411:, Operation Barbarossa, commenced on 22 June 1941. Due to Germany's involvement with Finland, Soviet forces attacked Finland on 25 June. In response, Finland saw itself as being at war with the Soviet Union. Sweden subsequently did, in fact, begin rail transport of the German 163rd Infantry Division. As Scott has written, "Sweden's conduct was not impartial in the Nazi-Soviet conflict. The decision to allow belligerent troops transit across Sweden was a conspicuous breach of international law regarding the conduct of neutral states ... remains a black spot in Swedish history, one which continues to prick Sweden's national conscience."
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83-year-old king had not directly intervened in government policy since 1914, Gustav had the formal power to appoint his own cabinet; his open intervention in the issue was seen as a threat to the stability of the government and, given the ongoing war, to the nation's sovereignty. However, according to research published in 2002 by Carl-Gustaf Scott "the crisis was created in historical hindsight in order to protect the political legacy of the
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were divided on the issue. Hansson, implying that the king would abdicate if the German ultimatum was refused, succeeded in getting the
Riksdag to make a decision acceptable to the other political parties. One reason for the approval was Finland's expected reaction to a denial; its security relied on
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The king's actions were confirmed by German foreign-policy documents captured at the end of the war. On 25 June 1941, the German minister in
Stockholm sent a "Most Urgent-Top Secret" message to Berlin stating that the king had just informed him that the transit of German troops would be allowed:
365:
on
Swedish railways to support German ally Finland). The political deliberations surrounding this ultimatum have become known as the "midsummer crisis", which (allegedly after King Gustav V's threat to abdicate if the concessions were not made) was resolved in favor of the Axis. Although the
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that without an agreement, Finland would be drawn into the
European conflict. The "midsummer crisis", highly publicized in 1941, was interpreted as a sign of King Gustav V's personal responsibility for Swedish weakness towards Nazi Germany.
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The King's words conveyed the joyful emotion he felt. He had lived through anxious days and had gone far in giving his personal support to the matter. He added confidentially that he had found it necessary to go so far as to mention his
407:, Gustaf V and Prince Gustav Adolf attempted to persuade the Swedish government to allow the Allies to transport troops through Sweden; this was rejected due to concerns about German retribution. The German-led invasion of the
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declared strict neutrality and called for the formation of a coalition government involving all major parties under his leadership; this was realized in
December, with the exception of the
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Documents of German
Foreign Policy 1918–1945 Series D Volume XIII The War Years 23 June 1941 – 11 December 1941, Published in UK by HMSO and in US By Government Printing Office.
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Operation
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318:. With Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Ireland and the Vatican, Sweden maintained neutrality throughout
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Scott, Carl-Gustaf (2002). "The
Swedish Midsummer Crisis of 1941: The Crisis that Never Was".
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Hansson's cabinet demanding military concessions (including
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191:Internment camps in Sweden during World War II
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322:and cooperated with both sides. According to
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378:outside support provided only by Germany.
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27:
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558:"Om midsommarkrisen som skakade Sverige"
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442:(in Swedish). No. 6. Archived from
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328:German occupation of Denmark and Norway
246:Swedish iron mining during World War II
153:Swedish Compulsory National Service Act
138:Operation Weserübungs effects on Sweden
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373:The Social Democratic Party and the
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556:Olofsson, Sven-Åke (26 June 2011).
384:Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
370:and its leader Per Albin Hansson."
300:Wehrmacht's 163rd Infantry Division
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596:from the original on 14 July 2014
308:German-Soviet invasion of Poland
524:Journal of Contemporary History
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1:
434:Griberg, Sara (27 May 2011).
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566:(in Swedish). Archived from
536:10.1177/00220094020370030301
382:official Karl Schnurre told
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278:) was a political crisis in
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493:Churchill, Winston (2002).
306:to Finland. After the 1939
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645:June 1941 events in Europe
286:on 22 June 1941. Sweden's
93:Sweden during World War II
50:Sweden during World War II
310:, Swedish prime minister
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201:Rescue of the Danish Jews
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128:Sweden and the Winter War
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640:1941 in military history
196:Sweden and the Holocaust
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16:Swedish political crisis
482:(subscription required)
466:"Socialistiska partiet"
380:German Foreign Ministry
368:Social Democratic Party
363:German troop transports
282:after the beginning of
163:February crisis of 1942
133:February crisis of 1940
635:Sweden in World War II
592:(in Swedish). AFW.se.
436:"Midsommarkrisen 1941"
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251:Nordische Gesellschaft
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570:on 14 September 2013
563:Helsingborgs Dagblad
495:The Second World War
470:Nationalencyklopedin
284:Operation Barbarossa
181:Humanitarian aspects
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650:Per Albin Hansson
590:"Midsommarkrisen"
504:978-0-7126-6702-9
387:Christian Günther
351:Per Albin Hansson
324:Winston Churchill
312:Per Albin Hansson
302:by railroad from
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143:Permitenttrafiken
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65:History of Sweden
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290:was tested when
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158:Midsummer crisis
148:Lejdbåtstrafiken
118:Political events
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530:(3): 371–394.
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405:Ernst Wigforss
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473:. Retrieved
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448:. Retrieved
444:the original
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409:Soviet Union
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359:Nazi Germany
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320:World War II
292:Nazi Germany
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399:abdication.
213:White buses
624:Categories
538:. 371-394.
415:References
288:neutrality
241:Skåne Line
338:Evolution
594:Archived
347:Gustaf V
98:Timeline
600:21 June
574:21 June
475:21 June
450:21 June
375:Riksdag
332:cabinet
296:Finland
272:Swedish
62:←
509:P. 34.
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304:Norway
280:Sweden
231:Other
602:2014
576:2014
499:ISBN
477:2014
452:2014
349:and
294:and
266:The
83:Main
532:doi
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270:(
68:→
42:e
35:t
28:v
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