The Non-Intervention Committee and the Debates in the Riksdag on the Issue of Swedish Volunteers' Participation in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1937)

The subject of the research is Sweden's participation in the implementation of a non-intervention policy during the years of the Spanish Civil War, examined through the issue of foreign volunteers' involvement in the conflict. The aim of the work is to determine the degree and nature of Sweden's participation in the London Committee for Non-Intervention, as well as its influence on the course of political discussions and government decisions. It was the adherence to foreign policy commitments that led to the adoption of a law against the participation of Swedish citizens in foreign conflicts. At the same time, an analysis of debates in the Riksdag revealed deep divisions among various political groups regarding the criminalization of volunteer actions. The source base of the research consists of archival materials from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, transcripts of parliamentary debates, and ego-documents from Swedish volunteers. On the methodological principles of historicism and comparative analysis, it is shown that Sweden's position within the Non-Intervention Committee was cautious and opportunistic, influenced closely by the decisions of leading European powers. The novelty of the study lies in the use of declassified materials from the internal administration of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the late 1936 to early 1937, sourced from the National Archives in Stockholm, which have not previously been introduced into scientific circulation. The article concludes that the measures taken against volunteers were aimed at strengthening the idea of Sweden's commitment to a neutralist course in the consciousness of the international community. At the same time, the sanctions against participants in the Spanish Civil War did not reflect an internal socio-political consensus. The difficulties faced by Swedish politicians in addressing the volunteer issue vividly demonstrate how challenging it was for a small country to establish its own foreign policy line in the context of a deep crisis in international relations.