WWII Occupations: Sweden Stayed Neutral; Germany Was the Occupier

Clarifying the Roles

Sweden and Germany were not occupied by Germany during World War II. Their positions were fundamentally different:

Sweden: Armed Neutrality

• Declared neutrality; not invaded.
• Conceded transit rights for German troops to Norway (1940–43) and iron ore exports—controversial compromises to maintain sovereignty.
• Interned Allied and Axis aircrews; hosted refugees (Danish Jews, Finnish children).
• Built up defense (fortifications, air force) to deter invasion.

Germany: The Occupying Power

• Nazi Germany occupied Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, Soviet territories, Italy (after 1943), Hungary (1944), etc.
• Germany itself was occupied by the Allies (US, UK, France, USSR) after its surrender in May 1945, divided into four zones.

Why the Confusion?

Questions sometimes conflate "Germany occupied X" with "X occupied Germany." Sweden's neutrality was real but pragmatic; Germany was the primary aggressor/occupier in Europe, not a victim of occupation until 1945.