World War II: National Food Situations--Sweden

World War II Swedish Finnish children food
Figure 1.--Food was a problem on Sweden during World War II, but the country managed to make out better than any other country in the German Großraum. The Sweedes offered refuge to thousands of Finnish children needing good food and medical care, like this little girl. The caption read, "Efter genomgängen 'pers' blir man sugen. Lilla Monica synes här vid sin mugg i tankar. Tänker hon möjligen på far och mor samt syskonen där hmma?" This translates as something like, "After going through the 'press' you get to sleep. Little Monica likes this mug in mind. Does she possibly think of her father and mother as well as the siblings there hmma?"

Sweden managed to remain neutral, avoiding invasion and occupation during World War II, the only Nordic country to manage this. The reason was that Sweden provided the NAZIs what they wanted, vital shipments of iron ore. Germany could not have fought the War without Swedish iron ore. Invasion would have disrupted these shipments. The country was, however, adversely affected by the War. Sweden was an an industrialized trading country. The War impaired the country's ability to trade as a result of the British and German naval blockades. There were some accidental bombings. The Soviets bombed Strängnäs and other cities. It was the naval blockades, however, that had the greatest impact. This affected Sweden's ability to import fuel and food as well as to export its manufactured goods. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway (April 1940) this essentially made the westen Baltic a German lake. Every ship leaving Swedish waters had to get permission from the Germans. And the British North Sea blockade meant that every Swedish ship attempting to enter the atlantic had to be negotiated with British and German authorities. This of course significantly reduced the volume of Swedish trade. Swedish import of petroleum products and coal plummeted nearly 90 percent and over 50 percent espectively. The result was severe shortages. Fuel was not the only problem. There were also shortages of rubber, non-ferous metals, and food. The Swedes manged to get permission for a small number of Swedish ships with goods from neutral countries (mostly grains and from Argentina and oil from Venezuela) to pass through the British and German blockades. Food was a problem because Sweden was not completely self sufficent before the War and it became difficult to import food. In addition the fuel shortages and various war measures adversely affected the agicultural economy and production. Sweden attempted to adjust with severe rationing of both fuels and food. The Government despite all the problems managed to maintain consumption levels at satisfactory levels. [Angell-Andersen, p. 343.] Farmers managed to increase prodyction at some crops. One historian explains, "Food consumption changed in a uniform way in all the Nordic countries in that consumption of meat, sugar and fats decreased, while that of vegetable and potato increased in the period of interest. Even though the change was uniform, its magnitude varied markedly." [Angell-Andersen, p. 344.] Some ersatz products were developed. The major effort was with fuel. They included wood gas and shale oil. [Wangel, pp. 444–465.] Despite the shortages, Sweden shipped food and arms to Finland when the Soviet Union invaded to country launching the Winter war (November 1939). The Swedes also took in some 70,000 Finnish children because of food shortages in Finland. The Swedes were able to get some food and coal from Germany. As the Germans did not occupy Sweden, they had to pay for the iron ore they imported.

Neutrality

Sweden managed to remain neutral, avoiding invasion and occupation during World War II, the only Nordic country to manage this. The reason was that Sweden provided the NAZIs what they wanted, vital shipments of iron ore. Germany could not have fought the War without Swedish iron ore. Invasion would have disrupted these shipments. The country was, however, adversely affected by the War. Sweden was an an industrialized trading country. The War impaired the country's ability to trade as a result of the British and German naval blockades. There were some accidental bombings. The Soviets bombed Strängnäs and other cities.

Naval Blockades

It was the naval blockades, however, that had the greatest impact on Sweden. The country does not have an Atlanyic coast. Thus the naval war in the Atlantic and even more so the Baltic had a major impact on Sweden. It affected Sweden's ability to import fuel and food as well as to export its manufactured goods. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway (April 1940) this essentially made the westen Baltic a German lake. After Barbarossa, all of the Baltic became a German lake (June 1941). Before the War, about 25 percent of Sweden's exports went to Britain and less than 20 percent to Germany. German control of the Baltic meant that theSwedes had to shit foreig trade patterns. Every ship leaving Swedish waters had to get permission from the Germans. And the British North Sea blockade meant that every Swedish ship attempting to enter the Atlantic had to be negotiated with British and German authorities. This of course significantly reduced the volume of Swedish trade. Swedish import of petroleum products and coal plummeted nearly 90 percent and over 50 percent espectively. The result was severe shortages. Fuel was not the only problem. There were also shortages of rubber, non-ferous metals, and food. The Swedes manged to get permission for a small number of Swedish ships with goods from neutral countries (mostly grains and from Argentina and oil from Venezuela) to pass through the British and German blockades. In the last year of the War, Red Navy submarines became active in the Baltic.

