WI: The United States invades Sweden in the 1970s?

[Nell_Lucifer]

Well, reality is often stranger than fiction and wars started over more idiotic reasons.

A chain of events could perhaps lead to a war between the US and Sweden with no need for some drastic changes like a dictatorship. Maybe a belligerent US president with a warmongering clique, personal bias, misunderstandings and a slightly more anti-US Sweden could culminate in escalation.

Also NATO and partners of the US not supporting this invasion? There were OTL multiple cases of corruption and putting US interests above their own country's, what's to stop some corrupt or US assets from turning a blind eye until it blows up in their faces?

Still, even with a NATO country willing to support such an invasion... the longer the conflict drags on the less stable that government will become and will eventually concede to public demand, though West Germany had the tenancy to ignore said public demand given the hundreds of protests that happen from the 60s to 90s.

 

[Monk78]

Icelandic gunboats would take them on [1], this time supported by the RN, rather than against them. There can only be one winner.

[1] Cod war suggests they might give it a go.

Icelandic admirals will succeed where the Duke of Medina sidonia failed

 

[CaptainCalvert]

Icelandic admirals will succeed where the Duke of Medina sidonia failed

In a backfire of staggering proportions, the failed1973 US invasion of Sweden so weakened the US military and government that not only did Vietnam become communist but Iceland, the closest neutral European country, stepped in to help restore order, effectively ceding control of the US to Iceland.

Within a decade, the Canadian invasion of the northern states would cause further changes to what had once been a global superpower.

 

[Lalli]

Well, reality is often stranger than fiction and wars started over more idiotic reasons.

A chain of events could perhaps lead to a war between the US and Sweden with no need for some drastic changes like a dictatorship. Maybe a belligerent US president with a warmongering clique, personal bias, misunderstandings and a slightly more anti-US Sweden could culminate in escalation.

You should change so much that either USA or Sweden are completely different from OTL. Just too many problems from beginning. Even countries which are basically best friends might have bad days so if US-Swedish relations are down it wouldn't lead to war. Otherwise there would be wars everywhere from minor things.

Also NATO and partners of the US not supporting this invasion? There were OTL multiple cases of corruption and putting US interests above their own country's, what's to stop some corrupt or US assets from turning a blind eye until it blows up in their faces?

Some few invasions launched USA with NATO allies made even some level of sense. But no one is not really supporting idea to invade peaceful democratic neutral nation which is friendly to the west. And only just with couple years after many countries saw anti Vietnam War demonstrations? Hardly. Politicians are not usually stupid enough to commit political suicide.

Still, even with a NATO country willing to support such an invasion... the longer the conflict drags on the less stable that government will become and will eventually concede to public demand, though West Germany had the tenancy to ignore said public demand given the hundreds of protests that happen from the 60s to 90s.

There would be tons of bad sequences for USA and any nation to invading Sweden from beginning.

 

[von Adler]

Just looking at the map, Sweden would be impossible to invade. Those narrow waterways would be killzones for ships as there could be mines, anti-ship missiles, and SSKs. Swedish subs aren't to be underestimated as war games in 2004 has an Swedish SSK "sinking" the USS Ronald Reagan.

Sweden also has a policy of armed neutrality just Switzerland. I could assume since WWII, the Swedish have been preparing to fight a defensive guerilla war against a stronger aggressor. They have certainly learned from the Finnish during the Winter War.

I think you misunderstand the "free war" doctrine. It instructed troops to continue to fight, with guerilla tactics if they had to (but still operating and dressed as regular troops - no hiding among civilians) if they lost contact with their command, and never surrender.

A unit that was cut off and isolated were to melt into the forest, reform and harass the enemy to the best of its ability until it could re-establish contact with friendly troops.

 

[FlyingSquirrel]

Given all the controversy over the Vietnam War, I have to think that the public would be more than a little peeved if a President had decided to start *another* war, and over something as minuscule as rhetorical and humanitarian support (Sweden did not send the VC any weapons), especially if it meant restarting the draft.

 

[mattep74]

The little goodwill USA have had since 1945 would vanish in a flash. USA would be seen as worse as the Soviets to countries around the world.

And you would make it so that i am not born

 

[Insane Ranter]

I agree with the ASB comments. If the US left Cuba lone for supplying the Viet Cong then there is no way they are just going to out and out invade Sweden over it.

