How did Sweden manage to avoid war till now?

Sweden is one of the few countries in the world that has been war-free till now. Sweden has stayed neutral in all hostilities for nearly 200 years. This includes both world wars and the Cold War period. But how did Sweden maintain its neutrality for so long? And what compelled it to abandon its neutrality and join the one group capable of bringing war to its porch? 🔒🤫🤫🤐🔒

One of the few nations in the world that has so far avoided going to war is Sweden. Sweden has maintained its neutrality in all conflicts for over 200 years. Both world wars as well as the Cold War were included in this. But how did Sweden manage to maintain its neutrality for so long, and what led it to renounce it and join the only group that could bring war to its doorstep? Before we go back in time to discover how a nation of Vikings managed to create a country that would not be invaded or drawn into war since 1814, we need to look at what is happening in Sweden right now. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization received applications for membership from Sweden and Finland on May 16, 2022.

This choice was made as a direct result of Russia's decision to invade Ukraine. However, for the previous 200 years, Sweden had been able to avoid participating in any hostilities. At the very least, that is how it seemed. The neutrality of Sweden has not always been what it first appears to be, as you will discover. Currently, Sweden and Finland are both awaiting NATO membership. Both must first receive approval from every member nation of the organization before either can be admitted. In order for Sweden and Finland to join NATO, approval must come from 28 of the alliance's 30 members as of December 2022. There are only two holdouts: Turkey and Hungry.

The two new nations' acceptance into NATO at this time has been delayed because each of these nations has its own agenda and ongoing internal conflicts that need to be resolved. The fact that Sweden and Finland must wait until all 30 NATO members vote to approve their membership is extremely frustrating for them. The issue is that as time goes on, both Sweden and Finland's chances of joining NATO are diminished. A nation must meet three requirements in order to join NATO. The country must have a market economy and be a democracy. The second requirement is that a new applicant must restructure their armed forces in order to be compatible with the rest of NATO's forces.

The good news is that Sweden already satisfies both of these requirements. Sweden and Finland are both concerned about the third criterion, though. A nation applying to join NATO is not permitted to be engaged in any ongoing conflicts. This is not a problem at the moment. However, if Russia ever decides to start a war with Sweden before it joins NATO, their application will be rejected, and they will be put in a position similar to the one that Ukraine is in at the moment. Whatever the future holds, Sweden has been able to avoid war for the past two centuries by maintaining its neutrality. Sweden is situated in a strategic region that other nations have attempted to exploit in the past, but its geographic location has historically kept it out of the direct line of fire during major wars.

It's amazing that Sweden hasn't been involved in a war in centuries given its proximity to the rest of Europe and direct access to the Baltic Sea. Although technically not sharing a land border with Sweden, a bridge connects the two countries, making travel between them simple. Sweden is connected to Norway to the west, Finland to the east, and Denmark to the north. The Scandinavian Mountains run along Sweden's western border, which is shared by Norway and Sweden. Sweden's borders cover a total area of about 174,000 square miles. Anyone trying to invade the country from the west will face an extremely difficult challenge thanks to this geological formation.

Forests, undulating hills, and numerous lakes make up the remainder of the nation. Although the seashore is frequently rocky, there are numerous bays and inlets that cut through the land and are used by boats to reach the mainland. Sweden is a large country with access to waterways that facilitate trade and travel and a wealth of natural resources. However, it was because of these traits that it was open to invasion both then and now. Let's go back in time to the very beginning to better understand how Sweden managed to avoid war and endured it for so long. Between 6,000 and 8,000 B.C., people began to live on the continent that would one day become Sweden. C. E.

The people were hunters and gatherers who subsisted on the profusion of vegetation, big game like reindeer, and profusion of waters. Over the years, the population increased, but the region wouldn't become united for a very long time. Roughly 800 C. E. the Viking Age got going. In this period, Sweden experienced chaos and violence. As raids were conducted by the various Viking Kingdoms in Sweden, the area was constantly at war. The Vikings migrated eastward, pillaging the Baltic Sea trade routes and the rivers that flowed deep into Russia. The Vikings of Sweden also engaged in extensive world travel during this time, establishing contacts with civilizations as diverse as the Byzantine Empire and Arabic Kingdoms.

The oldest written records in the nation are the runes that have been discovered all over the country. Most of these carved rocks honor ancestors and warriors who long ago inhabited the area. It's absurd that a nation that has avoided hostilities for such a long time is made up of ancestors of one of the Viking Age's most feared ethnic groups. But as Swedish history develops, things start to become even bloodier. The various Viking kingdoms in the region were not united, nor were the local population, until the 13th century. And even after this was finished, Sweden continued to fight in wars for several more centuries. The Swedish society was established into a feudal state in 1280 by King Magnus Laduls, who required nobles and kings to swear allegiance to him while ruling over portions of the country.

