General (Sweden)

General (Gen) is a four-star commissioned officer rank in the Swedish Army, Swedish Air Force and Swedish Amphibious Corps. General ranks immediately above lieutenant general and is equivalent to admiral in the Swedish Navy. It is held by the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces and the monarch.

General
Country Sweden
Service branchArmy
Air Force
Amphibious Corps (from 2000)
Coastal Artillery (until 2000)
AbbreviationGen (Swedish),[1] Gen (English)[2]
RankFour-star[lower-alpha 1]
NATO rank codeOF-9
Non-NATO rankO-10
Next lower rankLieutenant general
Equivalent ranksAdmiral

History

In Sweden, the rank of general was a three-star rank until 1972 when it became a four-star rank. Historically, during the 20th century, lieutenant generals were promoted one grade upon retirement to full general. According to current practice only royals and the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, if he were to come from the Swedish Army, Swedish Air Force or the Swedish Amphibious Corps can hold the rank of a full, four-star, general in Sweden.

In 2009, the Swedish Armed Forces reported that General Håkan Syrén would retain his rank during his time as Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (2009–2012), which for the first time gave Sweden three active four-star generals; former Supreme Commander, General Håkan Syrén (2004–2012), current Supreme Commander, General Sverker Göranson (2009–2015) and Carl XVI Gustaf (1973–present).[3] However, this is incorrect. Between 1940 and 1941, Sweden had five active generals; the Supreme Commander, General Olof Thörnell (1940–1944), General Oscar Nygren (1939–1941[lower-alpha 2]), King Gustaf V (1898–1950), Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (1932–1973) and Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland (1908–1951).[5]

Following a proposal from the Swedish Armed Forces, the Government of Sweden decides on employment as a general.[6]

In everyday speech, generals of all ranks are addressed as generals.[7][8]

Rank insignia

Collar patches
  • Collar patch m/58 (black m/02) on field uniform M90
    (2002–present)
  • Collar patch m/58 (gold) on uniform m/58-m/59 and field uniform M90
    (1983–2002)
  • Collar patch m/58 (bronze) on uniform m/58-m/59
    (1972–1983)
  • Collar patch m/58 (bronze) on uniform m/58-m/59
    (1958–1972)
  • Collar patch on uniform m/1923
    (1923–1939)

Shoulder marks
  • Shoulder mark on uniform m/87 (Army and Air Force)
    (1987–present)
  • Shoulder mark m/87 on white shirt (Army and Air Force)
    (1987–present)
  • Shoulder mark m/87 on white shirt (Navy)
    (1987–present)
  • Shoulder mark on uniform m/1939
    (1939–1958)
  • Shoulder mark on uniform m/1923
    (1923–1939)
  • Shoulder mark on uniform m/1910
    (1910–1923)

Amphibious Corps and Coastal Artillery
  • Sleeve insignia for a general in the Amphibious Corps
    (2003–present)
  • Sleeve insignia for a general in the Amphibious Corps
    (2000–2003)
    and
    Coastal Artillery (1972–2000)
  • Sleeve insignia for a general in the Coastal Artillery
    (1901–1972)

Air Force
  • Sleeve insignia for a general (1972–?) (today only on mess dress uniform)
  • Sleeve insignia for a general (?–1972)
  • Flight suit sleeve insignia (Ärmmatta m/02) for a general[9]
    (1972–present)
  • Flight suit sleeve insignia for a general
    (?–1972)

Army
  • Sleeve insignia for a general on uniform m/1906
    (1906–1923)

Hats
  • Hat for general of any rank on uniform m/1865-99
    (1865–?)

Personal flags

The command flag of a general (and an admiral) is a double swallowtailed Swedish flag. In the first blue field 4 five-pointed white stars placed two over two.[10]

List of generals

The following have been promoted to the rank of general in the Swedish Armed Forces between 1900 and 2021:

