There are many interesting museums in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, of which one of the best and most famous is the Vasa Ship Museum. Less known to the general public is the Museum of the Army (Swedish: Armémuseum), which opened to the public after a long break in 2002 and in 2005 was awarded the title of the best museum in Stockholm.
Originally known as the Artillery Museum, the Armémuseum was established in 1879 in the building of a former artillery arsenal from the second half of the 18th century, which, in turn, was located on the site of an even older building from the middle of the 17th century. In 1943 the museum received its present name.
The Army Museum illustrates Sweden's military history from the Viking Age to the present day. The rich exposition is arranged in chronological order. It includes life-size figures of warriors of past centuries, scenes of the main battles of the Swedish army, everyday scenes of the life of servicemen, their families and the general population during the war and in peacetime, as well as original weapons, items of equipment and uniforms, and other military attributes. Trophies captured by the Swedes in the 17th-18th centuries and flags of defeated opponents are exhibited in a special room.
We bring to your attention 30 photographs of the exposition of the Army Museum in Stockholm, illustrating the rich military history of the Scandinavian kingdom.
The basis of the Swedish army of the XVI century was the militia, recruited from the peasants. It also included several thousand professional German landsknecht mercenaries. The presented scene depicts the moment the landsknechts signed a contract with a recruiter authorized by the king, located in the inn. Landsknechts are colorfully dressed in accordance with modern fashion. One is armed with a halberd and a characteristic Katzbalger sword, the other is armed with an arquebus and a long dagger
5800 tin soldiers represent the army of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The small Swedish army under the leadership of King Gustavus Adolf showed amazing successes in the battles of Breitenfeld, on the river Löch and at Lützen. The victories in these battles were won thanks to the Dutch military system effectively used by the Swedes, which was based on close cooperation between units of infantry armed with pikes, musketeers, cavalry units and field artillery used to support infantry on the battlefield.
The Swedish infantry of the era of the Thirty Years' War consisted of a third of pikemen and two-thirds of musketeers, and the importance of the latter was constantly increasing. On the battlefield, the infantry was built in 6 ranks, the musketeers occupied a position in the first ranks and on the flanks of the formation. To fire, a heavy musket had to be placed on a wooden bipod with its barrel. When attacking the enemy, the musketeers went under the protection of pikemen. The presented group of soldiers illustrates the wide variation in the age of the military personnel and the lack of a soldier's uniform at that time.
Military camp during the Thirty Years' War. The armies of this time only half consisted of soldiers, the second half included women, children of soldiers, entrepreneurs, marketers, merchants and the like, who lived mainly due to war and robbery of the civilian population. The army, which consisted of 6,000 people, consumed about 6 tons of bread, 3 tons of meat, 17 cubic meters of beer per day. Its needs quickly depleted the resource potential of the local economy. In order not to starve, the army had to constantly move from place to place.
The war was a terrible disaster for the civilian population. Armies moving across the country burned houses, took away and destroyed crops, Men, as a rule, were taken away with them or killed, women and children were left to die of starvation in a completely devastated area. After 30 years of hostilities, Germany, which was the main theater of operations, lost approximately 25% of its population, mainly due to disease and hunger.
The war contributed to the enrichment of the Swedish nobility. Its numbers increased significantly due to the huge number of adventurers, mostly of German origin. The scene depicts a Swedish nobleman around 1650. Most likely, he amassed his wealth by robbery during the Thirty Years' War and received an estate from the government for his faithful service at its end. He is dressed in a luxurious suit, a glass of Rhine wine is on the table, a tobacco pipe in his hand. On the forehead are traces of syphilis, a very common disease at that time.
In 1682, recruitment duty in Sweden was replaced by a militia-territorial recruiting system, the so-called indelta. Each province was to maintain its own regiment of 1,200 soldiers. Several peasant households together had to put up one recruit. The recruit was given a plot of land with a house and cattle, the peasants had to supply him with food, military equipment and uniforms, as well as a small amount of money. All the time, while the soldier was not at war or at the training camp, he had to work for the peasants as a farm laborer. The officers in this army were the nobles, the parish priests kept records of the population liable for military service and conveyed the decrees of the king to the peasants. Religion was an important part of army life. Each regiment had its own priest and sermons were held regularly. Failure to attend duty was punished, and blasphemy was considered a capital crime
Equipment of a Swedish infantryman, circa 1690. It includes a woolen uniform, usually blue in color, weapons in the form of a sword and a musket with a matchlock in the early and flintlock in the later model. Personal belongings and other equipment were stored in a chest; in non-war times, the chest itself was kept by the headman of the village where the soldier lived. Weapons were usually provided by the government
Cavalry saddle around 1690. It has a wooden frame and is covered in leather, with saddlebags for a pair of pistols on the sides.
Cavalry saddle around 1690. It has a wooden frame and is covered in leather, with saddlebags for a pair of pistols on the sides.
In the second half of the 17th century, the Swedish metallurgical industry began to develop rapidly. Sweden was the second European exporter of iron and iron products after England. The pig iron smelted here was of high quality and well suited for casting cannons. The cannon yard of the second half of the 17th century is presented on the stage. In the center is a melting furnace, into which air is supplied by bellows. Furs are set in motion by means of a water mill located at the back of the courtyard. In the foreground we see the individual stages of mold making. Molten metal from the furnace is poured into a tool mold. A wooden trunk of appropriate thickness is first wrapped with a rope, then covered with wax and coated with a thick layer of refractory clay. Then a hollow clay mold is placed vertically in a pit and molten metal from a forge is poured into it. When the metal hardens, the mold is broken, removing the finished gun barrel from it.
Artillery barrel "in section" and accessories for firing. First, canvas caps with gunpowder were loaded into the barrel, then a wad of straw was placed, after the core and, finally, another wad, which made it difficult for the powder gases to break into the bore when fired. A tube filled with powder pulp was inserted into the priming hole of the barrel, it was set on fire with a wick inserted into the clamp of the burner. A shaggy bannik was used to clean the barrel after a shot and remove carbon deposits from it. The punch compacted the charge in the barrel before firing.
Various types of artillery shells: a bomb with an explosive charge, buckshot used to destroy enemy personnel, an incendiary shell.