German Großraum

A fundamental principle of geopolitics is the principle of the Großraum (Great Area). [Schmitt] The idea was formulated by a strategic German thinker in the 19th century. He saw the Großraum as the foundation of the science of international law and international relations. A Grossraum is an area dominated by a central power representing a distinct political idea. This idea appears to have always been formulated with a specific opponent in mind. Hitler had several enemies in mind, some of which had not yet formulated, a Großraum. Hitler like President Putin today was heavily influenced by the idea of a Großraum. Hitler knew very well that the Germany he comtrolled in 1939 was not an over-powering Großraum. That is why he pressed for an early militay action while Germany still had the advantage achieved by his rapid rermamet program. The victory in the West provided Hitler what he had longed for in Mein Kampf, a strategic base approaching a Großraum (1940). As a result of his victory in the West, Hitler not only conquered France along with the Netherlands and Belgium, but now was able to force much of the rest of Europe to throw in their lot with him. The Finns out of fear of the Soviets made common cause. The Swedes and Swiss remained neutral, but guaranteed to the Germans that they would maintain trade contacs and were esentially absorbed within the economic sphere of the German Großraum. Swedish iron ore was vital. The Romanians uderstanding the Germans were now the masters of Europe reoritened their trade with Germany, especially their vital oil exports. The Großraum which Hiter had constucted by 1941 was one of the great powers, in sharp contrast to the Germany he seized controlof in 1933. It had a larger population than Britain (even with the Dominions), the United States, Japan, or the Soviet Union and it now had a larger econony than America with which to conduct the War. [Tooze, p.384.] There were, however, serious weaknesses in Hitler's new Großraum. It was not still not self-sufficient in iron ore and mamy other strategic raw materials including cobalt, copper, titanium and other metals. By far, however, the most serious problem was energy (oil and coal).

Impact on Food

Food was a problem because Sweden was not completely self sufficent before the War and it became difficult to import food once Hiler and Stalin launched the War. It was the same situation faced in World War I, although this time Sweden would be surrounded by Germany, German occupied countries (Norway, Denmark, the Baltics and Poland) and German co-bligerent Finland. Sweden produced more of its own food than Britain or Germany, but there were still serious problems. In addition the fuel shortages and various war measures adversely affected the agicultural economy and production.

Rationing

Sweden as during World War I attempted to adjust with severe rationing of both fuels and food. The Government despite all the problems managed to maintain consumption levels at satisfactory levels. [Angell-Andersen, p. 343.] A Swedish industrialist during an American fact-gathering mission to the United States describes the effects of war rationing in neutral Sweden (March 6, 1944). He described rationing of bread, butter, coffee, eggs, meat, milk, sugar, tea, and a lot of other things. He said that coffee, especially popular in Sweden, had been for several years, but enumerabe ersatz products. He indicated that one of the most serious problems was the fact that gassoline and rubber (for tires) were practically unavailable.

Agricultural Adjustments

Farmers managed to increase production at some crops. One historian explains, "Food consumption changed in a uniform way in all the Nordic countries in that consumption of meat, sugar and fats decreased, while that of vegetable and potato increased in the period of interest. Even though the change was uniform, its magnitude varied markedly." [Angell-Andersen, p. 345.] -Intake of energy yielding nutrients declined in Sweden and Denmark, but only by 10 percent compared to 20 percent in Finland and 40 percent in Norway. The terrible situation in Norway was in part because the Germans shipped some of the food produced in Norway to the Reich. This did not occur in Sweden. Sugar was a major problen in the Nordic countrues because so much of it was imported. Sweden was able to increase consumption of vegetables, potatoes, and milk, but meat, fruit, sugar, and butter/margine became difficult to find. Overall energy, however, intake declined only 4 percent. [Angell-Andersen, p. 345.] Popular food itens were hard to get, but the country sucessfully maintained caloric intake with only minor declines. Some ersatz products were developed. The major effort was with fuel. They included wood gas and shale oil. [Wangel, pp. 444–465.]

Aid to Finland

Sweden aided Finland in various ways when the Soviet Union invaded to country launching the Winter war (November 1939). Sweden provided arms and supplies to he Sedish army and flew conbat missions with plains desguised with Finnish markings. Sweden refused to become involved directly, but despite the domestic shortages, shipped food to Finland The Swedes also took in some 70,000 Finnish children because of food shortages in Finland.

Supplies from Germany

The Swedes were able to get some food and coal from Germany. As the Germans did not occupy Sweden, they had to pay for the iron ore they imported. For the Germans this was an unintendd consequence of their invasions. Countries like Sweden before the war imported food anf fuel. To keep the country running, the Germans had to provide both food and fuel to the Swedes. And the Germans had to keep Sweden running because about half of the iron ore feeding German war industries came from Sweden. Without Swedish iron ore, Hitler could not have launched World War II.

Relief Supplies

Sweden in the final months of the War managed to provide relif supplies to Jews in German concentration camps and the Dutch starving during the German imposed Hunger Winter.

Sources

Angell-Andersen, E, S. Tretli, R. Bjerknes, T.Forsén, T.I.A. Sørensen, J.G. Eriksson, L.Rasanen, and T. Grotmol. "The association between nutritional conditions during World War II and childhood anthropometric variables in the Nordic countries," Annals of Human Biology (May–June 2004), Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 342–55.

Collingham, Lizzie. The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food (Penguin Books: New York, 1962), 634p.

Wangel, Carl-Axel. Sveriges militära beredskap 1939–1945 (Stockholm: Militärhistoriska Förlaget, 1982).







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Created: 12:45 PM 6/2/2017
Last updated: 12:45 PM 6/2/2017