 

[Discernible]

Well, reality is often stranger than fiction and wars started over more idiotic reasons.

A chain of events could perhaps lead to a war between the US and Sweden with no need for some drastic changes like a dictatorship. Maybe a belligerent US president with a warmongering clique, personal bias, misunderstandings and a slightly more anti-US Sweden could culminate in escalation.

But enough about that, what's your view of Nixon and his administration...?

 

[Ramontxo]

I was 27 years old when the Berlin Wall fell and remember very, very well the Cold War. Sweden main Strategic Concern was the Big Bad Empire east of it. For several reasons it maintained its neutrality but everybody knew where the possible invasion would come from.
The idea of the US invading it for Foreing Policy discrepances is, if technically, not ASB at least laughable.
Just three examples of how the situation was, from an SR 71 with engine problems very, very happy to see Sweden Fighters to an Soviet Sub aground in Sweden to an mutineer Soviet Frigate running towards Sweden

https://www.key.aero/article/when-viggens-saved-sr-71-blackbird

Soviet submarine S-363 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Soviet frigate Storozhevoy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[farmerted555]

By that logic, we should've invaded Canada because they welcomed in draft dodgers. At least invading Canada makes some historical sense.

 

[Discernible]

Maybe an incident happens where Sweden's role is found out.

From what I can see online it looks like they didn't really try to hide it or be embarrassed about it.

 

[rfmcdonald]

I was 27 years old when the Berlin Wall fell and remember very, very well the Cold War. Sweden main Strategic Concern was the Big Bad Empire east of it. For several reasons it maintained its neutrality but everybody knew where the possible invasion would come from.
The idea of the US invading it for Foreing Policy discrepances is, if technically, not ASB at least laughable.
Just three examples of how the situation was, from an SR 71 with engine problems very, very happy to see Sweden Fighters to an Soviet Sub aground in Sweden to an mutineer Soviet Frigate running towards Sweden

https://www.key.aero/article/when-viggens-saved-sr-71-blackbird

Soviet submarine S-363 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Soviet frigate Storozhevoy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This would be ridiculous, and incidentally represent the biggest escalation of Cold War tensions in Europe. The Soviet Union only invaded its satellite states; the United States would be invading a neutral country, albeit a West-friendly one.

Unless Sweden was radically changed, the US that attempted it would have wrecked its Cold War policies. Scandinavia would be lost, certainly, while De Gaulle in France would appear prescient. Imagine what it might look like to the world if Sweden had to call on Soviet support.

 

[TimTurner]

From what I can see online it looks like they didn't really try to hide it or be embarrassed about it.

So it would be a question of how we find out and then how to move Vietnam more of a high-level problem that's more determinative.

 

[Ramontxo]

De Gaulle never left NATO and called Kennedy during the Cuba Crisis to tell him that France was with the USA to the end. In this universe...

 

[Hammerbolt]

I remember especially the sub incident; it was quite a scandal in Sweden, because the sub managed to penetrate swedish waters and park itself outside the base without being detected by the swedes. This was seen as proof both the navay and air force needed to completely review their ASW forces.

 

[rfmcdonald]

So it would be a question of how we find out and then how to move Vietnam more of a high-level problem that's more determinative.

Considering that the United States was divided in the Vietnam War, going and doing something profoundly stupid like invading a European neutral sympathetic (like many neutrals, and like many Europeans in NATO even) to the North Vietnamese would be a ridiculous escalation.

 

[TimTurner]

Considering that the United States was divided in the Vietnam War, going and doing something profoundly stupid like invading a European neutral sympathetic (like many neutrals, and like many Europeans in NATO even) to the North Vietnamese would be a ridiculous escalation.

No doubt it would. But that's not what the crux of this is, no?
Fortunately Kissinger would be dead set against this, generally speaking...

 

[Quintuplicate]

Was the Swedish American vote a factor in the politics of the time?

 

[rfmcdonald]

No doubt it would. But that's not what the crux of this is, no?
Fortunately Kissinger would be dead set against this, generally speaking...

What, exactly, is the crux? An attempted American invasion of a friendly neutral Sweden during the Cold War so soon after the successful Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia has no obvious upsides for the United States. This is something that would be evident to anyone even halfways rational in positions of power in the US.