The participation of Sweden in the Great Northern War of 1700-1721 marks the achievement of its peak of military power and, at the same time, the beginning of its decline. At the first stage of hostilities, the Swedish king Charles XII managed to withdraw Denmark from the war, defeat the Russian army near Narva and achieve a number of high-profile successes in the Commonwealth and Saxony. However, his invasion of Russia in 1709 ended in disaster near Poltava. Charles XII died in Norway in 1716, but the war continued for several more years. By the time the peace treaty was signed in 1721, Sweden had lost 200,000 men and all its possessions beyond the Baltic Sea, except for a small part of Pomerania.
The cavalry played an important role in military operations. The riders on the battlefield kept a tight formation and usually attacked at full gallop with melee weapons in their hands.
During the sieges of the 17th and 18th centuries, armies dug deeper into the ground to protect themselves from artillery fire. On distant approaches, sappers dug out many kilometers of parallel lines of trenches, connected to each other by communication lines. The belt of trenches moved towards enemy fortifications by laying zigzag tunnels, followed by branching corridors to the right and left. The side walls of the trenches were reinforced with wattle, the parapet - with fascines stuffed with earth and stones.
A complete set of infantry uniforms of 1756, which includes underwear, a camisole with trousers, a woolen uniform and a cloak. Since the Great Northern War, the look and cut of the uniform has not changed much, the same goes for weapons, which consisted of a flintlock musket, a bayonet and a sword.
Officer's uniform of 1756. The officer's uniform has the same cut as the soldier's, but differs from it in the best quality of the material and galloons, which played the role of insignia. Left ensign's uniform
A 1743 cavalry uniform belonging to a horseman of the royal escort. To the right is the dress officer's cuirass with decorations, 1781
Military discipline has always been maintained by harsh measures that ranged from ignominious reprimands to brutal corporal punishment. The most common punishment was flogging, for serious crimes the perpetrator could be subjected to sophisticated torture, after which death seemed to him to be released.
Shown here is a Swedish artillery crew of a 6-pounder that was fired upon by Russian chasseurs during the war of 1808-1809. One artilleryman was killed, another was seriously wounded, the rest continued to follow the instructions of the officer and aimed their weapons at the target. The war ended with the victory of Russia and the conclusion of the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty, according to which Sweden lost Finland.
Russian infantrymen who have settled in a grove and are firing at the Swedish artillerymen from the previous scene.
A repair shop in which the cannon carriage is repaired.
Infantry uniform of 1845, created according to the modern Prussian model. The composition of the uniform includes a woolen jacket, trousers and shoes, the head is protected by a leather helmet with a hair plume. The officers wore a uniform of the same cut; an embroidered collar is visible on the shelf on the right, which was used in the form of a dress sample. The weapon consists of a muzzle-loading rifle with a bayonet and a cleaver
Marching set of a soldier of the middle of the XIX century. It includes a change of uniform, warm socks and a sweater, a copper flask, cutlery, entrenching tools, an awning and wooden stakes for the tent.
In 1901, Sweden introduced compulsory military service for men between the ages of 18 and 42. Military camps were erected throughout the country, in which conscripts lived during the year of active military service. It was believed that military conscription mixed social classes, contributing to the strengthening of civil solidarity and democracy. In practice, officers and enlisted men continued to be recruited from different social groups and live different lives. In this scene, a professional officer bullies a young conscript
Officer's marching set, early 20th century. It includes elements of field and ceremonial uniforms, a satchel for carrying personal belongings, a copper pot, cutlery, and personal hygiene items. Most of the officers at that time came from the upper strata of society and did not want to give up their usual living conditions even in army conditions.
Sweden did not take part in either the First or Second World Wars. However, in the event of an invasion from outside, large-scale preparations were carried out in the country, including the mobilization of those liable for military service to guard the borders and protect critical installations, and even the call-up of reservists aged 35–42 years in the fall of 1914. After several months of service, the reservists were sent home. The photo shows such a reserve soldier
Camp kitchen during the First World War. For the first time in the Swedish army, field kitchens appeared in 1892, until that time, food in field conditions was cooked on a fire in ordinary boilers transported in a wagon train. The field kitchen includes several boilers, compartments for storing food and kitchen utensils. It was transported by a pair of horses.
"Foreign Military Review" No. 7.2004 (pp. 8-18)
REFORMING THE SWEDEN AF
Captain 1st rank I.MARTIN
In the early 90s of the XX century, the military-political leadership of Sweden came to the conclusion that after the changes that occurred in the military-political situation in Europe and in the world as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the formation of states in the Baltic Sea region pro-Western orientation, the existing organizational structure of the armed forces (AF) of the country, their numerical strength and combat composition do not correspond to the nature of threats to national security. Swedish military experts also came to the unanimous opinion that the likelihood of a large-scale war on the European continent is practically excluded. A threat to national security can be presented by conflicts arising from unresolved territorial, social, economic, religious and ethnic problems that exist in Russia and the post-Soviet space.
Sweden's accession to the European Union (EU) and its active participation in the formation of the military component of this international organization, joining the NATO Partnership for Peace program, joining the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council have largely influenced the country's foreign policy. Its security policy and the main directions of the development of the armed forces have recently been developed taking into account the general line being determined in these organizations. Sweden, in essence, has ceased to be a neutral country. The principle of "freedom from alliances in peacetime in order to maintain neutrality in war", which for almost 200 years has been the basis of the country's security policy, has been replaced by the principle of "freedom from military alliances in peacetime in order to be able to maintain neutrality in the event of conflict in the immediate environment." This wording allows the Swedish leadership, without assuming any specific obligations, to maintain freedom of action in crisis situations and, in the event of a threat to national security, seek help from other countries or join a military alliance.
In 1997, the Swedish parliament approved a new national security doctrine based on the premise that the likelihood of a military attack on the country is unlikely and a potential aggressor will need at least ten years to prepare it. This makes it possible to reduce military spending by fundamentally reforming the command and control system of the Armed Forces, reducing their strength and combat strength, constantly improving the organizational structure of the troops (forces) and keeping them at a reduced degree of readiness.
The doctrine consolidated the rejection of the traditional concept of territorial defense and the transition to "adapted (adaptable) defense", which assumes that the state of combat capability of the Armed Forces and their readiness to ensure the country's defense capability must correspond to the level of threats to national security. According to the document, in the event of an aggravation of the situation, the state is obliged to ensure that the Armed Forces are transferred to readiness to repel possible aggression within the established time frame.
A transition is also envisaged to a compact and mobile army of a modern type, recruited on the basis of universal military duty (“the army is part of the people”), capable of actively participating in multinational operations to maintain and establish peace, as well as to counter new, non-traditional threats. Preparing the country to repel aggression and ensuring the viability of the state in emergency conditions will continue to be carried out within the framework of general (total) defense, the main component of which remains the armed forces.
