1914-1918 1929-1939






Sweden 1919-1929


A.) Domestic Policy

Once World War I was over, in Sweden political debates again focussed on a revision of the discussion. The left wing of the social democrats, among them PER ALBIN HANSSON, sympathized with the GERMAN REVOLUTION, demanded the abolition of Great Capitalism, of the monarchy, of parliament's first chamber, of mandatory military service and of restrictions on the right to vote. They held a REVOLUTION FESTIVAL in Stockholm on which they turned against moderate social democrates such as HJALMAR BRANTING.
Having potential civil unrest (massive strikes, even a revolution) in mind and with reports from revolutions going on in Russia, Germany and Hungary, the political right conceded to a constitutional reform demanded by the left and the center. This reform included universal suffrage for both men and women (who were given the right to vote in 1919), with property restrictions still in force for elections to the first chamber. In 1919, 54 % of the population had the right to vote, as compared to 19 % in 1911.
In 1921 Sweden abolished the death penalty (the last execution had taken place in 1910). The 8-HOUR-WORKDAY and the 48-HOUR-WORKWEEK were introduced by law in 1919.
The economic crisis following World War I caused deflation and soaring unemployment (163,000 on Jan. 1st 1922). The state employed many of these in road construction and maintenance, and unemployment figures decreased, (to which an improbing economy also contributed).
In 1922 the Swedish parliament decided to introduce, following the Swiss model, the REFERENDUM as a constitutional instrument of direct democracy. One early referendum on outlawing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages was rejected by a narrow majority.
The school reform of 1927 established the six-year elementary state school as the standard school throughout Sweden, preparing for higher education. Many private high schools were gradually taken over by the communities.

The constitutional reform of 1919 strongly altered the political landscape; the traditional parties lost in significance, while the social democrates established themselves as a major political force, yet inexperienced in government. The years after World War I are characterized by a frequent change of short-lived administrations; in 1920, for the first time a social democrat, Hjalmar Branting, was appointed prime minister.
In 1921 a radical part of the left social democrates split off and established the Swedish Communist Party. The liberal party split over the question if to ban alcohol; in 1924 the Frisinniga Folkpartiet (Free-spirited People's Party, pro ban, -1934), Sveriges liberala parti (Sweden's Liberal Party, -1934) and Liberala Riksdagspartiet (Liberal Riksdag Party, -1934) were established.




B.) Foreign Policy

When the Russian Revolution broke out and the former Czarist Empire was in turmoil, Swedish forces occupied the ÅLAND ISLANDS, administratively a part of Finland, but with an entirely Swedish population, which wanted to join Sweden. Newly independent Finland made it's claim. The League of Nations decided the issue in favour of Finland, which granted the Åland Islands (ca. 20.000 inhabitants) a high degree of autonomy.
In 1920 Sweden decided to join the LEAGUE OF NATIONS. In 1924 Sweden diplomatically recognised the USSR. In the many disputed territories after the Paris peace treaties, international mediators were needed; Sweden served on that behalf in the Saar region and in the Corfu dispute.
NATHAN SÖDERBLOM, archbishop of Uppsala, promoted the ecumenical movement, designed as a contribution of the various Christian communities to world peace. He was awarded the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize.

C.) The Economy

The economic boom of the war years ended, and in 1921-1922 the country went through a period of DEFLATION - prices fell to a level almost half of their wartime level, and unemployment peaked at 163,000 in 1922.
With the state engaging in a scheme hiring unemployed to work on the roads etc., unemployment was reduced. The economy picked up in 1922 and in 1924 Sweden was the first nation in Europe to reestablish the GOLD STANDARD; however, the 49-year-old SCANDINAVIAN MONETARY UNION was dissolved.
In 1918, household appliances manufacturer ELECTROLUX was formed, among the owners Axel Wenner-Gren, the inventor of the electric vacuum cleaner. In 1926 car manufacturer VOLVO was founded; car production began in 1927. BOFORS produced an anti-aircraft gun that would play an important role in World War II (outside of Sweden); the company has been a leading arms exporter ever since.
In 1926, the railway line Stockholm-Göteborg was the first in Sweden to be electrified, marking the beginning of the end of the steam era.




D.) Intellectual Life

In 1924, MANNE SIEGBAHN was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, in 1926 THEODOR SVEDBERG the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Nobel Peace Prize of 1921 went, a.o., to HJALMAR BRANTING, the Peace Prize for 1930 to NATHAN SÖDERBLOM.
In the 1920es MAURICE STILLER was Sweden's most famous movie director (Gösta Berlings Saga); actress GRETA GARBO went with Stiller to Hollywood in 1924. In 1924 the SWEDISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION was founded.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Biography of Per Albin Hansson, from Sveriges Statsministrar genom Tiderna, in Swedish
Biography of Karl Hjalmar Branting, from Nobel e-Museum, in English, from Sveriges Statsministrar genom Tiderna, in Swedish
Volvo History, richly illustrated
Electrolux Company History, from Electrolux
Biography of Greta Garbo, from bombshell.com
DOCUMENTS Swedish banknotes, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money and from Currency Museum
REFERENCE Franklin D. Scott, Sweden : The Nation's History, Univ. of Minnesota Press 1977
Sten Carlsson, Svensk Historia, Vol.2, Stockholm : Bonniers, 1970, pp.206-278 (in Swedish) [G]
B.R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics : Europe 1750-1988, N.Y.: Stockton Press 1992 [G]
Rodney Lowe : The State and the Development of Social Welfare : Sweden, in : Martin Pugh (ed.), A Companion to Modern European History, 1871-1945, Oxford : Blackwell 1997, pp.63-65 [G]
Article : Sweden, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1919 pp.1271-1289, 1924 pp.1304-1322, 1925 pp.1312-1330, 1926 pp.1275-1292, 1928 pp.1315-1333, 1929 pp.1290-1307 [G]
Article : Sweden, in : Americana Annual 1927 pp.813-815, 1928 pp.742-744 [G]
Article : Sweden, in : New International Year Book 1919 pp.654-656, 1920 pp.659-662, 1921 pp.684-685, 1923 pp.625-627, 1925 pp.676-678, 1928 pp.724-725 [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on August 24th 2007

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