Helge Jung

Jung was born on 23 March 1886 in Malmö, Sweden, the son of the headmaster Victor Jung and his wife Maria (née Levan).{{cite book |date=1932 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1933 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1933 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |language=sv |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1933/0424.html |page=424}} Jung passed mogenhetsexamen in Malmö in 1903 and then studied history at Lund University for a couple of semesters 1903–1904.{{harvnb|Dahl|Bohman|1948|p=133}}

He was accepted as a volunteer at the South Scanian Infantry Regiment (I 7) in 1904 and graduated from the Military Academy Karlberg in 1906 and was commissioned into the Swedish Army the same year as a underlöjtnant in the same regiment{{harvnb|Wennerström|1936|p=197}} where he was promoted to lieutenant in 1909.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1915/0238.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för år 1915 |year=1915 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=238}} From 1912 to 1916, Jung served as a regimental adjutant in the South Scanian Infantry Regiment,{{harvnb|Hallberg|1921|p=220}} whereupon he attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1916 to 1918. He was a cadet officer at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1919 to 1922: first at the reserve officer courses during 1919 and then at the officer courses from 1919 to 1922. He was an assistant teacher in martial law and service regulations on the officer course at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1921 to 1922. In 1921 he was promoted to captain in the South Scanian Infantry Regiment.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1925/0274.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1925 |year=1925 |publisher=Almqvist & Wiksell |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=267}}

During this time, Jung took an instructor course at the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute from 1907 to 1908, and served as company commander in 1st Division's (I. arméfördelningen) volunteer school in Halmstad from 1908 to 1909 and from 1909 to 1910. After that he was a company commander at the reserve officer volunteer school in Karlsborg in 1910, and commander of the conscripts selected for special winter service (ski service) from 1910 to 1911, company commander at the reserve officer volunteer school in Karlsborg in 1911 and adjutant at the Infantry Officer Volunteer School (Infanteriofficersvolontärskolan) in Karlsborg from 1914 to 1915.

From 1922 to 1926, Jung served in the War History Department of the General Staff, after which he was a teacher in war history and strategy at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1926 to 1928. He was promoted to major in 1928, after which he was acting head of the War History Department in the General Staff from 1928 to 1929 and regular head of the same from 1929 to 1933. He was secretary of the issues regarding the Swedish Army in the 1930 Defence Commission from 1930 to 1935. In 1933 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, after which he was head of the Foreign Affairs Department in the General Staff from 1933 to 1936. He was secretary of the Committee on Defence during the Riksdag of 1936.{{harvnb|Harnesk|1962|p=665}}

As head of the War History Department, he led the work on Sveriges krig 1611–1632 ("Sweden's war 1611–1632"), a book in eight volumes published 1936–1939. He himself conducted war history archive research in Latvia and Estonia in 1922, in Germany, Danzig and Copenhagen in 1923, in Finland in 1925 and 1926 as well as archival research and battlefield surveys in Danzig, Poland and Germany in 1927. He led archival research and battlefield research in Belgium, Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Austria in 1929 and in several other countries in 1930.

The Defence Act of 1925 with its extensive downsizing of units and personnel, left its mark on Jung's generation of officers and instilled in many paralysis of action. In this situation, Jung deservedly took the lead for those who did not want to give up the fight for a modern defence with a broad base and adapted to society's resources. During his service in the War History Department, he gathered around him a group of younger talented army officers for a debate on defence issues{{harvnb|Broomé|1978|p=270}} and eventually founded Ny militär tidskrift ("New Military Journal") in 1927,{{harvnb|Artéus|1996|pp=248-256}} whose editor he was 1927–1930. The circle of soldiers around this came to be called Jungjuntan ("Jung's junta") and it consisted of Axel Rappe, Carl August Ehrensvärd, Per Sylvan, Henry Peyron, Gustaf Petri, Axel Gyllenkrook, Gunnar Berggren with Jung as editor and unifying force. Jung was also behind the publication Antingen – eller ("Either – Or") (1930). Through the work of the 1930 Defence Commission, he had a decisive influence on the Defence Act of 1936 and it came to consist of a ten-year rearmament plan.