The plan for the development of the country's Armed Forces for 1997-2001, developed taking into account the provisions of the new doctrine, provided for a significant reduction in the Armed Forces and a change in the structure of military command and control. Thus, the number of infantry divisions was reduced from 6 to 3, combined arms brigades - from 16 to 13, combat aviation squadrons - from 17 to 13, and a number of training and mobilization regiments were also disbanded. A helicopter squadron of the armed forces was created, which included helicopters from all types of the Armed Forces, and an international command of the Armed Forces, the positions of commanders of the armed forces were eliminated, and the main command of the Armed Forces was reorganized. The number of the Armed Forces decreased by 13 percent.
In March 2000, the Swedish Parliament adopted a law on reforming the Armed Forces, approved a long-term program for their development until 2010 and a construction plan for 2001-2004. The law noted that the armed forces must have sufficient potential to repel aggression and build up combat capabilities in the event of a crisis, a modern command and control structure based on advanced information technologies, and an effective intelligence system. In addition, they must, if necessary, allocate units to the multinational forces participating in peacekeeping operations, be able to detect and stop the threat of violation of the country's territorial integrity at any time, and be ready to repel non-traditional threats.
The main tasks for the Armed Forces for the forthcoming five-year period are defined as follows: defense of the country from armed attack; ensuring the territorial integrity of the state and national sovereignty; participation in international peacekeeping operations; rendering assistance to civil authorities in eliminating the consequences of industrial and natural disasters.
The Armed Forces development program provides for the reorganization of the military command and control system, a change in the military-administrative division, as well as a reduction in the size and combat strength of the armed forces and equipping them with modern weapons and military equipment (WME). The strength of the Armed Forces in peacetime states, according to the latest data from the foreign press, is 35.5 thousand people. In 2004, it is planned to reduce it to 29,000. The number of civil servants in the army will be about 8,000 people.
The staffing of the armed forces, as at present, will be carried out according to a mixed principle - in accordance with the law on universal military service and on a voluntary basis. The conscripts are men aged 18 to 47 years.
The conscription of persons liable for military service for active military service is carried out upon reaching the age of 19. Duration of military service (in months): rank and file of the ground forces - 7.5-10, air force - 7.5-11.5, naval forces - 9.5-15; sergeants and servicemen of technical specialties - 9.5-15; reserve officers - 12-21 (platoon commanders - 12-18, company commanders - 15-21). For conscripts who agree to join the hemvern, three months of military training is provided.
Women are recruited for military service on a voluntary basis. They have been granted the right to enroll in military schools on a general basis and hold any positions in headquarters and combat units. The command of the Armed Forces seeks to increase the number of women in the armed forces and create equal conditions for them to serve with men. At present, about 5 per cent. officers - women. In the future, the military leadership intends to double this figure.
Conscripts who, for religious or ethical reasons, refuse to serve in the armed forces have the opportunity to perform alternative (civilian) service in the civilian sector of total defense (its duration is one year). The decision to release a conscript from military service is made by a special commission, which includes representatives of the Armed Forces, local authorities and public organizations. Dodging alternative service is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year in peacetime.
The armed forces include the ground forces, the air force and the navy. Depending on the tasks assigned and the degree of combat readiness, since 2001 they have been divided into operational and defensive forces.
The operational forces include the most combat-ready formations and units of all types of the Armed Forces, which must solve the main tasks facing the armed forces. They are managed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces through the High Command of the Armed Forces and the Command of the Operational Forces. From the composition of the operational forces, military contingents are allocated to multinational formations for participation in peacekeeping operations, the response force of the European Union, as well as to the national and regional response forces. The command of the Armed Forces strives to ensure that their organizational structure, military command and control system and equipment meet NATO standards to the maximum extent.
The defensive forces are intended to conduct territorial defense and solve auxiliary tasks in the interests of the operational forces. They include local defense troops, a voluntary irregular organization of hemverns, as well as units that are not included in the operational forces. The commanders of the territorial defense districts will be responsible for the use and training of defensive forces.
In accordance with the plan of military development in 2001, the organizational and staffing structure of the Ministry of Defense (MO) was changed. Currently, it includes: three main directorates (security policy and international problems, the military component of total defense, the civilian component of total defense); management of the economy, personnel and interaction; two secretariats - analysis and long-term military planning and legal; support units (media relations, logistics, security service, library). In addition, the Defense Ministry has a group of military experts (officers with the rank of colonel-lieutenant colonel, the head of the group is a brigadier general), as well as an adviser on relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
The Directorate General for Security Policy and International Affairs is responsible for developing plans for Sweden's military cooperation with international organizations (NATO, EU, UN, the participation of the Armed Forces in the activities of the Partnership for Peace program) and on a bilateral basis, for the implementation of arms control agreements, as well as for maintaining contacts with military attachés accredited to Sweden. In addition, the department resolves issues of admission to Swedish territory of warships and aircraft, units of the ground forces of foreign states.
The General Directorate of the military component of total defense draws up and submits to the government short-term and long-term plans for the development of the armed forces, prepares proposals for changing military doctrine.
The General Directorate of the Civil Component of Total Defense deals with the preparation of the civilian sector of total defense for operations in emergency conditions and oversees the state and activities of the state rescue service and the coast guard.
The Department of Economy, Personnel and Interaction is responsible for the development of the military budget and monitors its implementation, solves personnel problems, organizes interaction with the High Command of the Armed Forces and the Main Logistics Directorate of the Armed Forces in the process of preparing the military budget and implementing plans for the purchase of weapons and military equipment, and also exercises control over the economic activities of the military component of total defence.
The Secretariat for Analysis and Long-Term Military Planning resolves issues of analysis and assessment of the state and development of the international situation, monitors changes in the views of states on the construction and use of the Armed Forces, and develops plans for the development of the armed forces for the long term.
The Secretariat for Legal Affairs is responsible for the legal support of the activities of the MoD and the Armed Forces.
The Minister of Defense is a civilian, a representative of the party (coalition) that formed the government. The Deputy Minister is the Secretary of State of the Defense Ministry, who organizes the work of the military department and takes his post regardless of the change of governments. The total number of employees of the Ministry of Defense is about 120 people.
The reorganization of the military command and control system, begun in 1998, continues. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as the highest official in the armed forces, leads the country's armed forces through the deputy, the main command of the armed forces (GKVS) and the commanders of the territorial defense districts.