This strategy was successful for the majority of the area, and just over a century later, in 1397, the Danish Queen Margareta united Sweden, Norway, and Denmark to form the Kalmar Union. You would think that the region would be at peace now that Sweden and a large portion of Scandanavia were ruled by a single entity. However, the reality was different. The Swedish Liberation War started in 1521. You can probably guess who the impetus behind this struggle for independence was since it was also known as the Gustav Vasas Rebellion. In his campaign against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Gustav Vasa of Sweden proclaimed himself Protector of the Realm. Finally, peace was proclaimed after three years of fighting. Gustav Vasa proclaimed himself King and instituted a hereditary monarchy, which led to Sweden becoming a separate sovereign state.

With the aim of governing the Baltic Sea, Sweden would expand its influence throughout the region over the following several decades. This ambition sparked a number of lengthy wars between Sweden and Denmark. Nevertheless, Sweden was able to seize vast tracts of land in Scandinavia thanks to an ambitious monarch and some assistance from allies, and the Swedish Empire was established. But nothing lasts forever, and the Swedish Empire eventually fell because of the country's primarily agrarian economy and a lack of resources to develop new weapons, raise armies, and construct ships to aid in conquest. However, it took the combined might of Poland, Russia, and Denmark in the Great Northern War of 1700 to hammer the death knell.

In order to make Sweden smaller than it is today, these other nations reclaimed the territory it had conquered. It was now time for Sweden to look into new avenues for success, and you won't believe what they discovered. The death of the Swedish warrior King Karl XII, which occurred eighteen years after the Great Northern War, gave the Swedish parliament the chance to alter the nation permanently. The new constitution ended royal absolute power and gave parliament authority to rule the country. A constitutional monarchy was established to run the country. Up until 1812, when Sweden attempted to conquer other Scandinavian countries, there was a comparatively calm period.

But this time, they would have a rather unexpected ally by their side. Former French Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte implemented the Policy of 1812. As Sweden's King Charles XIV John, he chose not to side with France during the Napoleonic Wars and instead looked to Russia to expand Sweden's borders. The Swedish king agreed when Emperor Alexander asked him for assistance and to formally declare that Finland belonged to Russia in exchange for Russia's assistance in persuading Denmark to give Norway to Sweden. Sweden had long been an enemy of Russia. Sweden defeated French forces in several engagements in 1813. Then, with the aid of Russia, they invaded Denmark and made them cede Norway.

At the Congress of Vienna, the Treaty of Kiel was ratified and accepted by all countries. Sweden would fight in a war for the very last time at this point. As a result, Sweden has been war-proof since 1814, as we now know. How did they do it? Sometimes it was due to policy, other times it was just luck. The secrets Sweden kept to itself during this time shocked everyone, though. The Norwegians were still permitted to maintain their own parliament, legal system, armed forces, flag, and currency after the Council of Vienna acknowledged Sweden's rule over Norway. However, they had to share a monarch with Sweden and manage their foreign policy through the Swedish ministry. The majority of the people in Norway approved of this.

But eventually, the Norwegian government believed that a split between the two nations was necessary in order to pursue foreign policies in accordance with their own preferences. In any other situation, this would have resulted in war, but because Sweden consented to send a delegation to talk to the Norwegians, King Oscar II of Sweden renounced his claim to the Norwegian throne on October 26, 1905, as well as any claims made in the future by his ancestors. It was determined during the negotiations that granting Norway independence was a much preferable course of action to starting a war. Even as war broke out throughout Europe, this would be Sweden's stance on international affairs in the years to come. So, what actually transpired during one of the most turbulent periods in human history?

How did Sweden manage to avoid war in the early and middle 1900s? There had been peace in Sweden for 100 years. Sweden appeared to be thrown into battle when World War I broke out in 1914. But in the interests of all Swedes at this time in history, Sweden would reaffirm its commitment to a policy of neutrality. They would prevent the war from spreading to their nation while watching as Europe descended into anarchy all around them. Sweden faced a conundrum as World War I got underway. Due to their stronger cultural ties to their northern European brethren than the rest of the continent, the general populace felt a stronger sense of belonging to the German Empire.

Sweden did, however, maintain close commercial ties with both Britain and France. There was no way for Sweden to pick a side without damaging a crucial relationship because of these competing interests. While almost every other nation in Europe opted for one side or the other, Sweden seemed to make the right decision by remaining neutral. Many people thought there was no justification for starting a war and endangering the stability of their peaceful society that they had enjoyed for almost a century.

The only thing that worried them was what would happen if the Central or Allied Powers didn't let them stay neutral. Sweden demonstrated its capacity to be war-proof in the event that they were coerced into a conflict in which they had no interest. With the help of Sweden's neighbors, Denmark and Norway, the decision to remain neutral was made.