BranchNameYear
promoted		BornDiedNotes
ArmyAxel Rappe190318381918Chief of the General Staff (1899–1905)
ArmyHemming Gadd1905[lower-alpha 4]18371915Commander of the 4th Army Division (1896–1905)
Commandant General in Stockholm (1905–1905)
ArmyPrince Carl, Duke of Västergötland190818611951Prince of Sweden (1861–1951)
ArmyGustaf Uggla1913[lower-alpha 4]18461924Commander of the 2nd Army Division (1902–1913)
ArmyKnut Gillis Bildt1919[lower-alpha 4]18541927Chief of the General Staff (1905–1919)
ArmyLars Tingsten1922[lower-alpha 4]18571937Chief of the General Staff (1919–1922)
ArmyCarl Gustaf Hammarskjöld1930[lower-alpha 4]18651940Chief of the General Staff (1922–1930)
ArmyGustaf VI Adolf193218821973Crown Prince of Sweden (1907–1950), King of Sweden (1950–1973)
ArmyOscar Nygren1937[lower-alpha 5]18721960Chief of the General Staff (1933–1937)
ArmyOlof Thörnell194018771977Supreme Commander (1939–1944)
ArmyHelge Jung194418861978Supreme Commander (1944–1951)
ArmyNils Swedlund195118981965Supreme Commander (1951–1961)
Air ForceBengt Nordenskiöld1954[lower-alpha 4]18911983Chief of the Air Force (1942–1954)
ArmyCarl August Ehrensvärd1957[lower-alpha 4]18921974Chief of the Army (1948–1957)
Air ForceAxel Ljungdahl1960[lower-alpha 4]18871995Chief of the Air Force (1954–1960)
Air ForceTorsten Rapp196119051993Supreme Commander (1961–1970)
ArmyThord Bonde1963[lower-alpha 4]19001969Chief of the Army (1957–1963)
Air ForceLage Thunberg1968[lower-alpha 4]19051997Chief of the Air Force (1961–1968)
ArmyCurt Göransson1969[lower-alpha 4]19091996Chief of the Army (1963–1969)
ArmyStig Synnergren197019152004Supreme Commander (1970–1978)
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden19731946—King of Sweden (1973–present)
Air ForceStig Norén1973[lower-alpha 4]19081996Chief of the Air Force (1968–1973)
ArmyCarl Eric Almgren1976[lower-alpha 4]19132001Chief of the Army (1969–1976)
ArmyLennart Ljung197819211990Supreme Commander (1978–1986)
ArmyBengt Gustafsson198619332019Supreme Commander (1986–1994)
Air ForceOwe Wiktorin19941940—Supreme Commander (1994–2000)
ArmyJohan Hederstedt20001943—Supreme Commander (2000–2003)
Navy (Amphibious Corps)Håkan Syrén20041952—Supreme Commander (2004–2009)
ArmySverker Göranson20091954—Supreme Commander (2009–2015)
Air ForceMicael Bydén20151964—Supreme Commander (2015–present)

Footnotes
  1. General was a three-star rank until 1972 in the Swedish Armed Forces rank structure.
  2. Nygren left active service and was promoted to General in the army on 1 October 1937. He was recalled to active service to the post of commander of the 2nd Army Corps, where he served in Upper Norrland from December 1939 to April 1940 and in western Sweden from April to September 1940 and April to August 1941. Nygren was at the appointment in 1939 Sweden's only three-star general outside the royal family.[4]
  3. The Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces used admiral's flag since 1942.[11]
  4. Upon retirement.
  5. Upon retirement on 1 October 1937. However, Nygren was called back for service as commander of the 2nd Army Corps in Upper Norrland and in Western Sweden from 1939 to 1941.[4]

References

Notes
  1. "Försvarsmaktens föreskrifter om personaltjänst (FFS 2019:6)" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 2019-12-02. p. 3. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. "Försvarsmaktens gemensamma identitet – direktiv för användandet av Försvarsmaktens namn, profil och bild" (PDF). 1.3 (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 2013-09-16. p. 66. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  3. Haglund, Sven-Åke (5 November 2009). "Håkan Syrén general i EU" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. Cronenberg, Arvid (1990–1991). "Oscar E Nygren". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 27. National Archives of Sweden. p. 704. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  5. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1940 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1940. p. 268.
  6. "Förordning om ändring i förordningen (2000:555) med instruktion för Försvarsmakten" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Code of Statutes. 20 June 2005. p. 2. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  7. Etikett och god ton: Praktisk handbok i sättet att uppföra sig. 1 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Åhlén & Åkerlund. 1932. p. 128. SELIBR 1353820.
  8. Handbok: parad 6: traditionsvård : H PARAD 6 2016 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarsmakten. 2017. p. 31. SELIBR 22459606.
  9. Reglemente: uniformsbestämmelser 2015 : Unibest FM 2015 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarsmakten. 2015. p. 343. SELIBR 19513428.
  10. Braunstein 2004, p. 111
  11. Lybeck 1945, p. 570
  12. Handbok: parad 4: marinen : R PARAD 4 2017 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarsmakten. 2017. p. 14. SELIBR 21485968.

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