In accordance with the decision of the government, from January 1, 2003, the reorganization of the SSC of Sweden is being carried out. At the same time, it was noted that it is aimed at increasing the efficiency of command and control of troops (forces) in the context of the introduction of modern information technologies in them and the ever-increasing participation of the country's armed forces in multinational peacekeeping operations. In addition, this reorganization will allow more than 15 percent to reduce the number of personnel of military command and control bodies.
Upon completion of the organizational measures, the GKVS will include: the headquarters, the command of the operational forces (previously it was subordinated directly to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces) and five directorates - strategic planning, wartime troops, training and daily activities of the troops, intelligence and counterintelligence, control and revision. The regular category of heads of departments and the commander of operational forces is a lieutenant general.
As part of the main command of the Armed Forces, the positions of inspectors (regular category Major General / Rear Admiral) are being established: ground forces, air forces, naval forces, for training personnel and for integrated control systems. Their tasks include: inspection of troops (forces), development of manuals, charters and other documents regulating daily activities, operational and combat training of units and formations, as well as management of military educational institutions of the Armed Forces.
The main purpose of the headquarters is to organize interaction with the Ministry of Defense and government agencies, to ensure and coordinate the activities of the departments of the main command. It will include four departments: coordination, protocol, administrative and information. At the moment, the duties of the chief of staff are performed by the head of the strategic planning department.
The command of the operational forces (OS) develops plans for the strategic deployment and combat use of these forces, manages them in peacetime and wartime, is responsible for maintaining them in the established degree of combat readiness, as well as for organizing and conducting operational and combat training of the OS. This command includes an operational department (acts as a headquarters) and tactical commands of the branches of the armed forces. The operational department resolves issues of planning, combat and mobilization readiness of the OS, combat and logistic support, organization of operational and combat training, and peacekeeping activities.
The commanders of tactical commands (the position category of the commander by military rank - brigadier general (admiral of the flotilla) - of the ground forces, air force and navy - are the leaders of their types of armed forces in peacetime and wartime. They are responsible for the readiness of the corresponding type of OS to perform the assigned tasks, state combat and mobilization readiness, organization and conduct of operational and combat training.The commander of the tactical command of the ground forces is entrusted with solving the issues of recruiting and training peacekeeping contingents allocated to multinational formations, their logistics during participation in the operations of peacekeeping forces, as well as organizing interaction with the leadership of the peacekeeping forces.
The Commander of the Operational Forces is responsible for the helicopter flotilla of the Armed Forces and the international command of the Armed Forces.
The Strategic Planning Department performs the following functions: analyzes the military-political situation and forecasts its development for up to 20 years; carries out long-term and current planning of the construction of the armed forces; develops the main provisions of the state defense policy and military doctrine; evaluates the effectiveness of the existing military command and control system and develops proposals for its improvement; determines the material needs of the armed forces.
The department consists of five departments - long-term forecasting, analysis, prospective development of the armed forces, personnel and economic.
The Main Directorate (GU) of the wartime troops is responsible for maintaining the combat and mobilization readiness of formations and units, their timely completion to wartime staffing, as well as operational deployment. It includes seven departments: the combat use of the ground forces, the combat use of the Air Force, the combat use of the Navy, command and control systems and communications, planning, procurement and logistics.
The GU includes the following departments: planning, weapons, ground, sea, air operations, logistics, meteorological support, as well as an inspector for integrated control systems.
The Department of Training and Daily Activities of the Troops solves the problems of organizing operational and combat training in the armed forces, manages training units and centers, military educational institutions, is responsible for improving their organizational structure and the maintenance of the training base, annually determines the general needs of the troops in the number of conscripts and distributes them by type of aircraft. This department is responsible for the management of the Hemvern and voluntary paramilitary organizations, as well as the problems of protecting the environment in the course of military activities. It has six departments: planning, financial, training, real estate, environmental protection, paramilitary organizations, as well as inspectors for the types of aircraft and personnel.
The Directorate of Intelligence and Counterintelligence is responsible for planning the work of intelligence agencies, managing them, obtaining, collecting, analyzing and communicating information to interested authorities and headquarters, monitors the fulfillment of contractual obligations in the military field by foreign states, and is also engaged in counterintelligence support of the armed forces. It consists of six departments: management of forces and means of intelligence, analysis and evaluation, control of the regional military-political situation, military information, military attaches and security.
In order to control the observance of the law in the armed forces and the targeted use of financial resources, a control and audit department is being created in the structure of the main command, which will include the control and audit and legal departments.
Probably, this organizational and staffing structure of the Civil Code is not final. At present, the issue of merging the departments of daily activities and training of troops and wartime troops into one department is being discussed.
In connection with the division of troops into operational and defensive forces, since 2001 the military districts and defense areas, as well as the regional commands of the Air Force and Navy, have been liquidated. The territory of the country was divided into four territorial defense districts (UTO): Northern (headquarters in Voden), Central (Strengnes), Southern (Gothenburg) and Gotland (Gotland, Visby).
The commanders of the territorial defense districts (official category - Major General) are subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. They are responsible for organizing the interaction of all components of total defense, their readiness for action in emergency conditions or in repelling aggression, for carrying out mobilization measures within the boundaries of their districts. They are in charge of defensive forces, including units of local defense troops and a voluntary paramilitary organization - hemvern, as well as units and units of operational forces allocated by the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces to solve defensive tasks. In wartime, UTO commanders organize the repulse of armed aggression within the district.
The UTO includes territorial defense groups (29 in total). Group commanders are responsible for conducting mobilization, training units of the defensive forces, liaising with paramilitary organizations and leaders of the civilian component of total defense at the commune level. In wartime, they will lead the units of the defensive forces deployed on the territory of the district.
Since 2002, the Swedish Armed Forces began the transition to a centralized logistics system. The logistic support agencies of the Armed Forces and the district logistic regiments were abolished, and on their basis the logistic service of the armed forces (Forsvarsmaktens Logistic - FMLOG) was created, which is entrusted with the logistic support of all types of armed forces. Special technical support remains under the jurisdiction of the main logistics department of the Armed Forces.
The rear service of the armed forces includes a headquarters (Karlstad) and three departments: supply (Voden), technical (Arbuga) and financial and economic (Karlskrona). The head of the logistics service (the full-time position is Major General) is directly subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the country's Armed Forces.
