Sweden in ww1

The RN did send a Submarines squadron into the Baltic through the mined Danish Straits by 1915. Surface ships would be another matter but the Danes wouldn't like to fight the RN. With a bellingerent Sweden in the back things will of course look different but I'd expect Danish and Norwegian PM urging the Swedes not to go to war.

Sweden would at this time still be exporting iron ore from Narvik. The internal railroads wasn't developed at this time as 26 years later so ore could be railed to Umeå for shipping during ice-free times. Some First Sea Lord may get ideas of blocking that at Narvik!

Denmark would continue trading with both sides if possible and may be able to supply substantial agricultural produce to a Sweden in want. If Sweden only DOW Russia Denmark may try limiting such to keep Sweden out of wars way; such action will of course not be possible if Sweden is part of the Central Powers for fear of Germany.

Any British designs on Norway may make the German Navy react - Fall N attack on Norway hadn't been drawn up at the outbreak of war and only been so by late 1916 - though of course any British presence on the Norwegian coast would place RN closer to Germany and had to be countered by naval means not invasion.
Plans had been made on Denmark though in the event Denmark wouldn't resist such; at least not in Jutland or on the banks of the Great Bealt!
 
So how would various neutral countrys react to von Essen attacking Sweden in the early parts of ww1?
Would it keeps nations like Italy and Romania from hoping the allies, or keep the usa from joining in 1917?
Bad for the Entente.
1. The whole propaganda value of the attack on Belgium has been greatly negated, especially in the US with the large Swedish community there. The pervasive pro-Entente propaganda has a serious problem.
2. The Swedes are furious, and not just at von Essen, as their diplomatic assurances were (seemingly) accepted by the Russians and then there were treacherously attacked. They will declare war on Russia. This leads to a French declaration of war against Sweden (with reluctance and probably little actual action) and perhaps a British one.
3. The Baltic becomes a Central Powers lake. This will not help Russia's logistics problems. Germany can take a far more aggressive stance and actually use it's navy for something. This might alter actions against Britain.
4. The Russian destroyer squadron (dispatched to lay mines, destroy navigation installations and otherwise disrupt the southern sealanes to Stockholm) will probably meat a significant part of the Swedish navy and probably do as well as they did at Dogger Bank.
5. The Russians will not strip Finland of garrison troops and may reinforce them, depending on German and Swedish maneuvers. This somewhat weakens the Russian offensive forces though the subsequent effects are tricky to predict. Maybe the Austrians aren't defeated at Lemberg or Pemberg. That in turn influences Italian actions.
6. German/Swedish cooperation opens up the possibility of 'liberating' Finland and thus endangering St. Petersburg. The were threat of this should influence Russian thinking and planning and could effect Russian actions against Germany and AH. An actual invasion of Finland could happen in 1915 or early 1916, releasing several megaflutters of butterflies.
7. These factors might influence Germany to go with a 'Russia First' strategy and leave the French to waste their elan against machine guns and wire.
8. Denmark and Norway probably stay neutral but are pro-CP and pro-Sweden. Probably a lot of volunteers head to fight there.
9. The Russians fall apart earlier, but the Bolshevik faction is significantly less influential.
 
Bad for the Entente.
9. The Russians fall apart earlier, but the Bolshevik faction is significantly less influential.

The last one is key here. A liberation of Finland under Swedo-German auspices (and possibly the capture of Ingria, including Petrograd) would be the final swan song for the 300-year old Romanov Imperium. With Lenin in Switzerland, the Bolsheviks are less influential, and if in the event of Communist Revolution, would be contained and crushed.

But the important factor is what strategy would the Swedes and Germans employ in liberating Finland. Last I checked, even if Sweden is mobilized for war, Finland is still Russia's turf, and while I can see Sweden and Germany making minced meat of the Baltic Fleet, how will that translate into land-based success?

Finally, what becomes of Finland? Does it still become a monarchy (albeit, with Sweden being involved, do they get the Germans to allow a Bernadotte on an independent Finnish throne?) Does it go straight into becoming a Republic?
 
Finally, what becomes of Finland? Does it still become a monarchy (albeit, with Sweden being involved, do they get the Germans to allow a Bernadotte on an independent Finnish throne?) Does it go straight into becoming a Republic?

This depends win Entente or CP the war. If CP win the war probably Finland becomes monarchy. I don't see why Germans wouldn't allow Bernadotte becoming king of Finland.

If Entente still wins the war, republic is possible but monarchy under Bernadotte king is too possible. But it depends what kind of victory it is and what will happen to Sweden.
 
The last one is key here. A liberation of Finland under Swedo-German auspices (and possibly the capture of Ingria, including Petrograd) would be the final swan song for the 300-year old Romanov Imperium. With Lenin in Switzerland, the Bolsheviks are less influential, and if in the event of Communist Revolution, would be contained and crushed.

But the important factor is what strategy would the Swedes and Germans employ in liberating Finland. Last I checked, even if Sweden is mobilized for war, Finland is still Russia's turf, and while I can see Sweden and Germany making minced meat of the Baltic Fleet, how will that translate into land-based success?

Finally, what becomes of Finland? Does it still become a monarchy (albeit, with Sweden being involved, do they get the Germans to allow a Bernadotte on an independent Finnish throne?) Does it go straight into becoming a Republic?
Damn, I'd forgotten about Lenin. If the Germans aren't feeling as desperate he'll probably languish in obscurity. Certainty having more Imperial troops around Petrograd (assuming it doesn't fall) will change the revolution, as will the absence of the Baltic fleet sailors.
 
Damn, I'd forgotten about Lenin. If the Germans aren't feeling as desperate he'll probably languish in obscurity. Certainty having more Imperial troops around Petrograd (assuming it doesn't fall) will change the revolution, as will the absence of the Baltic fleet sailors.

If the situation plays out like stated, there wouldn't be a need for Lenin, Saint Pete has fallen, the worst a Revolution will do is abolish the monarchy (at best force Nicholas II to abdicate, most likely his son too in favor of Grand Duke Michael), but it is unclear as to how far a post-revolutionary government would want to go to persecute the war.
 
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