Sweden’s Secret Army

Sweden joined NATO in 2024. What took them so long? Historian Johan Wennström, author of The Stay Behinds: Sweden’s Cold War Guardians (bookshop.org/a/93116/9781472877543), joins Aaron MacLean to uncover how Sweden secretly collaborated with NATO for decades while remaining publicly neutral for fear the Soviet Union would invade Finland if they did. With Russia threatening Europe again, Wennström discusses the history of Sweden’s balancing act, how it built an army of sleeper cells, and whether NATO membership risks giving countries a false sense of security.

03:13 The Soviet Threat

08:00 Was Sweden Neutral?

15:52 Sweden in World War II

20:10 Sweden’s Military Might

20:50 Building the Resistance

25:11 Legalizing a Secret Army

28:35 Soviet Invasion Plans

33:05 The Resistance Leaders

37:09 Is Europe Prepared?

41:09 Was NATO a Mistake?

42:41 The Case for Deterrence

44:29 Preparing for Defeat

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