The supply department is responsible for the material support of the troops (forces), storage of weapons and military equipment in warehouses and their disposal, and should also deal with military environmental issues. The department consists of five departments (supply, transport, disposal of weapons and military equipment, warehouses, military ecology) and 14 divisions that are located in military garrisons with the task of supplying units and subunits, as well as monitoring the condition of storage facilities and the material assets and weapons stored in them.
The technical department solves the issues of repair and maintenance of military equipment and weapons located in the units and subunits of the Armed Forces, as well as their technical support. The department has six departments: SV, Air Force, Navy, Information Systems, Computers and Spare Parts Supply, as well as a technology maintenance group. The duties of the departments include the management of enterprises for the repair and maintenance of weapons and military equipment.
The financial and economic department is responsible for developing proposals for the procurement of material and technical means, organizing settlements between the logistics service units, suppliers and military units (divisions). It consists of: a procurement department, 5 regional financial and economic departments and 17 service units deployed on the territory of military garrisons.
The logistic service of the Armed Forces should be fully ready to solve the assigned tasks in 2005. The transition to a new logistic support system, according to Swedish experts, will reduce the number of personnel employed in the logistic support system of the armed forces from 10.7 thousand to 4.75 thousand people, while the proportion of civilian personnel will be quite large - 82 percent (4.5 thousand).
The command of the Swedish Armed Forces believes that the logistics system being created should become a link between the economy and the armed forces, and relations between the commanders of military formations at all levels and the logistics service will be based on direct financial calculations. This will allow commanders of subunits and units to make more efficient use of funds allocated for combat training and maintenance of troops (forces).
In the ground forces, three combined-arms divisions were disbanded, a divisional command was created as part of the tactical command of the SV (division headquarters in a reduced composition), the number of cadre brigades was reduced to six.
The ground troops of the operational forces after mobilization can number up to 110 thousand people. They may include 4 mechanized and 2 Norrland brigades, a separate artillery regiment, 7 special forces battalions (reconnaissance, security and sabotage), 6 engineer battalions, 7 air defense divisions, including 2 Advanced Hawk divisions, and over 15 individual mouths. Brigades can operate both independently and as part of a division (two to four brigades), which can be formed by decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces during the strategic deployment of troops or in the course of combat operations in a particularly dangerous direction. In the process of mobilization, the divisional command is staffed according to the wartime staff and will deal with the formation of the division and its leadership in the course of hostilities.
Under normal conditions, there are no combat-ready units in the ground forces. The training of military personnel for units and subunits is carried out in training and mobilization regiments. At present, there are 13 such regiments in the SV: two infantry - the 5th Emland (Oestersund) and the 19th Norbotten (Voden); four armored ones - the 4th Skaraborg (Shovde), the 7th South Skone (Revingehead), the 10th Sodermapland (Strengnes), the 18th Gotland (Gotland Island, Visby); two reconnaissance and sabotage - 3rd Guards Hussars (Karlborg) and 4th Norrland Dragoons; 4th artillery with a training center (Kristinehamn); 6th Air Defense Regiment with a training center (Halmstad); 1st Uppland Communications Regiment (Enkoping); 2nd Geta Engineer Regiment with a training center (Ekshe); 2nd Geta Training Regiment of Logistics (Shovde). The structure of the training and mobilization regiments is of the same type and, as a rule, includes a headquarters, training and training battalions, a service unit and a technical department. Those who have completed military service are enrolled in the reserve of operational forces and are in it until the age of 30-35.
On the basis of infantry and armored regiments in wartime, it is planned to deploy two Norrland infantry (5th and 19th) and four mechanized (7th, 9th, 10th and 18th) brigades. In everyday conditions, the brigade commander is the deputy commander of the training and mobilization regiment. The armament and military equipment of the deployed formations and units are in the warehouses of the rear services of the Armed Forces. On the basis of the training and mobilization regiment, as a rule, one battalion is trained during the year.
The Norrland infantry brigades, trained for combat operations in the regions of Northern Sweden, should include a headquarters, four battalions (three jaeger and mechanized), a field artillery division, five companies (headquarters, reconnaissance, air defense and two anti-tank), as well as two battalions (engineer and logistics). In addition to small arms, the brigades can be armed with up to 120 armored combat vehicles (BMP CV-90 and BTR MT-LB), 12 155-mm field artillery guns, 24 120-mm mortars, 27 RBS-70 and -90 MANPADS, 30 ATGMs . The number of personnel of the brigade is about 6,000 people.
Mechanized brigades are considered the main strike formation of the ground forces. The brigade includes: headquarters, four mechanized battalions, an artillery battalion, three companies - headquarters, reconnaissance and air defense, two battalions - engineering and logistics. A mechanized battalion includes a headquarters company consisting of a mortar platoon, two mechanized and tank companies, as well as a support company. The brigade can be armed with up to 60 Leopard-2A5 battle tanks, 12 155-mm guns, 18 120-mm mortars, 27 RBS-70 and -90 MANPADS, 30 ATGMs, 130 armored combat vehicles (CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles). The number of personnel of the brigade is 5,600 people.
The basis of the defensive forces are the troops of local defense and units of the hemvern. Their number may exceed 85 thousand people. As part of these forces, it is planned to have up to 30 separate infantry battalions and companies, as well as about 150 hemvern units. The defensive forces are manned by reservists, usually over 35 years of age.
The ground forces are armed with: 280 combat tanks-120 Leopard-2 (Strv 122) and 160 Leopard-28 (Strv 122), about 500 CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, 550 MT-LB (Pbv401), 350 BMP-1 (Pbv 501), 600 armored personnel carriers (Pbv 302), 300 towed howitzers of caliber 155 mm (F 77 A, B), 26 155 mm self-propelled guns (Bandkanon-1A), 480 120 mm mortars, 450 MANPADS (RBS-70 and -90), SAM "Improved Hawk" (RBS-77 and -97).
The plan for the development of the ground forces provides for the supply of about 160 SISU 180 armored personnel carriers purchased in Finland to the troops, complete tests and adopt twin self-propelled 120-mm mortar AMOS (Swedish-Finnish production), as well as BAMSE medium-range air defense systems.
The Air Force is the most combat-ready branch of the Armed Forces. They include five aviation flotillas (4, 7, 16, 17, 21st), which include 11 squadrons of combat aircraft (5 fighter-bomber, 5 fighter air defense, reconnaissance) and 2 squadrons of auxiliary aircraft. In accordance with the program for the construction of the Armed Forces, the reorganization of the Air Force control system, the decommissioning of the AJ-37 Wiggen aircraft and their replacement with tactical aviation aircraft JAS-39 Gripen continues.
