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unmerged(60719)

Captain
Sep 9, 2006
441
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Ett Svenskt Lejon​

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Prologue

In the early evening of January 1st, 1936, a gentle snowfall slipped silently through the frigid Stockholm air and slowly began to inundate the recently cleared streets of Galma Stan. Despite the weather, numerous pedestrians moved about under the hot streetlights, which lined the city’s icy thoroughfares, many of them singing festive songs and raising glasses of champagne and glögg to toast the New Year. Meanwhile, from the opened windows of many houses, voices and shouts happily sounded out as if part of a vast disjointed chorus. But one could not help but notice that something was different. The enthusiasm over the previous night’s firework displays and other seasonal traditions was of the usual vigor but more bad news from the war in Abyssinia had decidedly tempered the mood the following morning; Italian aircraft had attacked a Swedish Red Cross unit in that country on December 30th. Moreover, the Anglo-German Naval treaty from the previous summer still lingered in peoples’ memories. The Germans had essentially won dominance over the Baltic through that agreement as well as Britain’s acquiescence to a substantial strengthening of the Kriegsmarine. The situation was all the more troubling given Versailles’ apparent collapse as a feasible restraint on German militarism and the League of Nation’s apparent impotence in halting wars of aggression. Nonetheless, Swedes celebrated. They held to their traditions.

A short distance away on the island of Helgeandsholmen, the political implications of these world events had to be measured. Within the towering confines of the Riksdag the future of Sweden’s policy of neutrality would be tested over the coming months, perhaps the coming years.
 
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Yes, the title is (was) wrong.
But the rest looks very promising, I'm impressed by the fact that mention both glögg and Helgeandsholmen in the intro. It signals that you've put some good effort into this. And I hope that you're going to keep Sweden democratic, I've never seen that in a AAR before.
Good luck!
 
Hopefully you will defend your Nordic brothers in 1940 but until then, stay democratic.
 
Chesterton, welcome to the wonderful world of AAR-writing. An excellent constrating image in that first post.

As regards to the AAR title, if you wish me to edit in the correction, please just send me a PM to that effect.
 
Chapter 1


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Swedish Statsrådet as of January 1936


Ernst Wigforrs folded his arms and leaned against the balustrade of the terrace overlooking Drottingholm Palace’s western grounds. He remained as quiet and motionless as a statue, content to spend the better part of an hour studying the intricacies in the design of the palace garden. A sudden low clatter from behind finally aroused him. Turning he saw an elderly lanky man in a dark pinstripe suit approaching.

“Your highness,” He said warmly while seizing the old man’s hand.

“How is Sweden’s Minister of Finance?” greeted Gustav V, as he nervously adjusted the pair of pince-nez spectacles perched atop his nose.

“Very well, and you?”

“Well frankly, the situations with Italy and Germany trouble me deeply.”

“Indeed.” Wigforrs replied gravely.

“As king it is my duty to uphold this country’s traditions. Yet, I fear the time may soon come when our government must choose whether or not we should hold fast to one of our longest-held policies.”

King Gustav wandered to the balcony’s edge and spent a few moments peering toward the horizon where nothing could be seen but a great ashen mass hanging above the suburbs. His hoarse voice suddenly sounded again.

“Even I will have to make a choice when the time comes. I pray it is the right one.”

“As do I your highness. I pray that Sweden makes the correct decision when the time comes. However, the Riksdag has made one decision today; our industries will be expanded significantly over the next three years in order to strengthen the military and increase our capacity to raise an army in…case of war. I have a copy of the legislation right here if you wish to view it.”

“Ah, the industrial program, a sad but necessary precaution. I assume spending on military technology will increase very soon. Hmm, I thought so. By the way, we’ll have to form some new trade deals to fund these projects.”

“Prime Minister Hansson and Mr. Sandler are working toward that objective. They hope to establish the necessary trade deals by the middle of the month at the latest.”

“Middle of the month? Hansson must learn not to drag his feet! Germany got Britain to sign last year’s naval agreement in only a few days. Surely they can establish some trade agreements within an equally brief period of time.”

“I hope they do so as soon as possible. Taking too long may hinder military research, perhaps not too badly but it will surely have an effect.” Wigforrs responded.

