History of Sweden (1945–1967) facts for kids

This article talks about the history of Sweden from the end of World War II in 1945 until 1967.

After World War II, Sweden was in good shape, unlike many other countries. Sweden kept its policy of being neutral, meaning it didn't pick sides in big international conflicts. Even though it didn't join NATO (a military alliance), Sweden became a member of the United Nations and later EFTA (a trade group).

Tage Erlander from the Social Democratic party was the Prime Minister for a long time, from 1946 to 1969. This was a time when Sweden became very rich and had many social improvements. There was also very little unemployment (people not having jobs). However, finding homes became a problem as more and more people moved to cities. To fix this, the government started the Million Programme. This plan aimed to build one million new homes in suburban areas between 1965 and 1974.

This period also saw the start of a lot of immigration to Sweden. Before this, Sweden was a country where most people had similar backgrounds. The first immigrants were workers from countries like Italy and Austria. They were invited to Sweden through advertisements and recruitment programs in their home countries.

On September 3, 1967, Sweden became the last country in continental Europe to switch to right-hand traffic. This big change happened on a day called Dagen H, even though people had voted against it in a referendum in 1955.

Sweden's Neutrality During the Cold War

During the Cold War (a long period of tension between the US and the Soviet Union), Sweden had a secret plan. Publicly, Sweden said it was strictly neutral and didn't take sides. But secretly, it had strong connections with the United States. Sweden hoped the US would help if the Soviet Union ever attacked. This help would include using powerful weapons against Soviet areas in the Baltic states.

Over time, because of the official neutrality, fewer Swedish military leaders knew about this secret cooperation with the West. This made it harder to plan for help in a war. Sweden's defense plans relied on help from other countries, but they couldn't talk about it openly. This led to Sweden's armed forces being a bit unbalanced. For example, they were very good at defending against an attack from the sea, but not good at attacking enemy areas further inland.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Sweden spent more money on its military per person than almost any other country. Because of its neutrality, most military equipment was made in Sweden by companies like SAAB, Kockums, Bofors, and Hägglund & Söner. In 1985, Prime minister Olof Palme explained Sweden's neutrality by saying: "We stand for Sweden's independence in peacetime and will, with firmness, defend our territory against every foreign intruder."

In the early 1960s, US nuclear submarines with Polaris nuclear missiles were placed near Sweden's west coast. This spot was good for launching a nuclear attack on Moscow if needed. The submarines had to be very close to the Swedish coast to hit their targets. Because of this, in 1960, the US secretly promised to help Sweden militarily if the Soviet Union attacked. This promise was kept secret from the Swedish public until 1994.

As part of this military cooperation, the US helped Sweden develop the Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet. A strong Swedish air force was important to keep Soviet anti-submarine planes away from the missile launch area. In return, Swedish scientists at the Royal Institute of Technology helped make the Polaris missiles more accurate.

How Sweden's Population Changed

Since 1930, not many people have left Sweden. About 15,000 to 30,000 people left each year after 1965. After World War II, Sweden welcomed many refugees and people who had been displaced from their homes. Because fewer babies were being born, immigration was responsible for 45% of Sweden's population growth between 1945 and 1980. People from other countries can vote in Swedish local elections after living there legally for three years.

Sweden became very urbanized (meaning more people lived in cities) after World War II. By 1990, 83% of the population lived in cities. In 1940, only 38% lived in cities, and in 1860, before industries grew, it was only 11%. The large movement of people from the countryside to the United States stopped around 1900. Since 1945, more people have moved to Swedish cities, causing some areas, especially in the north, to lose population.

Most Swedish cities are small. Only 10 cities have more than 100,000 people. The Stockholm area has about 2 million people. Gothenburg has 906,000 people, and Malmö (including Lund) has 260,000. Uppsala, a city known for its education, has 130,000 people. The only big city in the north is Sundsvall, with 95,000 people. It grew because of the forest industries in the 1800s and is now also a center for data processing.

Culture and Media in Sweden

After the war, Sweden's culture was heavily influenced by the United Kingdom and the United States. New subcultures appeared, like the rockabilly-inspired raggare and the progg culture, which was more about anarchy. (Before the world wars, Swedish culture was more influenced by Germany).

Swedish film and music became famous around the world. Well-known names include Ingmar Bergman (film director), Sven Nykvist (cinematographer), Lasse Hallström (film director), Birgit Nilsson (opera singer), and music groups like ABBA, Europe, Ace of Base, Entombed, and Roxette. Music producers like Denniz Pop and Max Martin also became very successful. Today, Sweden is the only country that isn't English-speaking but exports more music than it imports. Most Swedes can speak English well. Many popular Swedish songs have English lyrics, and using English words for brands is very common.

Radio and television became popular early in Sweden. The government tried to keep a monopoly (meaning only one company could operate) on licence-funded Sveriges television until the late 1980s. But then satellite and cable TV became popular, and the commercial channel TV4 was allowed to broadcast across the country.

Sports in Sweden

Sweden has had many world-famous athletes during this time. These include boxer Ingemar Johansson and ice hockey player Börje Salming. Sweden has also hosted several big sports events, such as the horse riding events of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1958 FIFA World Cup.