On 12 June 1936, Jung was promoted to colonel and appointed regimental commander of the North Scanian Infantry Regiment (I 6) from 1 October 1936.{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Högre militära utnämningar |date=1936-06-13 |page=5 |language=sv}} Even before he had time to take office, however, he was appointed on 30 June to be Acting Chief of Military Office of the Land Defence from 1 August,{{cite news |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |title=Försvarsorganisationen har fått sina nya ledare |date=1936-07-01 |page=4 |language=sv}} a post he held until 30 June 1937.{{cite news |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |title=Cheferna utnämnda för armé och marin. Sex nya generaler |date=1937-05-01 |page=14 |language=sv}} On 13 November 1936, he was relieved of command of the North Scanian Infantry Regiment and was appointed executive commander of the Life Regiment Grenadiers (I 3) from 16 November, but was given continued leave to serve as Chief of the Military Office of the Land Defence.{{cite news |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |title=Fyra nya regementschefer och fyra överstar i armén |date=1936-11-14 |page=6 |language=sv}}

As part of the Defence Act of 1936, the General Staff was divided into the Defence Staff and the Army Staff. This was entirely in line with Jung's junta's argument for a unified leadership of the armed forces in a more efficient organization. As a reward for his persistent work in the 1930 Defence Commission,{{harvnb|Artéus|1996|pp=257-258}} Jung was appointed Chief of the Army Staff and the General Staff Corps on 30 July 1937 and took office on 1 July. At this time, Jung advocated active action for Finland in a possible war against the Soviet Union. In the years just before the outbreak of World War II, cracks appeared within Jung's junta and it dissipated.{{harvnb|Artéus|1996|pp=259-261}} He was promoted to major general in 1938 and left the Chief of the Army Staff position on 30 September 1940.{{harvnb|Rönnberg|1995|p=269}} Thereafter, from 1 October 1940 until 30 September 1942, he was commander of the II Army Division (II. arméfördelningen),{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Ny fördelningschef, ny arméstabschef |date=1940-03-31 |page=7 |language=sv}}{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Högsta posterna i försvaret besatta |date=1942-07-01 |page=5 |language=sv}} from 1 October 1942 to 30 September 1943, military commander of the II Military District{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Ny militärbefälhavare i Stockholm utnämnd |date=1943-03-20 |page=3 |language=sv}} and from 1 October 1943 to 31 March 1944, military commander of the IV Military District{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=General Jung Ö. B., general A. Douglas arméchef |date=1944-01-02 |page=6 |language=sv}} as well as Commandant General in Stockholm.

File:Helge Jung och Carl August Ehrensvärd.jpg, Major General Carl August Ehrensvärd.]]

On 31 December 1943, Jung was promoted to lieutenant general from 1 January 1944 and was appointed Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces for six years from 1 April 1944. He was promoted to general on 10 March 1944, beginning 1 April.{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Nye ÖB general. Ny krigsskolechef |date=1944-03-11 |page=5 |language=sv}} In November 1949, he received an extended appointment as Supreme Commander until 31 March 1951, when he resigned.{{cite news |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=ÖB:s förordnande förlängt ett år |date=1949-11-26 |page=4 |language=sv}}

During this time he was against the Swedish extradition of Baltic soldiers in 1945 and a friend of NATO, as his speech to students at Lund University in November 1949 shows.{{harvnb|Artéus|1996|pp=269, 271}} About his other activities as Supreme Commander, an obituary read: "Jung's work became very important in order to present a plan for the Swedish Armed Forces's future organization after World War II. He had to overcome many anti-defence forces, the war fatigue, the atomic bomb threat and the peace optimism. Jung worked in the same way as in the 1920s and 1930s. He gathered around him a group of skilled and useful officers and invested in a well-organized defence information. With indomitable energy, Jung succeeded in gaining the attention of the Swedish government for his proposals and in preventing the ruling organization from collapsing. He thus laid the foundation for the future development of the Swedish defence for many years. It has been said by the former Supreme Commander, General Stig Synnergren that ’the modernization and anchoring of the defence among the Swedish people is Jung's lasting effort’."{{harvnb|Broomé|1978|p=271}} Historian Kent Zetterberg has stated that “Helge Jung was to a large extent a complex nature. His personality had features of cunning and tactical calculation, yes cynicism, but at the same time there were also clear elements of the ideality and selfless work for strengthening the Swedish defence.”{{harvnb|Artéus|1996|p=272}}

In 1913, he married Ruth Wehtje (1893–1951), the daughter of the deputy district judge Ernst Wehtje and Mimmi Ahnfelt. In 1952, he married Dagmar Bager (1897–1955), the daughter of vice consul John Jeansson and Sigrid Maijström. He was the father of Stig (born 1915), Karin (born 1917) and Elisabet (born 1919–1994).

