Per Albin Hansson
Encyclopedia
Per Albin Hansson was a Swedish
politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister
in four governments
between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived crisis in the summer of 1936, which he ended by forming a coalition government
with his main adversary, Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
. During World War II
, in which Sweden maintained a policy of neutrality, he presided over a government of unity that included all major parties in the Riksdag
. Forging the Social Democratic grip on Swedish politics that would last throughout the century, Hansson left an astounding legacy on his party as well as creating the "Swedish model" that remains largely intact to date, including a strict policy of neutrality, a wide-stretching welfare state
through parliamentary legislation, and reformist social corporatism
rather than Marxist nationalization
of the means of production
. Following the war, Hansson formed a Social Democratic cabinet enjoying absolute majority in the Riksdag before succumbing to a heart attack on his way home from work late at night on October 6, 1946.
and proportional representation
was gradually to be enacted for all Swedish males by Conservative Prime Minister Arvid Lindman
, later a rival of Hansson. Influenced generally by Karl Kautsky
's reformist views on socialism, Hansson succeded Hjalmar Branting
as editor of Social-Demokraten
in 1917 and was appointed his Minister of Defence in Sweden's first Social Democratic cabinet in 1920, following a Liberal-Social Democratic coalition enacting equal suffrage for men and women (in effect as of the 1921 election). Per Albin Hansson held this post in all of Branting's three cabinets between 1920 and 1925 (years which saw eight governments), performing numerous cut-backs on the military budget. Upon Branting's death in 1925, Per Albin Hansson rose to be embraced as chairman of the party. His legitimacy remained under dispute, however, and only in 1927 did he become the head of the Riksdag faction, before confirmed undisputedly as Branting's successor in a 1928 congress.
Upon losing power to Carl Gustav Ekman's pro-prohibition Liberals in 1926, Hansson worked from the opposition bench and, although heading what was to remain the largest party of the Riksdag to date, faced a major setback upon cooperating with the Communists in the infamous election of 1928
. The Social Democratic Party was not to run along with the Communists (since 1995 the Left Party) until the 2010 election
. In opposition to the Conservative - let be equally pragmatic and staunchly anti-Nazi - Lindman cabinet, Hansson pressed for the introduction of a welfare state
rather than wide-scale nationalization
s, coining his vision Folkhemmet
("the People's Home") in a Riksdag debate in 1928.
Following the fall of Ekman in 1932 due to a corruption scandal involving late industrialist Ivan Kreuger, the Social Democrats made gains to possess 104 seats and 41,7 % of the electorate. Though not facing a majority, the inability of the Liberal parties (themselves unable to form a single faction until 1934), the Conservatives and Agrarians to form a majority government pressed for a minority government led by Hansson, expecting support from the Farmers' League through an agriculture policy favoring the interests of the League (kohandeln), although stopping short of inviting it into the cabinet. In June 1936, the uneasy majority enforced Hansson's resignation, leaving League chairman Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
to form a three-month "Holiday Cabinet" until the elections in September
, which saw a rise in support of the Social Democrats. Following further negotiations, Hansson formed a proper coalition government with Pehrsson-Brahmstorp as Minister of Agriculture that enjoyed a robust majority and would last until 1939.
and called for the formation of a broad coalition government involving all major parties under his leadership, which was realized in December, excepting only the pro-Stalinist
Communist Party
and its short-lived pro-Nazi
splinter faction, the Socialist Party, much to the delight of the remainder parties. Alone in Europe save for Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland and the Vatican, Sweden maintained neutrality throughout all World War II
, but, as most of mentioned countries, cooperated and traded with both sides. Winston Churchill
claimed that Sweden during World War II ignored the greater moral issues and played both sides for profit, a criticism mimicked in criticism towards Sweden's policy towards the German occupation of Denmark and Norway
upheld partly by transportation reinforcement through Swedish territory, sanctioned by Hansson's cabinet.