In the naval forces of Sweden, the efforts of the command are aimed at improving the organizational and staffing structure of the formations, modernizing the ships in service and updating the ship's composition. The Navy includes a navy and an amphibious force.
The fleet includes: a submarine flotilla, the 2nd and 3rd surface ship flotillas, the 4th minesweeper flotilla, two naval bases - Muskö (main) and Karskrona, as well as the Gothenburg base.
The fleet of submarines based at the Muskø naval base includes five diesel submarines (three Gotland and two Westeretland types), the Spiggen midget submarine, the Beloe rescue ship and two torpedo boats.
The 2nd flotilla of surface ships (Navy Muske) includes a corvette division (Gothenburg, Gävle, Kalmar and Sundsval), the Wiesborg control ship and a division of patrol boats (four PKA).
The 3rd Surface Flotilla (Navy Karskrona) includes a missile ship division (Stockholm and Malmö corvettes and four Norrköping-class missile boats) and a patrol boat division (four Kaparen-class boats).
The 4th Mine-Sweeping Flotilla includes two divisions of mine-sweeping ships, which are based at the naval bases of Karlskrona and Muskø. In total, it can include up to 30 ships and boats.
The task of naval bases is to ensure the basing of the fleet forces, to carry out mobilization activities in its interests, to organize control over coastal waters and the coast in the established area of responsibility, as well as to ensure the educational process of naval schools and training centers deployed on the territory of the base. The area of responsibility of the Muskö naval base is the coast with adjacent waters from the city of Haparanda (in the north) to the city of Vester-vik (in the south), including about. Gotland. The area of responsibility of the naval base of Karskrona is the western and eastern coasts of Sweden. The organizational and staffing structure of the naval base includes a headquarters, a headquarters company (responsible for protecting the headquarters and military facilities on the territory of the base), a coast guard battalion (controlling coastal waters and the coast), a battalion for providing basing forces for the fleet, as well as service, medical support and technical department. The regular category of the commander of the naval base is captain 1st rank.
The Amphibious Forces ("Amphibious Corps") were created in 2000 on the basis of the Coastal Defense Forces. Their main purpose is to defend the most important sections of the coast, protect the naval base, disrupt (repel) the landing of enemy sea and air assault forces, as well as participate in multinational formations in peacekeeping operations. The amphibious forces are armed with artillery guns (mobile), anti-ship missiles RBS-15 and -17, MANPADS RBS-70 and -90, 81-mm mortars, landing and patrol boats, minelayers. Guided minefields can be placed in landing-dangerous areas in coastal waters.
In peacetime, the amphibious forces include two training and mobilization amphibious regiments - the 1st and 4th, with headquarters in the north. v. Vaxholm and Gothenburg, respectively. Their main tasks are to train personnel for wartime units and to ensure the mobilization deployment of amphibious forces. The regiment consists of: headquarters, amphibious battalion, medical support unit and support units. The amphibious battalion is the main training unit. It includes a headquarters and three companies: maritime training (training crews of boats and minelayers, as well as specialists in anti-submarine defense), support (training specialists in logistics and medical support services) and infantry (training infantrymen, mortarmen, specialists in servicing anti-ship missiles and sea minefields).
On the basis of the 1st amphibious regiment, it is planned to deploy an amphibious brigade. In peacetime, only its reduced headquarters exists. The brigade includes a headquarters, a headquarters company, three amphibious battalions, and four companies (reconnaissance, air defense, anti-submarine defense, logistics and engineering). The amphibious battalion consists of a headquarters company with reconnaissance, communications, anti-ship missiles and logistics platoons, two amphibious companies, a division of rangers and a mortar battery.
The amphibious forces have about 180 boats and four minelayers.
In total, after mobilization, the number of personnel of the naval forces may be about 20 thousand people.
The command of the Navy considers the renewal of the ship's composition a priority task. The Navy Development Program provides for the completion by 2010 of the construction of a series of new-generation corvettes created using stealth technology: Visby, Helsingborg, Hernösand, Nyköping, Karlstad. The first corvette from this series (Visby) is undergoing sea trials and in 2005 should enter the fleet. Work continues with Denmark on the Viking submarine project. The first submarines of this project (Sweden plans to order two units), designed to replace the Vesteretland-class submarines, may enter the Navy in 2010.
In 2001, the officer training system was changed. Military schools of the branches of the armed forces were liquidated and instead of them three military schools were created: in Halmstad, Östersund and Karlberg (Stockholm). The duration of their studies is three years. In the first and second years, future officers take a course of general and military training, in the third they study weapons and military equipment in accordance with their future specialty in training centers and schools of the Armed Forces.
The military-political leadership of the country pays great attention to the readiness of national military contingents to participate in international peacekeeping activities. Sweden is actively involved in the creation of EU military structures and has declared its readiness to contribute up to 2,000 people to its response force (SR).
In the Armed Forces of the country, the creation of a national response force (SWERAP) is being completed. From their composition, units will be allocated to multinational formations participating under the leadership of the EU, NATO and the UN in operations to resolve crisis situations, as well as to the regional SRs of the Nordic countries.
The units included in the national SRs are staffed with military personnel who have completed active military service, are in the reserve of operational forces and have concluded special contracts (readiness contracts) for a period of one year with the command of the Armed Forces. During this period, a person liable for military service may be drafted into the armed forces and, after a month of training as part of a unit, is sent to the crisis area to participate in a peacekeeping operation. At the same time, the duration of stay abroad should not exceed six months. In accordance with national legislation, the contingent of Swedish military personnel simultaneously participating in operations outside the country is limited to 2,000 people.
The ground component of the SR (SWARAP) will consist of two mechanized battalions, as well as three companies: engineering, defense against weapons of mass destruction and military police.
The air component (SWAFRAP) is designed to conduct aerial reconnaissance and transport personnel and military supplies during operations conducted as part of the multinational force. It includes: four AJSF / H-37 Viggen aircraft, command and control, logistics and security units from the 21st Aviation Flotilla (afl), four C-130 transport aircraft from 7 fl and an S102B Korpen radio and electronic intelligence aircraft . In 2004, the Viggen aircraft are planned to be replaced by the JAS-39 Gripen from the 17th AFL.
The maritime component (SWENARAP) should be ready, as part of multinational formations, to carry out the tasks of organizing a naval blockade in areas of crisis, conducting maritime reconnaissance, combating mine danger, and also taking part in humanitarian operations. Area of operation - coastal
waters of the European continent, including the Mediterranean Sea. The naval component includes a submarine, two Gothenburg-class corvettes, Wiesborg and Trossø control ships, two Landsort-class minesweepers, a group of miners and an amphibious unit of up to 400 people.
The readiness of the units of the response forces to perform the assigned tasks is 30-90 days.
Sweden is allocating a mechanized battalion of the national response forces to the combined brigade of the ground forces of the Nordic countries, formed in accordance with the regional program for the joint participation of the armed forces of the Nordic countries in peacekeeping (NORDCAPS).
The readiness of the response force units is being tested in exercises conducted under the NATO Partnership for Peace program and plans for regional military cooperation.
As a result of the implementation of the plan of military development for 2001-2004, according to the command of the Swedish Armed Forces, they will be ready to carry out tasks to ensure national security and allocate military contingents to the EU response forces and multinational formations participating in crisis resolution under the leadership of NATO, the EU and the UN. The process of reforming the armed forces will continue. Thus, according to the Swedish media, the military leadership of the country is discussing the possibility of disbanding by 2007 two combined arms brigades, one aviation flotilla, reducing the purchase of weapons and military equipment, including JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, as well as military command and control bodies and the number of personnel composition of the armed forces.
Swedish army.
H Despite all the economic difficulties, Sweden had one of the most advanced armies of the time, thanks to which the Swedish king could keep his conquests. In the 80s of the XVII century. Swedish King Charles XI reformed the army. Prior to this reform, recruiting was carried out to complete the army, which was extremely unpopular among the peasants. The maintenance of a permanent army was also a heavy economic burden for the Swedish treasury. Charles XI introduced a new army manning system called the indeltas. All the royal lands in Sweden and Finland were divided into indeltas - territories that included several peasant farms. Each indelta had to support one soldier, give him a piece of land for settlement, supply him with provisions. The outfit was provided by the state. Instead of the killed soldier, the Indelta had to put up a new one. Soldiers from the indeltas were reduced to a regiment, bearing the name of the province where these indeltas were located. This system allowed the Swedish state to have a standing army of up to 60 thousand people, without burdening itself with its maintenance. Of course, during the hostilities, it was always possible to increase the size of the army through recruitment kits. Thus, after the accession of the young Charles XII to the Swedish throne, he already got a professional army created by his predecessors.
The infantry of Charles XII adhered to offensive tactics, and tried to avoid a long firefight and, after one or two volleys, switched to an attack with melee weapons. Therefore, the closest attention was paid to training soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. The main weapon of the soldiers was a smooth-bore flintlock musket, which was imperfect. A gust of wind could blow out a spark, and in the rain the lock would not work at all.
The battalions in the line of battle order were located in 6 ranks. Three ranks of infantrymen fired simultaneously - the first from the knee, and the second and third while standing, and the third rank fired at the gaps between the soldiers of the second rank.
Fig.4. The line formation of the Swedish battalion. In the center were pikemen, on the flanks - musketeers, grenadiers bordered the flanks (source:A.V. Bespalov. North War. Charles XII and the Swedish army) .
When conducting a long firefight, the Swedish infantry could fire using the caracal method. This method was as follows - after the soldiers of the first line fired a volley, they went back and stood behind the last line of the system, reloading their guns. After performing a similar maneuver by soldiers of other ranks, the first rank returned to its place and fired a volley, etc. (A.V. Bespalov).
The cavalry was the favorite branch of the troops of Charles XII, so much time was devoted to its education and training. A feature of the training of the Swedish cavalrymen was that they were trained to stab, and not to chop the enemy with broadswords. Stab wounds were usually fatal.
At the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, French military fashion dominated Europe. The main detail of the military costume was a knee-length caftan. The sides of the caftan turned outward, forming lapels of various sizes and shapes. Spacious sleeves ended with wide cuffs. The pants were just below the knee length and had a wide sewn-on belt with a slit and lacing at the back, which made it possible to adjust the size to a person's figure. A folding flap was attached in front - a lap band, which closed the cut where the fly is located on modern trousers. Under the knees, the pants were pulled together along the leg with strings. Stockings, blunt shoes or boots were worn on the legs. A hat made of felted wool or down served as a headdress - a cocked hat, with fields bent to the crown. From the point of view of functionality, the hat was of little use - it did not protect well from the cold and did not tolerate moisture.
Swedish infantrymen wore a single-breasted blue caftan with a small turn-down collar. On the floor of the caftan there were two pockets, the flaps of which had a shape characteristic of the Swedish army with seven buttons. In the Swedish army, caps were often worn instead of brimmed hats. The cap consisted of a cloth crown with lapels sewn to it on the side and back. In inclement weather, folded lapels fell down, covering the ears and neck from the cold.
The morale of the Swedish army was extremely high, which was explained by a special religious attitude based on the Protestant doctrine of Divine Predestination. This attitude was supported by the regimental priests, who comforted the dying and supervised the way of life of the soldiers and their performance of religious rites. Often, during the battle, the priests themselves went out onto the battlefield to support the spirit of the soldiers. (A.V. Bespalov) .
The Swedish infantry of Charles XII was well trained and mastered all modern types of combat. However, having a significant qualitative advantage over the enemy army on flat, open terrain, the Swedish army lost its advantage when fighting on wooded and rough terrain, which was a significant drawback of the linear tactics of warfare that prevailed at that time. †
Before the start of the Great Northern War, Sweden was one of the most economically and militarily powerful states in Europe. In the second half of the XVII century. She experienced an economic boom. The number of manufactories, especially ironworks, grew rapidly. It was they who produced weapons for the army. As a result of the Thirty Years' War, she captured all of Finland, Estonia, Livonia, Karelia, Izhora, Western Pomerania with Stettin, part of Germany on the Isthmus of Jutland and at the mouth of the Elbe River. Sweden owned the entire Baltic Sea basin. It was dominated by the powerful navy of the Kingdom of Sweden, which included 42 battleships and 12 frigates with 13,000 sailors and 2,700 armed guns.
This armada, consisting of three squadrons, could be joined by up to 800 merchant ships, which could be quickly armed with artillery.
Powerful fortresses with strong garrisons and numerous artillery were placed along the borders of Swedish possessions in the Baltic, Finland and Northern Germany. The main forces of the Swedish army were based on the territory of Sweden itself. If necessary, they were transferred across the Baltic Sea, where they entered into field battles with the enemy.
The Swedish army, opposing the young Russian army of Peter I, was the oldest standing army in Europe after the Netherlands.
