Swedish Brigade

{{Short description|Swedish paramilitary unit during the 1918 Finnish Civil War}}

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{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = Swedish Brigade

| native_name = Svenska brigaden

| image = Flag of the Swedish Brigade (Ruotsalainen prikaati).svg

| caption = Flag used by the Swedish Brigade

| dates = 1918

| country = {{SWE}}

| allegiance = {{flagicon image|Flag of Finland 1918 (state).svg|size=22px}} Finnish Whites

| role =

| type = Infantry

| size = 1,000

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| battles =

{{tree list}}

• Finnish Civil War
• Battle of Tampere
• Battle of Lempäälä
• Battle of Tornio

{{tree list/end}}

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| commander1 = Hjalmar Frisell

| commander1_label = 6 March – 16 April

| commander2 = Lars V. Runeberg

| commander2_label = 17 April – 22 April

| commander3 = Allan Winge

| commander3_label = 23 April – May

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}}

File:SvBrMedalj.jpeg

File:Svenska brigaden's första fana.jpg

File:SvBriHelsingfors.jpeg

The Swedish Brigade ({{langx|sv|Svenska brigaden}}, {{langx|fi|Ruotsalainen prikaati}}) was a paramilitary unit composed of 1,000 Swedish volunteers to assist the White Guards during the 1918 Finnish Civil War.Boëthius 1920, s. 258f The brigade participated in the Battle of Tampere between 28 March and 6 April.{{cite web|url= http://www.mannerheim.fi/06_vsota/e_ruotpr.htm |title= Swedish Brigade |publisher= Mannerheim.fi |date= | language = |accessdate= 9 December 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12109007|title=Ruotsalaisen sivistyksen puolesta barbariaa vastaan – ruotsalainen prikaati lähti Suomen sisällissotaan sankariteot mielessä, mutta ne hautautuivat Kalevankankaan veriseen lumeen|first=Mikko|last=Pesonen|work=YLE|date=October 4, 2021|access-date=October 6, 2021|language=fi}} 34 members of the Swedish Brigade were killed in action and up to 50 wounded in the battle. Notable members included the archaeologist Axel Boëthius and the historian Olof Palme, the uncle and the namesake of the future prime minister.{{cite web |url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/sondag/olof-palme-1884-1918-mannen-som-kunde-ha-blivit-en-svensk-fascistledare/ |newspaper=Dagens Nyheter |title=Olof Palme (1884 -1918). Mannen som kunde ha blivit en svensk fascistledare |date=26 November 1995 |accessdate=3 January 2016 |language=Swedish |url-access=subscription }}

The volunteer brigade received substantial funding from Swedish private industry, including a 5000 kronor personal donation from Ivar Kreuger.{{Cite news |last=Steen |first=Kjell-Åke |date=2008-09-06 |title=Smutsigt krig i grannlandet |pages=24–25 |work=Värmlands Folkblad |issn=1104-0203 |language=sv}}{{Cite news |last=Lind |first=Jakob |date=2020-12-06 |title=Ett militärt fiasko som banade väg för den svenska modellen |language=sv |pages=18–19 |work=Svenska Dagbladet |url=https://www.svd.se/a/yRzvP2/ett-militart-fiasko-som-banade-vag-for-den-svenska-modellen |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=1101-2412}}

It is suspected that the Swedish volunteers killed the Estonian Deputy Prime Minister Jüri Vilms. Vilms had traveled to Finland for instructions to get diplomatic recognition for his newly sovereign nation, but went missing. According to the Swedish Brigade war diaries, they executed three Estonians in the village of Hauho in 2 May. One of them was described as ″well-dressed″ and was carrying a large sum of money.{{cite web|url= http://ekspress.delfi.ee/kuum/kas-juri-vilmsi-hukkasid-rootslased?id=27674901 |title= Kas Jüri Vilmsi hukkasid rootslased? |publisher= Eesti Express |date= 21 February 2008 | language = et |accessdate= 9 December 2016}}

The brigade returned to Stockholm on May 30, 1918, where a victory parade was held, ending at the Olympic Stadium. Socialist activist and future member of the Riksdag Ture Nerman was arrested by the police for disturbing the peace by heckling the marching soldiers and saying "Shame on you, murderers!", resulting in a fine of 75 kronor. The trade unions banned the veterans, "who for paltry gold sold themselves to the Finnish upper class, and in its service mowed down not just hooligans and bandits, but organized Finnish workers, socialists, comrades and friends to us here at home." They were often denied jobs and physically attacked in the streets by working-class people.{{Cite news |last=Leander |first=Per |date=2018-12-09 |title=Den röda döden |language=sv |work=Aftonbladet |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/kultur/a/xR0x0j/den-roda-doden |access-date=2023-08-21}}