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war and social upheaval: World War II Europen Theater -- Sweden humanitarian activities
World War II: Sweden--Humanitarian Activities
Figure 1.--The Soviet Union after invading and occupying Poland (September 1939) as a NAZI ally, next targeted Finland. The Swedes took in thousands of evacuated Finnish children after the Soviet Union invaded Finland, laubching the Winter War (Novmber 1940). It was widely felt that Finland's tiny, illequipped army could not effectivly resust the Soviet colosus. The Finnish Arny did hold, but the Red Air Force began indiscriminate bombing of undefended Finnish cities. And there was always a question of how long the small, poorly armed Finns could hold out. The Government began a voluntary evacuation, mostly of children. Parents were not only concerned noutthe aur raids, but the prospect of their children living under Comminism. The Finns were aware of Soviet brutality toward the Finnish minority. All three Scandinavian countrues took in the children, but most went taken in by the Swedes. This was especially the case after the Germans inaded and occupied Denmark and Norway (April 1940). Here a Swedish nurse is caring for two Finnish evacuee children in 1942. We are not sure what SLK means.
There was considerable sympathy for Germany in Sweden during World War I. There was still some of this in World War, but this soon disapated as the Swedish press reported on Soviet and NAZI brutalities and conquests. (The Soviet Union was a NAZI ally for nearly 2 years.) Sweden supplied the NAZI war machine the iron ore it needed to conduct the War. In fainess to the Swedes, if they had not, the Germans would have invaded. The Swedes did engage in a range of important humanitarian activities during the War. When the Soviets invaded neutral Finlnd (1939), the Swedes took in thousands of Finnih evacueee children and cred for them throughout Wirld war II. Sweden was important to the Allies for humnitarian reasons. The Red Cross in World War I was heavily involved in relief activities, primarily because of American food nd other shipments. By the time of World War II, the Red Cross had taken its more modern role with a heavy focus on POWS. Sweden was the route by which Red Cross packages got into the Reich for Allied POWS. These packages were an important part of the nutrition of the PoWs as the German rations while not genocidal were inadequate. The high survival rate of Allied POWs was in part due to these packsges. Few Jews were able to reach safety in Sweden, but the Swedes took in Norwegian Jews and virtually the enire Jewish population of Denmark. The Swedes also tried to aid the Hungarian Jews and in the final months of the War managed to resue some Jews from concentration camps. The SWedes also played a role in feing the Dutch at the end of the War.
The Soviet Union after invading and occupying Poland (September 1939) as a NAZI ally, next targeted Finland. The Swedes took in thousands of evacuated Finnish children after the Soviet Union invaded Finland, laubching the Winter War (Novmber 1940). It was widely felt that Finland's tiny, illequipped army could not effectivly resust the Soviet colosus. The Finnish Arny did hold, but the Red Air Force began indiscriminate bombing of undefended Finnish cities. And there was always a question of how long the small, poorly armed Finns could hold out. The Government began a voluntary evacuation, mostly of children. Parents were not only concerned noutthe aur raids, but the prospect of their children living under Communism. The Finns were all to aware of Soviet brutality toward the Finnish minority. All three Scandinavian countrues took in the children, but most went taken in by the Swedes. This was especially the case after the Germans inaded and occupied Denmark and Norway (April 1940). More Finish children were evacuted during the Continution War (1941-44)and the Lapland war (1944-45).
Norwegian Refugees
The really large number of refugees taken in by the swedes were the Finnish children. This was possible because the Finns remained indpendemt. And the evacuation was organized in both Finland and Sweden. Finland and Seden had a long land border. There was also a long land border with Norway, but Norway was invaded and occuoied by the Germans (April 1940). Yjis made it impossible to evacuate large number of Norwegians. And unlike Finland, Norway was aargely inactive war front after the initial German invasion. Througout the war, however, Norwegians resisting the NAZIs including some Jews found refuge in Sweden. This was much more dangerous than taking in Finnish children, especially early in the war when the Germans could have eaily occupied Sweden. Theu did noy, primarily because Seden was important to the German war mchine as a source of iron ore nd an invasion could have disruoted shipments. Qnd while the Swedes gave refuge to anti-NAZI Norwegians they were not allowed to use Sweden as a safe area to stage attacks.
Estonian Refugees
Estonia had close ties to Finland abd to aegree Sweden. It did nor, however, have a land border with Sweden. This significantly limited any refugee flow, especially after the Finns had to conced naval bases in the Gulf of Finland. We note some Estonian refugees such as the people on the Pakri Ialands whichthe Soviets converted into a base. They population was mostly Swedes.
Red Cross
Sweden was important to the Allies for humnitarian reasons. The International Red Cross in World War I was heavily involved in relief activities, primarily because of American food and other shipments. By the time of World War II, the Red Cross had taken its more modern role with a heavy focus on POWs. Sweden was the route by which Red Cross packages got into the Reich for Allied POWs. These packages were an important part of the nutrition of the Allied POWs as the German rations while not genocidal were inadequate. The high survival rate of Allied POWs was in part due to these packges. The Swedish Red Cross at the end of the War managed to convince none other thn SS Chief Heinrich Himmler to allow rescue teams to take out Scandanavian prisoners from cocentration camps. Himmler agreed without consulting with Hitler who would have never approved. Apparently Hu=immler thought this might save him after the War. The result was the famous White Buses.