File:Djursholm, Helge Jung.JPG Cemetery.]]

Jung died on 3 January 1978 and was interred on 10 February 1978 in Djursholm cemetery.{{cite web |url=http://www.finngraven.se/(S(utkuoqiclqw5qfc4n0hvz1g4))/DisplayInfo.aspx?id=2003453 |website=www.finngraven.se |title=Helge Viktor Jung |accessdate=22 October 2020 |language=sv}}

• 1906 – Underlöjtnant
• 1909 – Lieutenant
• 1921 – Captain
• 1929 – Major
• 1933 – Lieutenant colonel
• 12 June 1936 – Colonel
• 1938 – Major general
• 1 January 1944 – Lieutenant general
• 1 April 1944 – General

• 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight and Commander of the Orders of His Majesty (31 March 1951){{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/65665/1/gupea_2077_65665_1.pdf |title=Sveriges statskalender. 1969 |editor-first=Bengt |editor-last=Sköldenberg |year=1969 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|3682754}} |page=93}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1944){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1945bih/0009.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1945 |year=1945 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=9}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Sword (6 June 1939){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1940bih/0011.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1940 |year=1940 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=11}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight 1st Class of the Order of the Sword (1927){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1931bih/0035.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1931 |year=1931 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=35}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight 1st Class of the Order of Vasa (1932){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1955/1477.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 |year=1955 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |page=209}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight of the Order of the Polar Star (1933){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1945bih/0081.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1945 |year=1945 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=81}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1948){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1955/0352.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 |year=1955 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |page=352}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Home Guard Medal of Merit in Gold
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Swedish Central Federation for Voluntary Military Training Medal of Merit in gold
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Swedish Civil Protection Association Medal of Merit in gold
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Gold Medal of the Swedish Red Cross
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Gold Medal of the National Federation of Swedish Women’s Auxiliary Defence Services (Riksförbundet Sveriges lottakårers guldmedalj)
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Gold Medal of the Stockholm Association for Volunteer Military Training (Stockholms befäls(utbildnings)förbunds guldmedalj)
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Gold Medal of the Southern Scanian Association for Volunteer Military Training (Södra skånska befäls(utbildnings)förbunds guldmedalj)
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Badge of Honor of the Swedish Reserve Officers Association (Svenska reservofficersföreningens hederstecken)

• 50px {{flagicon|Denmark}} Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (between 1945 and 1947){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1945/0109.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1945 |year=1945 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=109}}{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1947/0109.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1947 |year=1947 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=109}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Denmark}} Commander Second Class of the Order of the Dannebrog (between 1935 and 1940){{cite book |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1935 |year=1935 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=246}}{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1940/0272.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1940 |year=1940 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=272}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Denmark}} King Christian X's Liberty Medal
• 50px {{flagicon|Finland}} Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (between 1947 and 1950){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1950/0101.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1950 |year=1950 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |page=101}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Finland}} Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Finland}} Knight 1st Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (between 1931 and 1935){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1931/0240.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1931 |year=1931 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=240}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Norway}} Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (between 1945 and 1947)
• 50px {{flagicon|Norway}} Commander of the Order of St. Olav (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Lithuania}} Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Order of the German Eagle with Star (1940){{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wXE5AQAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA95 |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1941 |year=1941 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=272}}
• 50px {{flagicon|Estonia}} Third Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|France}} Commander of the Legion of Honour (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|France}} Officer of the Legion of Honour (between 1931 and 1935)
• 50px {{flagicon|Latvia}} Commander of the Order of the Three Stars (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Poland}} Commander Second Class of the Order of Polonia Restituta (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Kingdom of Hungary}} Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (between 1935 and 1940)
• 50px {{flagicon|Prussia}} Knight Fourth Class of the Order of the Crown (1909){{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/rikskal/1909/0275.html |title=Svensk rikskalender 1909 |year=1908 |publisher=P. A. Nordstedt & Söner |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|498191}} |page=191}}{{cite book |title=Svensk rikskalender 1910 |year=1909 |publisher=P. A. Nordstedt & Söner |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|498191}} |page=192}}
• {{flagicon|Denmark}} Badge of Honor of the Danish Shooting, Gymnastics and Sports Associations (Danska Skytte-, gymnastik-och idrottsföreningars hederstecken)

