Why did Sweden Decline (Short Animated Documentary)
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Date: 2024-06-10
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Comments and reviews: 20
mikewilliamson7246
I remember a great amusing lecture, enlivened by great computer graphics, in front of a large audience and shown on BBCTV given by world class Swedish statistician Hans Rosling. His explanation for Sweden no longer being so aggressive internationally, included the fact that it was one of the first countries to arrange a national census. A key fact that the census highlighted was that Sweden's population was significantly smaller than had previously been assumed. The government realised firstly, that there were probably no where near enough men (it did in those days mainly concern men, of course) to fill up a good sized army. Also, there were not enough citizens in general to pay enough taxes to pay for wars. So they decided that a better course of action might be to try to get on with other countries, and so save the expense (and the loss of people through them being killed. Consequently. Sweden became more often a nice peace living usually neutral country.
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I remember a great amusing lecture, enlivened by great computer graphics, in front of a large audience and shown on BBCTV given by world class Swedish statistician Hans Rosling. His explanation for Sweden no longer being so aggressive internationally, included the fact that it was one of the first countries to arrange a national census. A key fact that the census highlighted was that Sweden's population was significantly smaller than had previously been assumed. The government realised firstly, that there were probably no where near enough men (it did in those days mainly concern men, of course) to fill up a good sized army. Also, there were not enough citizens in general to pay enough taxes to pay for wars. So they decided that a better course of action might be to try to get on with other countries, and so save the expense (and the loss of people through them being killed. Consequently. Sweden became more often a nice peace living usually neutral country.
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J-Bahn
One thing that wasn't mentioned was Sweden actually tried its hand at colonizing North America, including along the Delaware River, where they built a bunch of forts:
Fort Nassau (just south of modern day Camden, New Jersey
Fort Christiana (literally in present day downtown Wilmington, Delaware)
Fort New Korsholm (in modern day Philadelphia, right next to where all the city's sports stadiums are located)
Nearby the sports stadiums is the Swedish American Museum in FDR Park; may make a video about the museum.
For those wondering, the Dutch had already settled in the area by the time the Swedish built their forts, and it was only about ten years before the Dutch asserted control over the territory in 1655, which again was short lived before the English took the entire region for themselves (and hence New Amsterdam became New York.
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One thing that wasn't mentioned was Sweden actually tried its hand at colonizing North America, including along the Delaware River, where they built a bunch of forts:
Fort Nassau (just south of modern day Camden, New Jersey
Fort Christiana (literally in present day downtown Wilmington, Delaware)
Fort New Korsholm (in modern day Philadelphia, right next to where all the city's sports stadiums are located)
Nearby the sports stadiums is the Swedish American Museum in FDR Park; may make a video about the museum.
For those wondering, the Dutch had already settled in the area by the time the Swedish built their forts, and it was only about ten years before the Dutch asserted control over the territory in 1655, which again was short lived before the English took the entire region for themselves (and hence New Amsterdam became New York.
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theresemalmberg955
Family lore, which I've never been able to confirm anywhere else, says that the Malmberg surname came about when one of the kings of Sweden invited a group of ironworkers from the Low Countries to come to Sweden to cast cannon for him. This group of unrelated people then all took the surname Malmberg meaning iron hill. Unfortunately, family lore does not specify WHEN this allegedly happened or under which king, and the ones who passed this story down are no longer with us. There may be a kernel of truth in this story, however, because it does fit in with the general theme of Swedish expansion during the 17th century. More likely, Malmberg, as a rural or farmstead name, had nothing to do with ironworkers or cannon makers, at least from what I've been able to learn about Swedish surnames.
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Family lore, which I've never been able to confirm anywhere else, says that the Malmberg surname came about when one of the kings of Sweden invited a group of ironworkers from the Low Countries to come to Sweden to cast cannon for him. This group of unrelated people then all took the surname Malmberg meaning iron hill. Unfortunately, family lore does not specify WHEN this allegedly happened or under which king, and the ones who passed this story down are no longer with us. There may be a kernel of truth in this story, however, because it does fit in with the general theme of Swedish expansion during the 17th century. More likely, Malmberg, as a rural or farmstead name, had nothing to do with ironworkers or cannon makers, at least from what I've been able to learn about Swedish surnames.
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madsdahlc
Oh sweden won. 1600- 1720 are badicly here in Denmark known as the era of swedish wars. Where Denmark mostly got its ass kicked and lost a shit load of terrotory. But the siege of copenhagen 1658-60 and that war was a swedish defeat, Because the dutch entered the war on danish side. And help Denmark defeat sweden. Even though Denmark got out of the war with permanent territorial losses. Its also transformed Denmark for almost 200 years. As before the conflict the danish King Frederik the third had rule with Council of noble men. Who could block and veto the Kings politics. After the war the managed to make military coup. And Denmark became a absolute monarchy untill 1849.
