Chief of the Defence Staff (Sweden)

The Chief of the Defence Staff (Swedish: Chefen för försvarsstaben, CFst, or Försvarsstabschef) was from 1937 to 1993 the second most senior member of the Swedish Armed Forces (after the Supreme Commander) and headed the Defence Staff. The position was held by a senior member of one of the three main branches of the Swedish Armed Forces.

Chief of the Defence Staff
Chefen för försvarsstaben
Longest serving
Richard Åkerman

1 April 1951–30 September 1957
Ministry of Defence
TypeChief of the Defence Staff
StatusAbolished
AbbreviationCFst
Reports toSupreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
SeatÖstermalmsgatan 87, Stockholm
Term lengthAt Her Majesty's pleasure
PrecursorChief of the General Staff
Formation1 July 1937
First holderMajor General Olof Thörnell
Final holderVice Admiral Peter Nordbeck
Abolished1993
Unofficial namesFörsvarsstabschef
DeputyVice Chief of the Defence Staff

Chiefs of the Defence Staff

No. Portrait Chief of the Defence StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branchPrime MinisterRef
1
Thörnell, OlofMajor general
Olof Thörnell
(1877–1977)
1 July 1937[lower-alpha 1]December 1939[lower-alpha 2]1–2 years
Army
Per Albin Hansson[1]
2
Bredberg, AxelMajor general
Axel Bredberg
(1884–1960)
1 July 194215 November 1945[lower-alpha 3]1 year, 204 days
Army
Per Albin Hansson[7][5][6]
-
Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustMajor general
Carl August Ehrensvärd
(1892–1974)
Acting
22 January 194415 November 19451 year, 297 days
Army
Per Albin Hansson[5][6]
3
Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustMajor general
Carl August Ehrensvärd
(1892–1974)
15 November 194530 April 19473 years, 98 days
Army
Per Albin Hansson
Tage Erlander
[7][6]
4
Swedlund, NilsMajor general
Nils Swedlund
(1898–1965)
1 April 1947[lower-alpha 4]1 April 19514 years, 0 days
Army
Tage Erlander[8]
5
Åkerman, RichardMajor general
Richard Åkerman
(1898–1981)
1 April 195130 September 19576 years, 182 days
Army
Tage Erlander[9]
-
Göransson, CurtMajor general
Curt Göransson
(1909–1996)
Acting
1 April 195730 September 1957182 days
Army
Tage Erlander[10][11]
6
Göransson, CurtMajor general
Curt Göransson
(1909–1996)
1 October 195730 September 19613 years, 364 days
Army
Tage Erlander[11]
7
Almgren, Carl EricMajor general
Carl Eric Almgren
(1913–2001)
1 October 196130 March 19675 years, 180 days
Army
Tage Erlander[10][12]
8
Synnergren, StigLieutenant general
Stig Synnergren
(1915–2004)
1 April 196730 September 19703 years, 182 days
Army
Tage Erlander
Olof Palme
[12][13]
9
Westin, BoLieutenant general
Bo Westin
(1913–2009)
1 October 197030 September 19721 year, 365 days
Navy
(Coastal Artillery)
Olof Palme[13][14]
10
Eklund, GunnarLieutenant general
Gunnar Eklund
(1920–2010)
1 October 197230 September 19763 years, 365 days
Navy
(Coastal Artillery)
Olof Palme[14][15]
10
Ljung, LennartLieutenant general
Lennart Ljung
(1921–1990)
1 October 197630 September 19781 year, 364 days
Army
Thorbjörn Fälldin[15][16]
11
Schuback, BengtVice admiral
Bengt Schuback
(1928–2015)
1 October 197830 September 19823 years, 364 days
Navy
Ola Ullsten
Thorbjörn Fälldin
[16][17]
12
Stefenson, BrorVice admiral
Bror Stefenson
(1929–2018)
1 October 198231 March 19874 years, 181 days
Navy
Olof Palme
Ingvar Carlsson
[17][18]
13
Engberg, TorstenLieutenant general
Torsten Engberg
(1934–2018)
1 April 198730 June 19914 years, 90 days
Navy
(Coastal Artillery)
Ingvar Carlsson[18][19]
14
Wiktorin, OweLieutenant general
Owe Wiktorin
(born 1940)
1 July 199130 September 19920–1 years
Air Force
Carl Bildt[19][20]
15
Nordbeck, PeterVice admiral
Peter Nordbeck
(born 1938)
1 October 199219930–1 years
Navy
Carl Bildt[20]

Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

No. Portrait Vice/Deputy Chief of the Defence StaffTitleTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branchPrime MinisterRef
1
Rappe, AxelMajor general
Axel Rappe
(1884–1945)
Deputy Chief
(Ställföreträdande chef)
15 December 193931 March 19411 year, 106 days
Army
Per Albin Hansson[lower-alpha 5]
2
Åkerhielm, SamuelColonel
Samuel Åkerhielm
(1887–1976)
Deputy Chief3 March 194119410 years
Army
Per Albin Hansson[lower-alpha 6]
3
Ehrensvärd, Carl AugustColonel
Carl August Ehrensvärd
(1892–1974)
Vice Chief
(Souschef)
194219441–2 years
Army
Per Albin Hansson[23]
4
Swedlund, NilsColonel
Nils Swedlund
(1898–1965)
Vice Chief
(Souschef)
1 January 194431 March 19462 years, 89 days
Army
Per Albin Hansson[8]
5
Bonde, ThordColonel
Thord Bonde
(1900–1969)
Vice Chief194619503–4 years
Army
Per Albin Hansson
Tage Erlander
[lower-alpha 7]
6
Östberg, MojeCommander
Moje Östberg
(1897–1984)
Vice Chief195019510–1 years
Navy
Tage Erlander[27]
7
Myhrman, SamColonel
Sam Myhrman
(1912–1965)
Vice Chief195619603–4 years
Army
Tage Erlander[28]
8
Mangård, ÅkeColonel
Åke Mangård
(1917–1998)
Vice Chief196019610–1 years
Air Force
Tage Erlander[29]
9
Arvas, DagCommander
Dag Arvas
(1913–2004)
Vice Chief196119642–3 years
Navy
Tage Erlander[30]
10
Lundvall, BengtCommander
Bengt Lundvall
(1915–2010)
Vice Chief196419661–2 years
Navy
Tage Erlander[31]
11
Westin, BoMajor general
Bo Westin
(1913–2009)
Vice Chief196619681–2 years
Navy
(Coastal Artillery)
Tage Erlander[32]
12
Stenberg, DickMajor general
Dick Stenberg
(1921–2004)
Vice Chief1 October 19681 April 19701 year, 182 days
Air Force
Tage Erlander
Olof Palme
[33]
13
Palmstierna, Nils-FredrikMajor general[lower-alpha 8]
Nils-Fredrik Palmstierna
(1919–1990)
Vice Chief1 April 197019732–3 years
Air Force
Olof Palme[34][13]
14
Olson, Sven-OlofMajor general
Sven-Olof Olson
(born 1926)
Vice Chief197319773–4 years
Air Force
Olof Palme
Thorbjörn Fälldin
[35]
15
Schuback, BengtRear admiral
Bengt Schuback
(1928–2015)
Vice Chief1 July 197730 September 19781 year, 91 days
Navy
Thorbjörn Fälldin[36][16]
16
Lehander, BengtMajor general
Bengt Lehander
(1925–1994)
Vice Chief1 October 197830 September 19823 years, 364 days
Air Force
Ola Ullsten
Thorbjörn Fälldin
[36][17]
17
Persson, Lars-BertilMajor general
Lars-Bertil Persson
(born 1934)
Deputy Chief[37]1 October 198219863–4 years
Air Force
Olof Palme[17][37]
18
Wiktorin, OweMajor general
Owe Wiktorin
(born 1940)
Deputy Chief[38]198630 June 19914–5 years
Air Force
Olof Palme
Ingvar Carlsson
[38][19]