The German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa
, sparkled an ultimatum by the government of Nazi Germany
to Hansson's cabinet, demanding some military concessions, including German troop transports
on Swedish railways in order to support Germany's ally Finland. Political deliberations surrounding this ultimatum have been dubbed the "Midsummer crisis", which ultimately, allegedly following King Gustav V's decision to resign should the concessions not be made, fell out in favor of the Axis. The 83-year old King did formally (although having not directly intervened in the government's policies since 1914) autocratic powers to appoint his own cabinet, and his open intervention in the issue was seen as a threat to the stability of the government and, given the ongoing war, to the sovereignty of the nation. Recent research by Carl-Gustaf Scott argues however that there never was a "crisis", and that "the crisis was created in historical hindsight in order to protect the political legacy of the Social Democratic Party
and its leader Per Albin Hansson."
To get the steel
required by the German Ruhr industry, Germany was in 1939 - 1940 dependent on shipments of Swedish iron ore, since access to the supplies from the mines in France, the traditional supplier, were cut off until the invasion of France. In 1939 - 1940 the Allies tried various ways to stop the shipments of Swedish ore, for example by mining Norwegian territorial waters
. Also, payments from the Allies reached in agreement to stop the sale of steel
to Nazi Germany
were broken, and the Germans were charged extortionate 'smugglers rates' for the steel.
A downed stray V2
rocket was also sold to the Allies in 1942, passing details of advanced Nazi rocket engineering over. In effect, the main political priority was to avoid direct war engagement of Sweden during World War II. Following Nazi Germany's setbacks around 1942-43, Sweden was no longer seriously threatened by invasion from the Third Reich and subsequently rolled back most of its concessions.
, class collaboration and a reformist agenda involving few nationalizations but stable armed forces in order to secure neutrality, Hansson reluctantly agreed to a single-party government but dropped dead from a heart attack in Stockholm
on 6 October 1946 while stepping off a tram at the Ålstens Gård station. He was, somewhat unexpectedly, succeded as party chairman and Prime Minister by Minister of Education Tage Erlander
, who consecutively held both offices until 1969, completing most of Hansson's legacy. Per Albin Hansson, seen often as the most successful Prime Minister in Swedish history, is interred in Norra begravningsplatsen
in Stockholm.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
in four governments
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived crisis in the summer of 1936, which he ended by forming a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with his main adversary, Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Axel Alarik Pehrsson-Bramstorp was a Swedish politician and was Prime Minister of Sweden for a few months during 1936. As a parliamentarian he was known as "Axel Pehrsson in Bramstorp" or just "Bramstorp" for short...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in which Sweden maintained a policy of neutrality, he presided over a government of unity that included all major parties in the Riksdag
Riksdag
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
. Forging the Social Democratic grip on Swedish politics that would last throughout the century, Hansson left an astounding legacy on his party as well as creating the "Swedish model" that remains largely intact to date, including a strict policy of neutrality, a wide-stretching welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
through parliamentary legislation, and reformist social corporatism
Social corporatism
Social corporatism is a form of economic tripartite corporatism supported by social democratic political parties based upon "social partnership" between capital and labour interest groups as well as between the market economy and state regulation that is considered a compromise to regulate conflict...
rather than Marxist nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of the means of production
Means of production
Means of production refers to physical, non-human inputs used in production—the factories, machines, and tools used to produce wealth — along with both infrastructural capital and natural capital. This includes the classical factors of production minus financial capital and minus human capital...
. Following the war, Hansson formed a Social Democratic cabinet enjoying absolute majority in the Riksdag before succumbing to a heart attack on his way home from work late at night on October 6, 1946.
Biography
One of the first professional politicians of Sweden, Hansson participated in the creation of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth in 1903 and presided over it as its chairman in 1908-09, a period in which universal suffrageUniversal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
and proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
was gradually to be enacted for all Swedish males by Conservative Prime Minister Arvid Lindman
Arvid Lindman
Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman was a Swedish Rear Admiral, Industrialist and conservative politician...