Sweden adopted restrictive immigration laws after World War I. After the NAZIs seized power in Germany (1933), small numbers of German Jews emmigrated to Sweden. The NAZI Anschluss in Austria brought fears of expanded Jewish emmigration. University students at Uppsala and Lund demonstrated against increased Jewish immigration (1938). A wave of anti-Semmetic action spread over Europe even before World War II began. The Swedish Government prohibited the Jewish ritual slaughter of animals. The Swedish Government allowed only 3,000 Jews to immigrate or enter Sweden as a transit point (1933-39). When reports of NAZI attricities reached Sweden, the Government began reassessing its policies. The NAZI pogrom of Kristallnacht shocked Swedes and other Europeans. After the the NAZI invassion and occupation of Poland much more apauling accounts of NAZI brutalities reached Sweden. The Government opened Sweden to any Jews which could reach Sweden. Sweden olayed a key role in saving Noewegian and Danish Jews. Sweden gave refuge to 900 Norwegian Jews (1942). Even more importantly, Sweden accepted 8,000 Danish Jews, virtually the entire Danish Jewish community (October 1943). Sympathetic Danes snatched the Danish Jews from the NAZIs just as they were about to be rounded up and transported them on small fishing boats to Sweden. Sweden also played a major role in effots to save Hungarian Jews. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was dipatched to Budapest and became a thorn in Eichmann's side, saving thousands of Hungarian Jews. Another Swede, Count Folke Bernadotte, managed to gain the release of some Jews and non-Jews from NAZI concentration camps. As with other countries, Sweden's record is not without blemishes. Some Swedes, traded in NAZI gold and other looted valuables. Sweden was also an important supplier of iron ore and ball bearings. This had to be put in perspective. The NAZIs had already invaded Norway to the east and Finland to the west was a NAZI ally. The German military could have easily occupied Sweden in 1940-42. Only in 1943 as the German military position on thecEastern Front deteriorated did a threat of NAZI invasion recede. (SWitzerland was in a similar position.) Thus it is diffifult to fault the Swedes for maintaing trade relations with the NAZIs. Even during the NAZI accendancy, however, Sweden refused to close its borders to Jews as the Swiss did. Sweden like other European countries had their own domestic Fascists. A small number even emmigrated to German and served in the SS and as concentration camp guards.
Helping the Dutch
After Operation Market Garden failed, Hitler decided to starve the Dutch nortbof the Rhine as a punishment for supporting the allies. And the Dutch began to starve. The Dutch Hunger Winter only ended with the Allied operation. Before this the Dutch Red Cross managed to import some flour by ship from Sweden. This became known as the Swedish Bread. It was baked in the Netherlands. Finally the German occupation authorities mostly after Hitler's suiside began allowing Allied food air drops of food over German-occupied Dutch territory--Operation Manna and Operation Chowhound.
Liberation did not automatically or immediately solve the massive humanitarian crisis that the NAZIs created. Food could not be created overnight or the economies revived. America could provide emergency food to prevent starvatin, but could not feed an entire country are provide all of the food needed. And even when the agricultural sector began to repair the damage done to the infrastructure, especially the transportation network. But even when some of thr damage was repaired, many of these countries imported much of the food they needed. And until their economies revived, the countries could not afford needed food imports and families coild not afford to buy the food they needed. Not fully understood in the immediate glow of liberation was the central role of Germany in a vibrant European economy. Until Germany revovered, economic revovery in the rest of Europe, if it occured at all would be slow. [Erker, pp. 49-50.] Those politicans who argued that Germany needed to be punished were actually arguing to punish all of Europe. As a result of the problems in the liberated countries, we see the Swede brining in children for summer experiences, we think summer camp where they would get some good food and plenty of fresh air and sunshine. We note the British doing the same. We have not yet found dtails about this effort, but note period press reports picturing some of the children.
As after World War, conditins in Germany were dereadful after the War. Unlike World War I, Germany aenies had been defated. There would be no repeat of the World War I 'stab in the back' acusation. The country was occupied and its great cities reduced to rubble. Rhe dood siruation was dire, but not as def=readful as after World War I when the Dutch took in hungry German children. The Allies continued the blockade of Germany until after the Versailles peace treaty was signed. There were serious food shortages. People died, especially children. The Dutch took in many hungary German children. This was not the case in the aftermath of World War II. As the Germans had invaded and occupied the Netherlands and then starved the Dutch people in the infamous Hunger Winter, There was no sympathy for the Germans in the Netherlands after World War II, even for German children. There was one country which did take in German children -- Sweden. We see theSwedestaking in German children. As fae as we can tell it was done rhrough the Swedish Red Cross. We have found a great deal of information about the Swedes taking in Finnish children, Danish Jews, and the White Buses rescue effort. We have not found much infoemation about the effor to aid German children.
Sources
Erker, Paul. Ern�hrungskrise und Nachkriegsgesellschaft: Bauern und Arbeiterschaft in Bayern, 1943-1953(Klett-Cotta: Stuttgart, 1990).
