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Swedish Army - 1901

Changed political conditions acted upon the Swedish state and, naturally enough, also left their mark on the Swedish army. By 1900 military activity was only directed towards the object of defending the country. Even the new Army Act, which made the army more efficient and which became law in 1901, aimed at the very same object, viz., the maintenance of neutrality, and the protection of the freedom and independence of the Swedish nation.

Concerning the organization of the Swedish army, it is to be noticed that until 1900, in the Swedish army, at the side of the universal service, had been kept up a unique institution, which was abolished only by an act of the Riksdag of 1901. This form of organization - peculiar to our country - was the so-called indelningsverket (military tenure), deriving its origin from the Swedish army organizations of the 17th century. The conscriptions during the many glorious wars of that century had been exceedingly burdensome, and a tendency more and more powerfully made itself known to get them exchanged for a fixed, unalterable service.

These endeavors led to the army organization of 1683, by which the principle - in some measure applied already before - was ratified: that certain landowners, against the privilege of themselves together with their children and servants being released from compulsory enrolment for military service, should provide and sustain the infantry regiments stationed in the various provinces. The provinces were divided into equippers' locations (rotar), each of which had to provide and pay one soldier in time of peace as well as of war. The cavalry obtained an organization based on similar principles, in so far as the holders of crown land and others, against the benefit of certain privileges, entered into the engagement of procuring and maintaining a man and horse. The tenement soldiers generally served for several decades. After having received their training as recruits, these men were only called in for the annual repetition drills. There still exists a rather considerable number of soldiers provided by the military tenure, a number, however, which year by year is diminishing.

According to new law of 1901 the Swedish army was organized on the principle of universal conscription and consists of the conscripts and the cadres of permanent employed (enlisted).

Every Swedish man was bound to serve as a soldier. There was no exemption whatever, nor was substitution allowed - only those incapable of military service are released. A conscript, who has been permanently deprived of his civil rights because of having committed certain grave crimes, was not allowed to be a member of the army. If he had only lost those privileges temporarily, he was not allowed meanwhile to take part in military drilling, but is to be employed in suitable labor in the army.

Military service lasted from the calendar year in which the conscript would be 21 till the year (inclusive) in which he attains the age of 40. The time of service is thus 20 years, as a rule divided as follows: 8 years in the First levy, 4 years in the Second, and 8 years in the Reserves (Landstormen). Every man who has had constant employment (enlistment) in the army for a total period of two years belongs, after quitting the said service, to the first levy until the year when he enters the reserve (in his 33rd year) and performs his drills by way of repetition with conscripts belonging to his own year. He who had, for at least two years, been a student of a University or at one of the high schools likewise belongs to the first levy until he enters the reserve.

The kingdom was divided into 26 regimental enrolment districts; every infantry regiment usually corresponds to such a district; the island of Gotland constitutes an enrolment district of its own. Every regimental enrolment district is subdivided into 3, sometimes, though rarely, into 2 or 4 sub-districts; Gotland's enrolment district has 8 sub-districts. There are altogether 82 sub-districts. Moreover, for the Navy there is an independent enrolment organization with 6 marine districts, each including 3-12 »Naval register offices». The chief of the corresponding infantry regiment, as a rule, serves as commanding officer to the enrolment district. The command of a sub-district was undertaken by an Army Reserve-officer, who was assisted by one or several non-commissioned officers from the Reserve.

Those who aspire to become officers, must have passed an examination qualifying them as students of a university. After having passed through a 3 months' recruit-school in summer they must go through a 10 months' training school, after which they take part in the regimental drills and, in autumn, enter the Royal Military School, where the course lasts for about 15 months. Thus the military education for those who count to become officers takes a time of about 21/* years. The average age for obtaining the rank of an officer is 21-- years. Some more than 100 officers are annually appointed. Promotion up to the rank of captain takes place, as a rule, according to seniority in the regiment, to that of major and the higher grades, by selection within the particular branch of the army or the general staff.

The kingdom was divided into 6 army-divisional districts besides the island of Gotland, which forms a military district of its own. On the proclamation of war the army is brought up to its full fighting strenght by calling in the required number of conscripts. In the field the higher units will probably be given the following organization: An Army division: 2 infantry brigades of two regiments of 3 battalions; 1 cavalry regiment of 4 squadrons, 1 field-artillery regiment, 1 company of field-engineers, 1 pontoon column, 1 field-telegraph detachment, 1 medical service company, 2 artillery and 2 infantry ammunition columns, 4 supply columns, 1 butchers' and bakers' company, 4 field hospitals and 1 horse depot. The Cavalry division: 2 brigades of 2 battalions of 4 squadrons respectively, 1 brigadedivision of 3 batteries of horse-artillery, 1 field-telegraph-detachment, 1 medical service detachment, and half an ammunition-column.

The total number of regular soldiers and trained men bound to serve in the army in time of war at was about 500,000, viz., in the standing army 39,000, the conscripts' 1st levy 182,000, and d:o 2nd levy 75,000, and the general reserve (Landstorm) 204,000. In the first call of the conscripts 17,800 are registered as having served in the permanent cadres.

The infantry was armed with a repeating rifle of the Mauser system with a calibre of 6-5 mm. The cavalry carries a sword and a carbine of the above mentioned pattern. The field-artillery's guns have a calibre of 8'4 cm; the horse-artillery batteries have 7*5 cm quick-firing cannons. At the present moment quick-firing guns are also being tested for the field-batteries. The fortresses were Stockholm (Vaxholm-Oscar-Fredriksborg), Boden, Karlsborg, and Karlskrona, to which must be added some forts at Gothenburg and on the island of Gotland.