Nils Swedlund
| Nils Swedlund | |
|---|---|
Swedlund (left) and chief of staff Richard Åkerman (right), 1 April 1951.
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| Birth name | Nils Per Robert Swedlund |
| Nickname(s) | Stora Bullret |
| Born |
16 May 1898 Gävle, Sweden |
| Died | 28 June 1965 (aged 67) Saltsjöbaden, Sweden |
| Buried at | Skogsö cemetery, Saltsjöbaden |
| Allegiance | Sweden |
| Service/branch | Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1919–1961 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
Norrbotten Regiment (I 19) Chief of the Defence Staff Supreme Commander |
Nils Per Robert Swedlund (16 May 1898 – 28 June 1965) was a Swedish Army general who was Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces from 1951 to 1961. He was one of the strongest advocates for a Swedish nuclear weapons program. He worked hard to convince the government that they were necessary.
Swedlund was born in Gävle, Sweden, the son of major Gustav Swedlund and his wife Ellen (née Reuterskiöld) and brother of the archivist and historian Robert Swedlund. He passed studentexamen at the Högre allmänna läroverket in Gävle in 1917 and became a second lieutenant in Hälsingland Regiment (I 14) in 1919. Swedlund became captain of the General Staff Corps in 1933 and conducted rehearsals and was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1934 to 1938 and from 1940 to 1942. He was promoted to major in 1940 and lieutenant colonel in 1942. Swedlund was head of department at the Defence Staff in 1942 and was deputy and section chief of the Defense Staff in 1944. He was promoted to colonel the same year.
During World War II Swedlund was involved in the Swedish training of Norwegian police troops. Swedlund was then commanding officer of Norrbotten Regiment (I 19) from 1946 to 1947 and the Chief of the Defence Staff from 1947 to 1951. He was promoted to major general in 1948, lieutenant general in 1951 and finally general in 1951. Swedlund was the Supreme Commander from 1951 to 1961. As Supreme Commander Swedlund was a strong supporter of nuclear weapons and a driving force in continuing the Swedish nuclear weapons program. He regarded them as necessary for the Swedish defence and worked hard to gain the government's support on the issue. He was also involved in the secret operations for the formation of a Swedish resistance movement in the event of a Soviet invasion, the so-called Stay-behind movement.
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