, later a rival of Hansson. Influenced generally by Karl Kautsky
Karl Kautsky
Karl Johann Kautsky was a Czech-German philosopher, journalist, and Marxist theoretician. Kautsky was recognized as among the most authoritative promulgators of Orthodox Marxism after the death of Friedrich Engels in 1895 until the coming of World War I in 1914 and was called by some the "Pope of...
's reformist views on socialism, Hansson succeded Hjalmar Branting
Hjalmar Branting
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party , and Prime Minister during three separate periods . When Branting came to power in 1920, he was the first Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden...
as editor of Social-Demokraten
Social-Demokraten
Social-Demokraten was a Swedish daily Social Democratic newspaper, belonging to the Swedish Social Democratic Party. The paper was founded in 1885 by August Palm, and existed up to 1945, when it changed name to Morgon-Tidningen...
in 1917 and was appointed his Minister of Defence in Sweden's first Social Democratic cabinet in 1920, following a Liberal-Social Democratic coalition enacting equal suffrage for men and women (in effect as of the 1921 election). Per Albin Hansson held this post in all of Branting's three cabinets between 1920 and 1925 (years which saw eight governments), performing numerous cut-backs on the military budget. Upon Branting's death in 1925, Per Albin Hansson rose to be embraced as chairman of the party. His legitimacy remained under dispute, however, and only in 1927 did he become the head of the Riksdag faction, before confirmed undisputedly as Branting's successor in a 1928 congress.
Upon losing power to Carl Gustav Ekman's pro-prohibition Liberals in 1926, Hansson worked from the opposition bench and, although heading what was to remain the largest party of the Riksdag to date, faced a major setback upon cooperating with the Communists in the infamous election of 1928
Swedish general election, 1928
Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag were held 15 September–21 September 1928. This election is often called the "Cossack Election" due to the harsh tone and aggressive criticism on both sides....
. The Social Democratic Party was not to run along with the Communists (since 1995 the Left Party) until the 2010 election
Swedish general election, 2010
A general election to the Riksdag, parliament of Sweden, was held on . The main contenders of the election were the governing centre-right coalition the Alliance and the oppositional centre-left Red-Greens coalition A general election to the Riksdag, parliament of Sweden, was held on . The main...
. In opposition to the Conservative - let be equally pragmatic and staunchly anti-Nazi - Lindman cabinet, Hansson pressed for the introduction of a welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
rather than wide-scale nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
s, coining his vision Folkhemmet
Folkhemmet
Folkhemmet is a political concept that played an important role in the history of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Swedish welfare state. It is also sometimes used to refer to the long period between 1932-76 when the Social democrats were in power and the concept was put into practice...
("the People's Home") in a Riksdag debate in 1928.
Following the fall of Ekman in 1932 due to a corruption scandal involving late industrialist Ivan Kreuger, the Social Democrats made gains to possess 104 seats and 41,7 % of the electorate. Though not facing a majority, the inability of the Liberal parties (themselves unable to form a single faction until 1934), the Conservatives and Agrarians to form a majority government pressed for a minority government led by Hansson, expecting support from the Farmers' League through an agriculture policy favoring the interests of the League (kohandeln), although stopping short of inviting it into the cabinet. In June 1936, the uneasy majority enforced Hansson's resignation, leaving League chairman Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Axel Alarik Pehrsson-Bramstorp was a Swedish politician and was Prime Minister of Sweden for a few months during 1936. As a parliamentarian he was known as "Axel Pehrsson in Bramstorp" or just "Bramstorp" for short...
to form a three-month "Holiday Cabinet" until the elections in September
Swedish general election, 1936
Elections to the second chamber of the Riksdag held September 20, 1936....
, which saw a rise in support of the Social Democrats. Following further negotiations, Hansson formed a proper coalition government with Pehrsson-Brahmstorp as Minister of Agriculture that enjoyed a robust majority and would last until 1939.
World War II
Following the 1939 German-Soviet invasion of Poland, Hansson declared strict neutralityNeutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
and called for the formation of a broad coalition government involving all major parties under his leadership, which was realized in December, excepting only the pro-Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
Communist Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
and its short-lived pro-Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
splinter faction, the Socialist Party, much to the delight of the remainder parties. Alone in Europe save for Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland and the Vatican, Sweden maintained neutrality throughout all World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but, as most of mentioned countries, cooperated and traded with both sides. Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
claimed that Sweden during World War II ignored the greater moral issues and played both sides for profit, a criticism mimicked in criticism towards Sweden's policy towards the German occupation of Denmark and Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
upheld partly by transportation reinforcement through Swedish territory, sanctioned by Hansson's cabinet.
The German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, sparkled an ultimatum by the government of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
to Hansson's cabinet, demanding some military concessions, including German troop transports
Transit of German troops through Scandinavia (WWII)
The matter of German troop transfer through Finland and Sweden during World War II was one of the more controversial aspects of modern Scandinavian history beside Finland's co-belligerence with Nazi Germany in the Continuation War, and the export of Swedish iron ore during World War II.The Swedish...
on Swedish railways in order to support Germany's ally Finland. Political deliberations surrounding this ultimatum have been dubbed the "Midsummer crisis", which ultimately, allegedly following King Gustav V's decision to resign should the concessions not be made, fell out in favor of the Axis. The 83-year old King did formally (although having not directly intervened in the government's policies since 1914) autocratic powers to appoint his own cabinet, and his open intervention in the issue was seen as a threat to the stability of the government and, given the ongoing war, to the sovereignty of the nation. Recent research by Carl-Gustaf Scott argues however that there never was a "crisis", and that "the crisis was created in historical hindsight in order to protect the political legacy of the Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
and its leader Per Albin Hansson."
To get the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
required by the German Ruhr industry, Germany was in 1939 - 1940 dependent on shipments of Swedish iron ore, since access to the supplies from the mines in France, the traditional supplier, were cut off until the invasion of France. In 1939 - 1940 the Allies tried various ways to stop the shipments of Swedish ore, for example by mining Norwegian territorial waters
Plan R 4
Plan R 4 was the World War II British plan for an invasion of the neutral state of Norway in April 1940. Earlier the British had planned a similar intervention with France during the Winter War.-Background:...
. Also, payments from the Allies reached in agreement to stop the sale of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
were broken, and the Germans were charged extortionate 'smugglers rates' for the steel.
A downed stray V2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
rocket was also sold to the Allies in 1942, passing details of advanced Nazi rocket engineering over. In effect, the main political priority was to avoid direct war engagement of Sweden during World War II. Following Nazi Germany's setbacks around 1942-43, Sweden was no longer seriously threatened by invasion from the Third Reich and subsequently rolled back most of its concessions.
Death and political legacy
Following the surrender of Germany, Hansson pushed forwards his will to maintain a Social Democratic-led coalition government of all non-Communist parties, but failed to realize the idea due to strong opposition within his party in favor of a radical reformist agenda following the war. Having dislodged his early revolutionary and strictly anti-militarist views in favor of social corporatismSocial corporatism
Social corporatism is a form of economic tripartite corporatism supported by social democratic political parties based upon "social partnership" between capital and labour interest groups as well as between the market economy and state regulation that is considered a compromise to regulate conflict...
, class collaboration and a reformist agenda involving few nationalizations but stable armed forces in order to secure neutrality, Hansson reluctantly agreed to a single-party government but dropped dead from a heart attack in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on 6 October 1946 while stepping off a tram at the Ålstens Gård station. He was, somewhat unexpectedly, succeded as party chairman and Prime Minister by Minister of Education Tage Erlander
Tage Erlander
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1946 to 1969...
, who consecutively held both offices until 1969, completing most of Hansson's legacy. Per Albin Hansson, seen often as the most successful Prime Minister in Swedish history, is interred in Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of Metropolitan Stockholm. The cemetery is located in the municipality of Solna.Inaugurated on June 9, 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables....
in Stockholm.