Do any of the forum members have an opinion as to why Hitler did not invade Sweden ? With the Germans in control of Norway, Denmark, and having good relations with Finland, it would seem like Sweden would be an easy conquest for the Germans.
I guess it was a close call for both Sweden and Schwitzerland. I think it´s both looking at the pros and cons of the operation and whether the losses of the army are of value compared to the responsibility gained. The same old stuff etc. The Swedes would have put a **ll of a fight and then again the Germans were enough satisfied with the iron ore supplies they got by the Swedish government already. And German troops were in fullfight in the west by May 1940 and after that Hitler had already planned operation Barbarossa and his troops were preparing for that. It may well be that if Russia had taken Finland Germany would have taken the southern part of Sweden as I am convinced Russia would not have stopped at the border...Maybe Germany would have taken the western Finland as well like with Poland. But all in all, I think many nations taking part in the war did have more advantage of neutral countries by letting them be like Turkey, Spain, Sweden and Schwitzerland as they gained valuable resources and information etc. Then again invading them means you have to send men there and occupy the area and that´s not cheap...
My understanding TA, is that Hitler did not feel there was anything for Germany to gain by expending men and materiel invading the Nordic countries – they did not figure foremost in his idea of expansion in basically affable farmland. Cold Nordic countries of forest, ice and snow were the wrong image. Germany had no problem with these countries and quite the opposite had good relations. Germany got over half its iron ore from Sweden and Norway and had placed an order with Sweden for an incredible amount of granite for restructuring about half of German’s major cities. In regards to the war, Hitler expected they would all remain neutral as in W.W.I. When the Soviets invaded Finland, he made it know he would have no objection to Sweden helping Finland, and indeed they sent a considerable amount of guns, but no divisions, which would not have been decisive anyway. France and Britain wanted to send 100’000 men to Finland, but, Sweden (and Norway) made it clear to Britain’s emissary, the great Harold ‘Super Mac’ Macmillan, they would disallow their transit as there was no way anything would be done to affect their neutrality and draw them into any ‘Western War’. Hitler made it known he drew the line to aiding Finland at any Anglo French involvement. Sweden’s extent of appeasement was almost endless, which came from the King down – they were not going to get involved. Hitler ordered Germany’s ‘move’ into Denmark and Norway in response to the new that Britain and France were going to move a force into Norway (Narvick) where he feared they would control the Baltic and mess his plans for his U-boats and go on to interfere with his iron ore supplies – which they would have done. From that position they would be on his flank which they could exploit – again which they would have done. No.9
My understanding TA, is that Hitler did not feel there was anything for Germany to gain by expending men and materiel invading the Nordic countries – they did not figure foremost in his idea of expansion in basically affable farmland. Cold Nordic countries of forest, ice and snow were the wrong image. Germany had no problem with these countries and quite the opposite had good relations. Germany got over half its iron ore from Sweden and Norway and had placed an order with Sweden for an incredible amount of granite for restructuring about half of German’s major cities. In regards to the war, Hitler expected they would all remain neutral as in W.W.I. When the Soviets invaded Finland, he made it know he would have no objection to Sweden helping Finland, and indeed they sent a considerable amount of guns, but no divisions, which would not have been decisive anyway. France and Britain wanted to send 100’000 men to Finland, but, Sweden (and Norway) made it clear to Britain’s emissary, the great Harold ‘Super Mac’ Macmillan, they would disallow their transit as there was no way anything would be done to affect their neutrality and draw them into any ‘Western War’. Hitler made it known he drew the line to aiding Finland at any Anglo French involvement. Sweden’s extent of appeasement was almost endless, which came from the King down – they were not going to get involved. Hitler ordered Germany’s ‘move’ into Denmark and Norway in response to the new that Britain and France were going to move a force into Norway (Narvick) where he feared they would control the Baltic and mess his plans for his U-boats and go on to interfere with his iron ore supplies – which they would have done. From that position they would be on his flank which they could exploit – again which they would have done. No.9
My understanding TA, is that Hitler did not feel there was anything for Germany to gain by expending men and materiel invading the Nordic countries – they did not figure foremost in his idea of expansion in basically affable farmland. Cold Nordic countries of forest, ice and snow were the wrong image. Germany had no problem with these countries and quite the opposite had good relations. Germany got over half its iron ore from Sweden and Norway and had placed an order with Sweden for an incredible amount of granite for restructuring about half of German’s major cities. In regards to the war, Hitler expected they would all remain neutral as in W.W.I. When the Soviets invaded Finland, he made it know he would have no objection to Sweden helping Finland, and indeed they sent a considerable amount of guns, but no divisions, which would not have been decisive anyway. France and Britain wanted to send 100’000 men to Finland, but, Sweden (and Norway) made it clear to Britain’s emissary, the great Harold ‘Super Mac’ Macmillan, they would disallow their transit as there was no way anything would be done to affect their neutrality and draw them into any ‘Western War’. Hitler made it known he drew the line to aiding Finland at any Anglo French involvement. Sweden’s extent of appeasement was almost endless, which came from the King down – they were not going to get involved. Hitler ordered Germany’s ‘move’ into Denmark and Norway in response to the new that Britain and France were going to move a force into Norway (Narvick) where he feared they would control the Baltic and mess his plans for his U-boats and go on to interfere with his iron ore supplies – which they would have done. From that position they would be on his flank which they could exploit – again which they would have done. No.9
Norway was not even in Hitler's plan of invasion. It only came about because of the British interest in stopping the shipment of iron ore as well as the boarding of a german merchant ship carrying prisoners from the raider Graf Spee. So Sweden was not really a threat nor was it threatened by the allies.