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Oh sweden won. 1600- 1720 are badicly here in Denmark known as the era of swedish wars. Where Denmark mostly got its ass kicked and lost a shit load of terrotory. But the siege of copenhagen 1658-60 and that war was a swedish defeat, Because the dutch entered the war on danish side. And help Denmark defeat sweden. Even though Denmark got out of the war with permanent territorial losses. Its also transformed Denmark for almost 200 years. As before the conflict the danish King Frederik the third had rule with Council of noble men. Who could block and veto the Kings politics. After the war the managed to make military coup. And Denmark became a absolute monarchy untill 1849.
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henning1152
Even if I am just a swedish guy who love to be romantic over our history, I do need to say that i realise that not being an empire any more was good for the country. A higher population increase and better health, better economy when wars wasn't the main expanditure. The loss in the great nordic war started the new era known as frihetstiden (age of liberty) where the worlds first freedom of press law were passed. The same law is still in our (and finlands) constitution
Great video!
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Even if I am just a swedish guy who love to be romantic over our history, I do need to say that i realise that not being an empire any more was good for the country. A higher population increase and better health, better economy when wars wasn't the main expanditure. The loss in the great nordic war started the new era known as frihetstiden (age of liberty) where the worlds first freedom of press law were passed. The same law is still in our (and finlands) constitution
Great video!
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Dimalik
Peter the First was truly an amazing Tzar. He came to Poltava with a brand new artillery park, freshly casted out of bronze from Russsian monasteries, and a whopping 30k army pop, nearly twice as many as Charles XII had.
He even gathered a regiment of Tatar horse archers, to give the Swedes a demo-version of Golden Horde!
The Swedes got clapped so hard they scuttled back to their pathetic peninsula never to set foot out of it for the remainder of Human history lmao
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Peter the First was truly an amazing Tzar. He came to Poltava with a brand new artillery park, freshly casted out of bronze from Russsian monasteries, and a whopping 30k army pop, nearly twice as many as Charles XII had.
He even gathered a regiment of Tatar horse archers, to give the Swedes a demo-version of Golden Horde!
The Swedes got clapped so hard they scuttled back to their pathetic peninsula never to set foot out of it for the remainder of Human history lmao
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history_matters
Sweden didn't choose to side against France in 1812. Sweden was allied to France and declared war against Britain at Napoleon's behest. Napoleon then invaded Swedish Pomerania out of the blue in a fit of pique against his frenemy Bernadotte, indeed attacking on the latter's birthday as a message. Bernadotte got the message alright and decided French blood or not, there was but one answer to the French attack: Form the 6th Coalition.
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Sweden didn't choose to side against France in 1812. Sweden was allied to France and declared war against Britain at Napoleon's behest. Napoleon then invaded Swedish Pomerania out of the blue in a fit of pique against his frenemy Bernadotte, indeed attacking on the latter's birthday as a message. Bernadotte got the message alright and decided French blood or not, there was but one answer to the French attack: Form the 6th Coalition.
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RaveDecoy242
You forgot to mention that Sweden's leader during Napoleon's time was Bernadotte, one of his best marshalls. He was asked by Sweden to rule over them to avoid a succession crisis. When Napoleon asked for help, Bernadotte chose Sweden's interests as he has promised and joined the war against Napoleon during the final coalition against him.
The Bernadotte dynasty still reigns over Sweden to this day.
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You forgot to mention that Sweden's leader during Napoleon's time was Bernadotte, one of his best marshalls. He was asked by Sweden to rule over them to avoid a succession crisis. When Napoleon asked for help, Bernadotte chose Sweden's interests as he has promised and joined the war against Napoleon during the final coalition against him.
The Bernadotte dynasty still reigns over Sweden to this day.
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thokim84
It also doesn't produce enough food to maintain a large population. So as population grew and cold ground didn't produce as much, small farmers went to America first and later to Australia. In America, they settled in much of the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest and prospered. There are more Americans of Swedish ancestry than Swedes of Swedish ancestry at this point.
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It also doesn't produce enough food to maintain a large population. So as population grew and cold ground didn't produce as much, small farmers went to America first and later to Australia. In America, they settled in much of the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest and prospered. There are more Americans of Swedish ancestry than Swedes of Swedish ancestry at this point.
