Christian Günther
Encyclopedia
Christian Ernst Günther was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs in the National Unity Government
that was formed as a consequence of the Soviet
attack on Finland
in November, 1939, and would remain in function until World War II
had ended in 1945.
Günther, whose father had been Swedish diplomat, and whose grandfather briefly had been prime minister, had entered the Civil Service at the age of 30, and was eight years later transferred to the foreign ministry from the position as personal secretary of the prime ministers Hjalmar Branting
and Rickard Sandler
. In the foreign ministry, he advanced in the 1930s to the position immediately beneath the foreign minister Rickard Sandler, as under secretary of state for foreign affairs, and was then accredited as ambassador in Oslo
, where he intended to stay until retirement.
Günther represents the last generation of cultural Scandinavists
, sympathetic to the relative political liberalism in Denmark
and Norway
, that was influenced from French and English thinking, contrasted to les Ancient régimes of Austria, Prussia, and Russia; but beside that, he was virtually ignorant of the English speaking world. Like many Liberal Swedes, he was untouched and rather alienated by Finland
's political and cultural development after 1809, signified by a high regard for the autocratic Gustavian
Constitution of 1772, fervent anti-Germanic fennomania, and the bloody aftermath of the Civil War
.
As a foreign minister, Günther favoured policies that were rather in the taste of pro-German Conservatives than of pro-Soviet Radicals. Both during the war, and after the Allies' victory, he was the target of criticism that, chiefly, argued that the nation's soul would have been better saved by a less indulgent position vis-à-vis Nazi Germany
, and a more yielding attitude towards the Allies, also if this had resulted in a German invasion and occupation. Together with his aristocratic appearance and bourgeois upbringing, this has rendered him being sometimes characterized as a Conservative. Günther himself would hardly have approved, ardent anti-Nazist, religious skeptic, and, according to his wife Ingrid, a cautious supporter of the Social Democrats as he was.
Christian Günther, who had distanced himself from the state church
already by a civil marriage
, was buried in a civil funeral.
: The failure of Foreign Minister Rickard Sandler
's policy, that had been characterized by high-profile diplomatic support for Finland without sufficient agreement from other Social Democratic Ministers for concrete military actions outside of Sweden's borders, was starkly illuminated by the run up to, and outbreak of, the Winter War
. The cabinet's refusal to authorize even limited military actions for the defence of the de-militarized Åland Islands
before the war and, even more significant, the waters between Åland and Stockholm
made Sandler's resignation unavoidable, although somewhat postponed due to the tense international situation.
The outbreak of the Winter War put Sweden in one of the worst political crises since the secession
of Finland in 1809. A strong and vociferous public opinion demanded unlimited solidarity with Finland. However, a broad parliamentary majority opposed not only military support of Finland, but also other actions that might put Sweden in danger of an invasion by either Nazi Germany
or her ally, the Soviet Union.
To overcome this crisis, a National Unity Government was deemed essential, which proved difficult since the Rightist Party, led by Gösta Bagge
, supported at least moderately Activist
policies for the defence of Finland. To solve these difficulties, it was agreed to appoint a "non-political" Foreign Minister from among Sweden's top diplomats, which was thought to put the foreign policies in the firm grip of the party leaders in the cabinet, where they planned to broke compromises.
As a Foreign Minister, Günther represented a stark contrast to Sandler
's idealist
policies. Günther's preferred line was a cautious realpolitik
, adapted to the very limited options of a small country during a war between Great Power neighbours. Like many, maybe most, of his contemporary peers, he expected German culture to be inherently stronger than the Nazi
barbarism. Thus, he did not subscribe to the idea of the world war as primarily a clash of democracy
against fascism
, but rather as a traditional war on dominance of the European continent
. In that light, a German victory over the Soviet Union
, the latter being the latest appearance of Sweden's old arch-enemy, could not be perceived as particularly alarming. On this point, Günther stood close to the most conservative of the cabinet members.
National unity government
A national unity government, government of national unity, or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other national emergency.- Canada :During World War I the Conservative government of Sir...
that was formed as a consequence of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
attack on Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in November, 1939, and would remain in function until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had ended in 1945.
Günther, whose father had been Swedish diplomat, and whose grandfather briefly had been prime minister, had entered the Civil Service at the age of 30, and was eight years later transferred to the foreign ministry from the position as personal secretary of the prime ministers Hjalmar Branting
Hjalmar Branting
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party , and Prime Minister during three separate periods . When Branting came to power in 1920, he was the first Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden...
and Rickard Sandler
Rickard Sandler
Rickard Johannes Sandler was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served asMinister without Portfolio in the Swedish government from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923,...
. In the foreign ministry, he advanced in the 1930s to the position immediately beneath the foreign minister Rickard Sandler, as under secretary of state for foreign affairs, and was then accredited as ambassador in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, where he intended to stay until retirement.
