Sweden

Religion and Education.

The non-Protestants number but about ii,000, 6,5oo Jews, 3,500 Roman Catholics, and more than 99% of the total population belong to the Swedish Lutheran Church, of which the king, who must profess the pure evangelic creed, is the supreme administrator. Sweden is divided into 12 dioceses (with Uppsala, since 1164, as the Metropolitan see) and 188 rural deaneries. The parishes number 2,588, united into 1,419 rector's districts. All citizens contribute to the Swedish Church, in consideration of the secular duties of the priests. Con tributions may be reduced for those who support another Church which is legally recognized. Since 1842 public elementary educa tion has been free and compulsory, and, in the case of children not attending the state schools, the parents must show proof that they are being privately educated. There were (1928) 77 public secondary schools, 53 people's high schools, various technical and special schools. Sweden has two old universities, at Uppsala (founded 1477) and Lund (founded 1668); there are State faculties in certain branches of learning at Stockholm and Gote borg.

Since Sweden, a province of Denmark from 1397 to 1521, became an independent kingdom, its military history has been marked by the accession to the throne in 1523 of the national hero Gustavus Vasa; by the accession to the throne in 161r of Gustavus Adolphus (q.v.), the great leader who headed the Prot estant cause in Germany and was killed at Liitzen (q.v.) (Nov. 1632); by victory on the part of the Swedes over a Russian army at Narva (Nov. 1700) and defeat at the same hands at Pultowa ( July 1709), both in the reign of Charles XII., who after pro longed conflict was killed at the siege of Frederikshald (Dec. 1718) ; by the seizure of Swedish Pomerania by Napoleon in followed, in 1813, by the accession of the Swedes to the grand alli ance against him ; and by the cession of Norway to Sweden under the treaty of Kiel (Jan. 1814), an arrangement that endured until October 1905. Sweden did not rally to the cause of Denmark when attacked in 1864, and remained neutral in the Franco-Prus sian war of 1870 and in the World War. Agitation by Norway for

independence in 1892 led to the passage of acts for the reorgani zation of the army.

Present-day Army Recruitment and for every male Swedish subject to perform military service begins in his 21st and ends with the commencement of his 43rd year. The yearly contingent up to 1935 is estimated at 37,70o, of whom 31,360 are allotted to the army, 7,000 of them going direct to the reserve. Training of recruits lasts from 140 to 26o days. Special training for officers takes 2-* years.

Strength and Organization.—The strength, including recruits, varies with the period of the year. The average can be taken at about 31,00o, including 2,800 officers and about 2,000 non-corn missioned officers who form a class apart from "other ranks." There is a special committee of military training under an inspector, and the following establishments : (a) Royal military academy, Stockholm ; (b) Royal ordnance and engineer academy, Stockholm; (c) Royal military college, Karlberg; (d) Riding school, Stromsholm; (e) Musketry school, Rosersberg; (f) Non commissioned officers' school, Stockholm.

The Swedish air force consists of 4 groups of aeroplanes and 318 recruits are trained annually, including volunteers.

See also League of Nations Armaments (Geneva, 1928).

(G. G. A.) Navy.—Sweden has to face the numerically formidable, if inefficient, fleet of Soviet Russia across the Baltic.

Sweden possesses eleven coast defence battleships, three being comparatively modern. These latter are the "Sverige," (7,600 tons), and the "Drottning-Victoria" and "Gustaf V." each of 7.900 tons. These carry four r" and eight 6" guns. Other ships are : 1 old armoured cruiser, io destroyers, 27 torpedo boats, 17 submarines, 3 miscellaneous craft.

A new type of coast defence ship is projected and two new destroyers and two new submarines are building. The personnel consists of about 5,50o officers and men, recruiting being conscrip tive.

See

Brassey's Naval and Shipping Annual; F. T. Jane, Fighting Ships. (E. A.)