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tapio_m6861
The problem Sweden had was that they overestimated how big of a population it had. The first census, done in 1749, told that they had barely 2 million people (tax payers, and that result was deemed classified. This meant that the country had overspent on military, and was effectively bankrupt. The only thing they could do was to use that military.
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The problem Sweden had was that they overestimated how big of a population it had. The first census, done in 1749, told that they had barely 2 million people (tax payers, and that result was deemed classified. This meant that the country had overspent on military, and was effectively bankrupt. The only thing they could do was to use that military.
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Edmonton-of2ec
It didn’t help that the succession to the Swedish throne became wildly schizophrenic after the abdication of Queen Christina, with superior hereditary claims giving way to political infighting over the throne, and some heirs being displaced on account of their foreign entanglements. Frankly it was a complete mess from 1654 until 1818
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It didn’t help that the succession to the Swedish throne became wildly schizophrenic after the abdication of Queen Christina, with superior hereditary claims giving way to political infighting over the throne, and some heirs being displaced on account of their foreign entanglements. Frankly it was a complete mess from 1654 until 1818
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halnywiatr
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself
Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore
Waterloo, couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo, knowing my fate is to be with you
Woah, woah, woah, woah, Waterloo
Finally facing my Waterloo
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The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself
Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore
Waterloo, couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo, knowing my fate is to be with you
Woah, woah, woah, woah, Waterloo
Finally facing my Waterloo
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cuddlestsq2730
Sweden's control of Norway after the Napoleonic wars wasn't nearly the same as it had had over Finland. Norway was effectively independent, sharing only the monarch and the foreign policy with Sweden.
Norway's more liberal constitution gave Sweden's more autoritarian monarchs a bit of a headache.
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Sweden's control of Norway after the Napoleonic wars wasn't nearly the same as it had had over Finland. Norway was effectively independent, sharing only the monarch and the foreign policy with Sweden.
Norway's more liberal constitution gave Sweden's more autoritarian monarchs a bit of a headache.
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LeeGee
Decline Still one of the richest and most productive countries in the world, and it was one of the safest until. you know, when they did that thing we're not allowed to talk about and people go around doing very, very bad things shouting about Alan Woo's Snack Bar.
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Decline Still one of the richest and most productive countries in the world, and it was one of the safest until. you know, when they did that thing we're not allowed to talk about and people go around doing very, very bad things shouting about Alan Woo's Snack Bar.
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anasevi9456
I love how they literally imported a new King from France to 'defeat those damn Ruskies'. Only to have the guy arrive, take two looks and say; _You just got Norway, be grateful_
. and just quitely administered the place for the next 30 years.
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I love how they literally imported a new King from France to 'defeat those damn Ruskies'. Only to have the guy arrive, take two looks and say; _You just got Norway, be grateful_
. and just quitely administered the place for the next 30 years.
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CarlosDeLosMuertes
I also find it interesting that modern Sweden (until Joining NATO I guess) was a fairly strong neutral state with a very strong arms industry. Many of their weapons systems were and still are the gold standard in some classes.
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I also find it interesting that modern Sweden (until Joining NATO I guess) was a fairly strong neutral state with a very strong arms industry. Many of their weapons systems were and still are the gold standard in some classes.
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benmaharaj6854
Using the military to pay the military was actually pretty common for a long time. Conquest used to be a part of the economy. Of course these days wars are way too expensive to be done for profit. Some countries are slow learners.
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Using the military to pay the military was actually pretty common for a long time. Conquest used to be a part of the economy. Of course these days wars are way too expensive to be done for profit. Some countries are slow learners.
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Vilamus
Hang on, so the Swedes lost a war where the plan was to invade Eastern Europe and march on Moscow, then joined with the French dude who actually did march on Moscow. I am sensing a bit of a theme here.
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Hang on, so the Swedes lost a war where the plan was to invade Eastern Europe and march on Moscow, then joined with the French dude who actually did march on Moscow. I am sensing a bit of a theme here.
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glockfragz3251
something something Lion from the north. life time of war is bad bad. 1648 sad year sad year. killing grounds yadi yadi ya poltava and finally TO DA SKIES! SEE CAROLUS RISE! gg wp great video
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something something Lion from the north. life time of war is bad bad. 1648 sad year sad year. killing grounds yadi yadi ya poltava and finally TO DA SKIES! SEE CAROLUS RISE! gg wp great video
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t. k. 1319
Ya, I heard the Swedes were really beat up about not being a great military power, staying out of wars and spending most of their tax dollars on their ppl, rather than a bloated military. budget.
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Ya, I heard the Swedes were really beat up about not being a great military power, staying out of wars and spending most of their tax dollars on their ppl, rather than a bloated military. budget.
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