
they could not risk offending anyone

Sweden were "neutral" in the same way ireland were "neutral."

They didn't actively fight or involve themselves in the war and generally stayed out of it, but did in some small ways aid whichever side was more relevant to them.

Also, why die when you can just let finns act as a human shield?