From there the conversation gradually evolved into a genial exchange absent any words on policy or the palpable dangers looming over Europe. Instead the king and minister Wigforrs retired into Drottingholm’s grand library where Gustav’s servants poured a couple of glasses of American whiskey for the two men who were now reclining comfortably, each on a plush Victorian chair near the fireplace. Shortly, General Oscar Nygren, Sweden’s Chief of Staff was led into the room by a palace attendant. The general greeted his king and stoically marched to an empty seat but an epigrammatic smile betrayed the lighter side of his persona. After Nygren hesitantly ingested a small sip of whiskey, Gustav abruptly sprang up and led the two men outside into the garden.


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Drottningholm West Gardens-Winter 1936​


The New Year’s Day snowfall had transformed Drottingholm’s gardens into a bleak wilderness of ice and frost. Only the orderly pattern of the trees and shrubs along with a narrow stone pathway cutting across the grounds testified to the landscape’s royal status. Gustav, wearing an old scarf he had hastily thrown on, navigated with little communication and finally stopped in front of a very large evergreen tree that towered above the surrounding flora. He produced a sturdy sempervirens cane from his coat and whacked one of its very thin lower branches sending several pounds of snow to the ground, yet the branch held. Then, with a martial air, he turned toward Nygren holding the now cracked cane.

“Sweden must be as this branch, strong enough to resist the might of Germany and Italy. Not only must we be strong ourselves but we must rely on the democracies of the west to give us support, just as the evergreen tree supports the branch.”

Wigforrs examined the small branch. It was composed of a fairly brittle wood and seemed to owe its survival more to its frozen condition than anything else.

“Perhaps the winter will protect us,” he laughed.

“Yes perhaps…,” began General Nygren. “Ahem, your highness, I believe you called me here to enlighten you on our current military situation.”

“Quite commander, Go on.”

“I’ll begin with the navy. We have perhaps the largest fleet in the Baltic, depending of course on the deployment of Kriegsmarine. Unfortunately, with both Germany and the Soviet Union expanding their navies, ours will almost certainly be dwarfed in a few years. Nonetheless, we have a solid force. Our single largest fleet is the Kustflottan, based here in Stockholm. This fleet’s core is composed of our three largest ships, the Sverige class coastal battleships: the HMS Sverige, HMS Drottning Victoria, and your namesake HMS Gustav V. The rest of Kustflottan includes two light cruisers, HMS Clas Fleming and HMS Gotland, and several destroyers. There is also another fleet in Stockholm composed of just two heavy cruisers: HMS Aran and HMS Tapperheten. Finally, the naval bases at Gotheburg and Karlskrona each have a fleet consisting of a heavy cruiser and a submarine group. Most of the ships by the way are from Great War era although the Sverige ships have undergone some modernization.


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The HMS Drottning Victoria on maneuvers in 1934


Next, the air force. 1a Flygakaren based in Stockholm is our only sizable airplane force. It is composed of one tactical bomber wing and one naval bomber wing. Fighters are minimal.”

“And the army?” asked the king.

“Three full divisions; V. Fördelningen based in Luleå, the Landstormen in Uppsala and lastly I. Fördelningen based here in Stockholm, the later being the most potent since it has an artillery brigade attached. However, the entire branch will need much updating in the areas of tactics and technology before it is ready for a large and prolonged war. Our mobilization capacity must also increase but Mr. Wigforrs is the man to speak to on that subject.”

“Under the industrial plan which the Riksdag has just approved of, the military’s mobilization capacity will roughly double within a few years. If the program is extended beyond that time, results will be even better” informed minister Wigforrs.

“Now gentlemen!” Gustav roared as breath rolled from his mouth in a thick cloud. “Let us retire into the library once more. My attendants have prepared a nice lunch near the fireplace.”
 
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Current font is fine. I think the Allies would be the 'natural' choice - might be an added challenge too! Perhaps assist Finland more actively in the Winter War another option, I suppose.
 
Ah, another Swedish AAR. Wonderful! :D

I greatly like your writing and the dialog between the ministers.
Please keep your democratic ways because I would hate to see my homeland turn into a fascist warmongering nation. We must keep our standards sacred. :D :cool:

And to give some critic: It's Kustflottan, not Kurstflottan

Keep writing with the Times New Roman. :)