She had great combat experience and was considered invincible. Even in the middle of the XVI century. the Swedish army was based on the principle of compulsory military service based on selective conscription.
Productive military reforms that increased the combat effectiveness of the armed forces were carried out by kings Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XI. The latter introduced a new troop recruiting system in Sweden, called the settled system.
She was as follows. The main costs of maintaining the troops were covered by income from land holdings, both private and public. Private and communal peasant lands were subdivided into plots of equal profitability, and in such a way that the income from such a plot was sufficient to support one soldier. One such plot united a group of peasant farms - a company. Each company was required to maintain one infantry soldier. For this, peasant farms were exempted from taxes. The cavalry was recruited somewhat differently.
This principle of manning the armed forces allowed Sweden to maintain a large army that did not correspond to the population and economic capabilities of the state. For example, in 1697 (when Charles XII came to the throne), the size of the Swedish army was 60 thousand people. In wartime, it increased due to recruitment sets. In addition, there were mercenary troops in Sweden. The royal guards (drabants) and artillery were completed by recruiting mercenaries.
April 5, 1697 Charles XI died of cancer. His son Charles XII was left without a father and without a mother. In accordance with the will of Charles XI, power was transferred to the grandmother of Charles XII Hedwig-Eleanor, the dowager queen, and five royal advisers. In November of the same year, the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, invited Charles XII to take responsibility for the kingdom. On December 14, fifteen-year-old Karl was crowned, and for the first time in Swedish history, he did not take the royal oath. On the day of the coronation, he left his residence with a crown on his head and with a scepter in his hand, thus showing that power was given to him not by the representatives of the people in the face of the Riksdag, but by God himself. Karl never called the Riksdag again in his life.
He turned out to be an outstanding commander who led a magnificent army. Under his direct leadership, the Swedish army won four major battles of the Northern War: at Narva (1700), Daugava (1701), Klishov (1702) and Golovchin (1708), and lost only one - near Poltava (1709).
Let us dwell on some characteristic features of the military art of Charles XII and his army. The most important element of this art was the tactics of planning and conducting combat. It can be summed up in three words: simplicity, flexibility and courage. In all the battle plans of the Swedish king, a conscious desire for simplicity is easily detected. Thanks to her, the control of the battle was facilitated. The consequence of this was the flexibility of the army's actions on the battlefield, that is, the ability of commanders to freely, promptly and adequately respond to unexpected situations. But a particularly striking feature of the planning and tactical direction of battles was courage. Sometimes it went to extremes, as near Narva and Poltava.
Thanks to these features of tactics, as well as the method of battle and morale, the Swedish army had a reputation for being invincible for a long time. Morale was shaped primarily by the king himself. The power of Charles XII over the feelings of his soldiers was enormous: they carried out absolutely everything that he ordered or simply hinted at. In addition to the fact that he was a king and a brilliant commander, this is due to his complete contempt for dangers, rare endurance and spiritual strength, physical undemanding, his tireless concern for the life and mood of soldiers (ordinary citizens of Sweden almost never felt this). One of the contemporaries of Charles XII wrote that he could cause in the soldiers "an unusual desire for battle."
The Swedish infantry used a special combat technique introduced in 1694 and called the "New Battalion Fighting Style". She was as follows. At the command of the battalion commander "Get ready!" pikemen raised their peaks and went forward until the distance to the enemy was reduced to 70 steps. Then the command followed: “Two rear ranks, get ready for fire!”, And these ranks moved forward and doubled the two front ranks. As soon as the two rear ranks fired a shot, they drew their swords. And as soon as the two front ranks advanced, the two rear ranks closely closed with them from the rear. After that, the entire battalion marched in this way in close formation in depth in rows towards the enemy until the battalion approached him at 30 paces. Then the commands were given: “Two front ranks, get ready for the fire!” A shot was fired, the soldiers drew their swords and broke into the ranks of the enemy.
The Swedes preferred edged weapons over firearms. Each musketeer before the women had to fire just one shot before hand-to-hand combat, and then act exclusively with a sword or bayonet. And the pikemen, who made up a third of the battalion, had only edged weapons. This tactic of firing by the battalion made it possible to significantly increase the speed of the attack.
The cavalry squadrons of Charles XII always attacked with sword in hand, never firing. In the early years, they usually attacked not at a full gallop, but at a trot. Around 1705, in the last phase of the attack, the horses began to trot. This was combined with a very tight formation of knee-to-knee riders. This made the Swedish cavalry the most aggressive and efficient in Europe.
Plow-like formation of the Swedish cavalry squadron ("Knee to knee").
Swedish cavalry on the attack.
Photo from the Swedish Museum.
Artillery of Charles XII in 1700 was combined into one regiment with a staff of about 1800 people. She was armed with 8- and 16-pounder howitzers and 3-pounder regimental guns. The Swedish king believed that the firepower of artillery did not compensate for the low mobility of guns during the advance of infantry and cavalry. Therefore, he used artillery against fortifications, hiding in ambushes and trenches of enemy soldiers, but almost never used it in open battle. For example, in the Battle of Poltava, the Swedes had only four guns.
Compulsory military service in Sweden was abolished in 2010. However, after 8 years, Sweden will again return to compulsory military service.
On March 2, 2017, the Swedish government approved the decision to resume compulsory military service, starting in 2018. Boys and girls who are 18 years old will be called up for military service. The service life will be 1 year.
One of the main reasons for the resumption of military conscription is the inertia of the Swedes towards military service. Despite the widespread call to replenish the armed forces, the Swedes do not voluntarily seek to serve. This led, according to Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultkvist, to understaffing of military units. According to official figures, in 2016 the country's armed forces were short of 1,000 active soldiers and sailors, as well as 7,000 reservists.
At the same time, the majority of Swedish citizens support the resumption of compulsory military conscription. A poll conducted in 2016 showed that about 72% of Swedes welcome the idea of returning conscription to military service, only 16% were against it.
One of the factors behind the return of military conscription is the disruption of the stable situation in the Baltic region. Russian planes fly too close to the Swedish border, and according to Swedish intelligence reports, there are Russian spies operating in Sweden. And the Swedish side is not sure that the United States, led by President Trump, will come to the aid of Sweden in the event of a difficult military situation.
According to the Minister of Defense, about 4,000 people will be drafted into the army in 2018, primarily volunteers. Gradually, the number of conscripts is planned to be increased to 8,000 people a year. Young people born in 1999-2000 will be the first to be drafted.
It is noteworthy that the main focus is on explaining and motivating young people, and not on fines and sanctions.