Footnotes

  1. On 1 July 1936, the then Inspector General of the Infantry, Major General Olof Thörnell, was promoted to Lieutenant General and at the same time appointed Chief of the Defense Staff. Thörnell now began the organization work. On 1 July 1937, the new staff gathered and the Chief of Defense Staff took command.[1]
  2. On 8 December 1939, Thörnell was appointed Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces[2] without at the same time appointing a new Chief of the Defence Staff.[3] After Thörnell's appointment as Supreme Commander for the mobilized elements of the armed forces in December 1939, Axel Rappe was appointed Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. This meant that Rappe in reality served as Chief of the Defence Staff.[4]
  3. Bredberg was granted a leave of absence on 21 January 1944.[5] He did not return to the post but officially left the post on 15 November 1945 when he was appointed military commander of the V Military District.[6]
  4. Appointed on 25 February.[8]
  5. During the winter of 1939, when Axel Rappe was commanding officer of the Svea Artillery Regiment in Stockholm, he was made available for service to the Chief of the Defence Staff. After Olof Thörnell's appointment as Supreme Commander for the mobilized elements of the armed forces in December 1939, Rappe was appointed Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. This meant that Rappe in reality served as Chief of the Defence Staff.[4]
  6. Furtenbach (1964) states that Åkerhielm relieved Rappe of command on 3 March 1941[21] while Cronenberg (1995-1997) states that Rappe served until 31 March 1941.[4] Harnesk (1948) states that Åkerhielm served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff no longer than 1941.[22] Furthermore, Furtenbach (1964) states that Åkerhielm was major general while Harnesk (1948) states that Åkerhielm was promoted to major general in 1942, a year after serving as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff.
  7. According to Lagerström (1968)[24] and other sources,[25] Bonde was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1946 and his next appointment was as second-in-command of the Svea Life Guards (I 1) in 1950. However, between these postings, Bonde held the position as Chief of Staff of United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) from May 1948 to July 1948.[26]
  8. Palmstierna was Colonel when taking office on 1 April and was promoted to Major General on 1 October the same year.[13]

References

Notes

  1. Furtenbach 1964, pp. 9, 11
  2. "Överbefälhavare i historien" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  3. Jarmar 2005, p. 71
  4. Cronenberg 1995–1997, p. 694
  5. "Tre nya generaler utnämnda". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 21 January 1944. p. 8. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  6. "Chefen för försvarsstaben". Söderhamns Tidning (in Swedish). 17 November 1945. p. 8. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  7. Furtenbach 1964, p. 27
  8. Zetterberg 2014, p. 542
  9. Furtenbach 1964, p. 42
  10. Furtenbach 1964, p. 44
  11. Furtenbach 1964, p. 49
  12. Skoglund 2009, p. 123
  13. GHT 1970, p. 5.
  14. SvD 1972, p. 1.
  15. GP 1975, p. 26.
  16. DN 1978, p. 1.
  17. DN 1981, p. 8.
  18. Falkkloo 1986, p. 18
  19. SvD 1991, p. 16.
  20. GP 1992, p. 16.
  21. Furtenbach 1964, p. 33
  22. Harnesk 1948, p. 614
  23. "Tre nya generalmajorer, ny chef för försvarsstaben". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish) (20). 22 January 1944. p. A7. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  24. Lagerström 1968, p. 124
  25. "Thord Bonde 50 år". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 16 March 1950. p. 12A. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  26. UNTSO News Magazine 2008, p. 23
  27. "Nye marinattachén i Washington". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 29 April 1951. p. 10A. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  28. Burling 1962, p. 759
  29. Vem är det 1984, p. 758.
  30. Uddling & Paabo 1992, p. 69
  31. Vem är det 1984, p. 730.
  32. Vem är det 1984, p. 1174.
  33. Scheiderbauer 2007–2011, p. 225
  34. Vem är det 1984, p. 877.
  35. Vem är det 1984, p. 861.
  36. Wennerholm 2015, p. 152
  37. Spiegelberg 1984, p. 104
  38. Bollman 1994, p. 7

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