Personal background
Christian Günther was hardly a typical representative for the diplomatic corps. Although a perpetual student of law, his ambitions were rather that of a writer's — of drama, lyrics, and a few novels — not without some success. Unanimous testimony describes him as a man of unassuming ways, high intelligence, and a bohemian personality, with a significant lack of ambition, who made his visits in the office as brief as possible. He was passionate for harness racing and had the nerves of a habitual gambler.Günther represents the last generation of cultural Scandinavists
Scandinavism
Scandinavism and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian or Nordic countries...
, sympathetic to the relative political liberalism in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, that was influenced from French and English thinking, contrasted to les Ancient régimes of Austria, Prussia, and Russia; but beside that, he was virtually ignorant of the English speaking world. Like many Liberal Swedes, he was untouched and rather alienated by Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's political and cultural development after 1809, signified by a high regard for the autocratic Gustavian
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
Constitution of 1772, fervent anti-Germanic fennomania, and the bloody aftermath of the Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
.
As a foreign minister, Günther favoured policies that were rather in the taste of pro-German Conservatives than of pro-Soviet Radicals. Both during the war, and after the Allies' victory, he was the target of criticism that, chiefly, argued that the nation's soul would have been better saved by a less indulgent position vis-à-vis Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, and a more yielding attitude towards the Allies, also if this had resulted in a German invasion and occupation. Together with his aristocratic appearance and bourgeois upbringing, this has rendered him being sometimes characterized as a Conservative. Günther himself would hardly have approved, ardent anti-Nazist, religious skeptic, and, according to his wife Ingrid, a cautious supporter of the Social Democrats as he was.
Christian Günther, who had distanced himself from the state church
State church
State churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state...
already by a civil marriage
Civil marriage
Civil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
, was buried in a civil funeral.
The situation at Günther's appointment as Foreign Minister
A serious cabinet crisis in Stockholm put an end to his mission in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
: The failure of Foreign Minister Rickard Sandler
Rickard Sandler
Rickard Johannes Sandler was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served asMinister without Portfolio in the Swedish government from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923,...
's policy, that had been characterized by high-profile diplomatic support for Finland without sufficient agreement from other Social Democratic Ministers for concrete military actions outside of Sweden's borders, was starkly illuminated by the run up to, and outbreak of, the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. The cabinet's refusal to authorize even limited military actions for the defence of the de-militarized Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
before the war and, even more significant, the waters between Åland and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
made Sandler's resignation unavoidable, although somewhat postponed due to the tense international situation.
The outbreak of the Winter War put Sweden in one of the worst political crises since the secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of Finland in 1809. A strong and vociferous public opinion demanded unlimited solidarity with Finland. However, a broad parliamentary majority opposed not only military support of Finland, but also other actions that might put Sweden in danger of an invasion by either Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
or her ally, the Soviet Union.
To overcome this crisis, a National Unity Government was deemed essential, which proved difficult since the Rightist Party, led by Gösta Bagge
Gösta Bagge
Gösta Adolfsson Bagge was a Swedish professor of economics and conservative politician.Born on 27 May 1882 in Stockholm, Gösta Bagge was declared leader for the National Organization of the Right after the sudden retirement of Arvid Lindman in 1935, and remained its leader until 1944...
, supported at least moderately Activist
Nationalist activism
The Nationalist activism was an elitist political movement of the early 20th century in Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic countries. The Activists advocated in brief a close cooperation with Imperial Germany, and active support of Germany's military aims — primarily directed against...
policies for the defence of Finland. To solve these difficulties, it was agreed to appoint a "non-political" Foreign Minister from among Sweden's top diplomats, which was thought to put the foreign policies in the firm grip of the party leaders in the cabinet, where they planned to broke compromises.
Christian Günther as Foreign Minister
Christian Günther left no memoirs, no diaries, very few personal letters of interest for historians, and actually remarkably few notes and writings from his time as foreign minister. Hence, an assessment of Günther has to rely on the account of colleagues in the cabinet and in the foreign ministry.As a Foreign Minister, Günther represented a stark contrast to Sandler
Rickard Sandler
Rickard Johannes Sandler was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served asMinister without Portfolio in the Swedish government from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923,...
's idealist
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
policies. Günther's preferred line was a cautious realpolitik
Realpolitik
Realpolitik refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on power and on practical and material factors and considerations, rather than ideological notions or moralistic or ethical premises...
, adapted to the very limited options of a small country during a war between Great Power neighbours. Like many, maybe most, of his contemporary peers, he expected German culture to be inherently stronger than the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
barbarism. Thus, he did not subscribe to the idea of the world war as primarily a clash of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
against fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, but rather as a traditional war on dominance of the European continent
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. In that light, a German victory over the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the latter being the latest appearance of Sweden's old arch-enemy, could not be perceived as particularly alarming. On this point, Günther stood close to the most conservative of the cabinet members.