ABSTRACT
During the Cold War, Sweden pursued a relatively coherent grand strategy. It had a straightforward narrative that was reasonably well communicated, shared among an overwhelming majority of national elites and the national electorate. In order to achieve the political end of continued national independence, its main focus was to avoid being dragged into a devastating war between the superpowers. For this purpose, Sweden pursued a policy of non-alignment in peace, aiming to be neutral in war. If the neutrality should fail in war, Sweden had also made preparations to get support from the West. It had a strong, national defence industry that supported the Armed Forces with equipment, thus maintaining the image of a self-sustainable country, not dependent upon either superpower for its military capabilities, and reassuring the superpowers that it would not quickly join the other side and change the so-called Nordic balance (for example Andrén 1996, Eriksson 2004, Dalsjo 2006, Bjereld et al. 2008, Holmstrom 2011, Kronvall ampentity Petersson 2012).