• Member of the Royal Society for the Publication of Manuscripts concerning Scandinavian History (1929)
• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1931)
• Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1946)

• {{cite book |last=Jung |first=Helge |title=Sveriges möjligheter till självförsörjning: en studie rörande jordbrukets och industriens krigsberedskap |year=1923 |publisher=Seelig & C:o. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|8220850}}}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Jung |editor-first=Helge |title=Antingen-eller: freds- och försvarsproblemet i saklig belysning |year=1930 |publisher=Ny militär tidskrifts bokförlag |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|906270}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Jung |first=Helge |title=Vårt framtida försvar: överbefälhavarens förslag |year=1947 |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|1720170}}}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Jung |editor-first=Helge |title=Överbefälhavarens yttrande över 1945 års militärutrednings "Betänkande och förslag angående förhållandet mellan befäl och meniga inom krigsmakten" |year=1947 |publisher=[Folk och försvar] |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|1457870}}}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Jung |editor-first=Helge |title=Öst och väst och vi: grupparbete |year=1957 |publisher=Norstedt |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|1369365}}}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |editor-last=Artéus |editor-first=Gunnar |title=Svenska officersprofiler under 1900-talet |year=1996 |publisher=Militärhögsk. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=918707219X |id={{SELIBR|7762137}}}}
• {{cite journal |journal=Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens Handlingar och Tidskrift |title=Minnestal över bortgångna ledamöter |year=1978 |first=Bertil |last=Broomé |publisher=Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademien |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3417415}}}}
• {{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/smok/4/0153.html |editor-last=Dahl |editor-first=Torsten |editor-last2=Bohman |editor-first2=Nils |title=Svenska män och kvinnor: biografisk uppslagsbok. 4 I-Lindner |year=1948 |publisher=Bonnier |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|53803}}}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Hallberg |editor-first=Severin |title=Svensk officersmatrikel 1 Generalitetet, generalstaben och infanteriet |year=1921 |publisher=Tullberg |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|2860421}}}}
• {{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemarvem/sthlm62/0689.html |editor1-last=Harnesk |editor1-first=Paul |date=1962 |title=Vem är vem? 1, Stor-Stockholm |trans-title=Who's Who? 1, Greater Stockholm |edition=2nd |location=Stockholm |publisher=Vem är vem |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|53509}}}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Rönnberg |editor-first=Lennart |title=Arméns ledning från vasatid till nutid |year=1995 |publisher=Probus |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9187184427 |id={{SELIBR|7762926}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Wennerström |first=Thorsten |title=Kungl. krigsakademien och Kungl. krigsskolan: åren 1792-1935, personhistoriska uppgifter |year=1936 |publisher=GLA |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|24473}}}}

{{commons category|Helge Jung (General 1886-1978)|Helge Jung}}

• {{cite book |last=Konow |first=Jan von |title=Helge Jung: opinionsbildare, försvarets nydanare, överbefälhavare |year=1999 |publisher=J. von Konows förl. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9163084716 |id={{LIBRIS|7454079}}}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-mil}}

{{Succession box

| title = North Scanian Infantry Regiment

| years = 1936–1936

| before = Martin Hanngren

| after = Henry Kellgren

}}

{{Succession box

| title = Life Regiment Grenadiers

| years = 1936–1937

| before = Hugo Cederschiöld

| after = Axel Gyllenkrok

}}

{{Succession box

| title = Chief of the Army Staff

| years = 1937–1940

| before = Ernst af Klercker

| after = Folke Högberg

}}

{{Succession box

| title = II Army Division

| years = 1940–1942

| before = Ivar Holmquist

| after = {{no wrap|Björn Olof Karlsson}}

}}

{{Succession box

| title = II Military District

| years = 1942–1943

| before = None

| after = Henry Tottie

}}

{{Succession box

| title = IV Military District

| years = 1943–1944

| before = Erik Testrup

| after = Arvid Moberg

}}

{{succession box

| title = Supreme Commander

| years = 1944–1951

| before = Olof Thörnell

| after = Nils Swedlund

}}

{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jung, Helge}}

Category:1886 births

Category:1978 deaths

Category:Swedish Army generals

Category:People from Malmö

Category:Nuclear weapons programme of Sweden

Category:Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences