There was nothing to do. Don't think I am some coldhearted SOB who don't give a shit about the Hungarians. It could just as well have been the opposite situation, with Sweden becoming part of the eastern bloc after WW2. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
But of course, from a realpolitik point of view it deserved to be supported as a way to undermine the Soviet empire. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
In the end I wonder what good it would have done. The Russians would have crushed the revolution anyway in the end. Tanks can only be fought with other tanks if the oppressor is willing to use tanks against protesters and revolutionaries, no matter their political allegiance. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
The Russians would have crushed the revolution anyway in the end.
"The Russians" did just as much as "The Swedes" or "The Spanish" or "The English". Maybe you meant "The Soviets"? Or, even better, "The Soviet leaders". Europe still has a long way to go before this insane nationalism goes the way of the dodo - no offense to DoDo :-)
BTW, being a conservative Swede must be quite a case of mental gymnastics. I'd be interested to hear your defense of Sweden's actions before, during, and after WWII.
Or rather, the biggest mistake was the de-militarization of 1925 (1929?). With that decision our hands were tied. The biggest crime was telling Finland we would come to it's aid as an ally during the 30's while only giving limited help when the Soviet Union invaded.
While the transit of German troops and the iron exports were immoral, I can't say I would have opposed them back then. The result would probably have been a German invasion and they would easily have defeated us.
Still, I wouldn't have blamed the Allies if they had bombed the Swedish iron mines or the ore railroad to Narvik. Swedish ore was exported on a large scale to Germany.
The repatriation of Soviet soldiers (to Gulag...) who had fled to Sweden was a case of criminal appeasement as we at that moment had a choice as our military was far stronger than just a few years earlier. I hope I have answered your question.
And on the Hungary issue I didn't mean to offend. I obviuosly didn't mean the Russian people when I said "the Russians". I am under no illusions of how much say Boris Vladimirovich from Vytegra had in that decision. I meant the Soviet Union, the Soviet military or the Soviet leadership. Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
The US thought otherwise, thinking PM Imre Nagy, as a communist, is not to be trusted. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