My understanding TA, is that Hitler did not feel there was anything for Germany to gain by expending men and materiel invading the Nordic countries – they did not figure foremost in his idea of expansion in basically affable farmland. Cold Nordic countries of forest, ice and snow were the wrong image. Germany had no problem with these countries and quite the opposite had good relations. Germany got over half its iron ore from Sweden and Norway and had placed an order with Sweden for an incredible amount of granite for restructuring about half of German’s major cities. In regards to the war, Hitler expected they would all remain neutral as in W.W.I. When the Soviets invaded Finland, he made it know he would have no objection to Sweden helping Finland, and indeed they sent a considerable amount of guns, but no divisions, which would not have been decisive anyway. France and Britain wanted to send 100’000 men to Finland, but, Sweden (and Norway) made it clear to Britain’s emissary, the great Harold ‘Super Mac’ Macmillan, they would disallow their transit as there was no way anything would be done to affect their neutrality and draw them into any ‘Western War’. Hitler made it known he drew the line to aiding Finland at any Anglo French involvement. Sweden’s extent of appeasement was almost endless, which came from the King down – they were not going to get involved. Hitler ordered Germany’s ‘move’ into Denmark and Norway in response to the new that Britain and France were going to move a force into Norway (Narvick) where he feared they would control the Baltic and mess his plans for his U-boats and go on to interfere with his iron ore supplies – which they would have done. From that position they would be on his flank which they could exploit – again which they would have done. No.9
Also, Hitler had never had any intention in invading any of the Scandanavian countries. He only did so because of Churchill's urging of stopping the shipment of iron ore from Norway to Germany. Also, the boarding of a german merchant ship with prisoners from the raider Graf Spee. So this is how Hitler ended up invading Norway.
My understanding TA, is that Hitler did not feel there was anything for Germany to gain by expending men and materiel invading the Nordic countries – they did not figure foremost in his idea of expansion in basically affable farmland. Cold Nordic countries of forest, ice and snow were the wrong image. Germany had no problem with these countries and quite the opposite had good relations. Germany got over half its iron ore from Sweden and Norway and had placed an order with Sweden for an incredible amount of granite for restructuring about half of German’s major cities. In regards to the war, Hitler expected they would all remain neutral as in W.W.I. When the Soviets invaded Finland, he made it know he would have no objection to Sweden helping Finland, and indeed they sent a considerable amount of guns, but no divisions, which would not have been decisive anyway. France and Britain wanted to send 100’000 men to Finland, but, Sweden (and Norway) made it clear to Britain’s emissary, the great Harold ‘Super Mac’ Macmillan, they would disallow their transit as there was no way anything would be done to affect their neutrality and draw them into any ‘Western War’. Hitler made it known he drew the line to aiding Finland at any Anglo French involvement. Sweden’s extent of appeasement was almost endless, which came from the King down – they were not going to get involved. Hitler ordered Germany’s ‘move’ into Denmark and Norway in response to the new that Britain and France were going to move a force into Norway (Narvick) where he feared they would control the Baltic and mess his plans for his U-boats and go on to interfere with his iron ore supplies – which they would have done. From that position they would be on his flank which they could exploit – again which they would have done. No.9
The Germans had good relations with Sweden. Sweden provided the purest iron ore in the world at that time. Plus they supplied Germany with large quantities of Bearings.
Except the fact that Hitler would never stop the war and go on and on, it was everything or nothing (german plans to invade Asia!!!, from the book 'Hitler's warriors'), so would the swedes blow up the iron mines if the germans invaded us. We were supplying the germans with a big set of iron during the war, as you know. But if they wanted to attack Sweden the OKW must have known that they could secure the mines with commando forces. Probably he just wasn't cean(?) on it.
