Fact, Fiction or Friction? Norway and Sweden during the Second World War Recommendedbooks on the subject. Ole Kristian Grimnes’ reply to the point made during the meeting that,

’During the Second World War, refugee Norwegians were put in camps by the Swedes and treated badly.’

‘Svenskene internerte noen spesielle kategorier av flyktninger for kortere eller lengre tid: unasjonale, kriminelle og iallfall til en viss grad kommunister. Dessuten ble flyktninger som arbeidet for motstandsbevegelsen på svensk område, i de første årene fengslet og stilt for retten. Men den store massen av flyktninger ble ikke "put in camps and treated badly". Det var mye kritikk av svenskene fordi de i de første årene holdt så strengt på nøytraliteten, avviste flyktninger ved grensen i 1940-41, la hindringer i veien for norsk motstandvirksomhet og gjorde så store innrømmelser overfor tyskerne. Men mishandling i svensk leirer? Nei.’ Ole Kristian Grimnes’ reply to the point made during the meeting that,

‘Transit on Swedish railways allowed the Germans to take food out of Norway while Norwegians were starving.’

‘Først og fremst eksporterte tyskerne mye fisk fra Norge til Tyskland. I tillegg tok tyske soldater med seg atskillig fisk privat når de dro på permisjon til Tyskland. Det er klart at dette gikk utover norske behov, for nordmennene var like ivrige konsumenter av fisk som tyskerne. På den annen side ble betydelige kvanta av matvarer, først og fremst korn, som Norge aldri har vært selvforsynt med, importert fra Tyskland eller tyskkontrollerte områder. Jeg kan ikke huske å ha sett noen oversikt over den samlede kaloribalansen som dette resulterte i, men min hypotese ville nok være at tyskerne importerte flere kalorier til befolkningen enn den sendte ut. Det totale bildet er imidlertid knapphet på matvarer, med en tilsvarende hårdhendt rasjonering. Hvor mye av matvareeksporten og -importen som ble sendt på svenske jernbaner, og hvor mye som ble ekspedert på skip, vet jeg ikke. Dette er terra incognita i forskningen, så langt som jeg kjenner til det. Så det siste elementet, "while the Norwegians were starving". Det er åpenbart at det var mangel på mat under okkupasjonen, og at underernæring forekom. På den annen side hersket ingen direkte hungersnød, ulikt for eksempel Nederland på slutten av krigen. Beklager dette litt kompliserte svaret, men hva skal man gjøre når virkeligheten selv er komplisert?’ ‘1905-komplex ?’ Heads of State Meeting

Malmo, December 1914

Restate 1912 declarations of neutrality “…to manifest our firm resolve to pursue a neutral policy based on international law and order…”

Heads of State Meeting Stockholm 18 & 19 Oktober 1939 Rickard Sandler Swedish Foreign Minister Sandler’s attempts to negotiate common Nordic security 1936-1939 January 1940 Transit demand by Britain & France

Iron ore mines 9 April 1940 Sweden’s three war scenarios for Russia and Finland but Only one scenario for Germany – not involving Norway Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson

Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold Two major issues in 1940

1. Issues involving the royal family i.e. King Håkon VII

2. Swedish railway transit concession to the Germans (King Håkon sheltering from German bombers 12 April, 1940)

• King welcome, but possible internment in Sweden • Princess Märta’s daughter, Astrid’s recollection King Gustav V 1940 interventions

• 16 June 1940: writes to Hitler advising him NOT to depose Håkon from the throne.

• 24 July: telegraphs Håkon advising against Princess Märta and family going to USA King Gustav V Hakon enraged by ‘interference’ suspecting Gustav trying to help German position in Norway Gustav’s comment 1945

‘He (i.e. King Håkon VII) has been very discourteous to me. That’s the least one can say - but I’m not bothered about it.’ Transit concession was more than just ‘a phone call…’ 11 May Renewed threats by 18 April Göring requests Göring transit to Narvik of ‘a few wagons of humanitarian 13 May Germany requests 3 goods’ transit trains of 30-40 wagons with artillery etc. and 19 April ‘a few wagons’ = 34 repatriation of 2,000 German + 40 Red cross nurses - to be seamen. checked by Sweden; more provisions than medical. 18 May Sweden rejects transit demand for 100 20 April German 500 seamen wagons of material to Narvik returned 18 May Sweden stops and 22 April German request for returns German wagons with 3 more trains rejected. ‘machinery’ materials

6-7 May warning of German 25 May Dunkirk evacuation troops on Swedish border begins

30 May Swedish Cabinet again opposes transit Transit concession was more than just ‘a phone call…’

4 June Dunkirk evacuation ends

8 June British leave Norway

11 June Norway surrenders

16 June Ribbentrop demands transit; refusal ‘an unfriendly act’

18 June Prytz telegram arrives indicating possible British ‘compromise peace’

18 June Permitten Transit Concession from Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson’s diary

‘So now we have broken our precious and strict neutrality from the knowledge that it is unreasonable in the current situation to take the risk of war.

It pains me that we should be compelled to give way to superior force…’

Other Norwegian – Swedish issues

• Refusal to allow CJ Hambro to address Norway on Swedish Radio • Retention of Norwegian ships in Göteborg. • Delay in court case to release ships. • Return of some refugees in 1940 to Norway. • Concession to allow one German Division to pass through Sweden from Norway to Finland in 1941. • Downgrading of Norwegian representation in Stockholm before 1943. • Failure to open diplomatic representation with Norwegian government in exile in London until May 1943. 1,300 kilometre border

51 Swedish border posts

Crossing routes 1941-43

Reduction of friction • November 1940. Trygve Lie replaces Koht as Foreign Minister • December 1940 Lie asks Prytz ‘collaborate towards future Nordic cooperation’ • Summer 1941 Cooperation Motstandsrorelsen and Swedish C-Byrå • Autumn 1941 King Hakon asks to meet Prytz • March 1942 Norwegian ships in Göteborg freed • October 1942 Swedish and Norwegian authorities screen refugees. • Mid-1943 Police troops begin training in Sweden • December 1943 Beck-Friis appointed to London • October 1944 Lie in Stockholm • January 1945 White Buses initiative Oslo 17 May 1945

Prince Olav

Count Folke Bernadotte 1940-45 assistance provided by Sweden to Norway and Norwegians • Housing assistance • 50,000 refugees in Sweden; soldiers, labour service, Jews. • Norwegian Jewish representation in 1942 • Oslo students’ representation. • White Buses rescue of 3,500 Norwegian prisoners in Germany in 1945 • Western Allied support bases in Sweden • Police Troops bases, equipment and training • Svenska Norgehjälpen • Resistance refuge in Sweden and contacts with Britain • Norgebataljon (7,000 volunteers) • Post war assistance Edinburgh 1978

Sir Victor Mallet, British Ambassador in Stockholm 1939-46

‘Swedish neutrality was of far greater value to us than an act of suicide in 1940 would have been.’ Free online book!

https://www.norgestack.se/