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Intelligence reporting and crisis : Swedish diplomats’ reporting of intelligence from the Baltic States 1938-1940

Matz, Johan LU (2024) In Journal of Intelligence History
Abstract
Based on a review of the correspondence between Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States and the Swedish Foreign Ministry for the years 1938–1940, the purpose of this article is, firstly, to elaborate a framework for the analysis of intelligence reporting in times of crisis, secondly, to investigate how the Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States went about to report intelligence, and thirdly, to try to reconstruct how the Swedes coped with the volatile conditions characteristic of these years. The article concludes that the period can be divided into four phases, each marked by their respective conditions for intelligence reporting, and that despite shifts to the Swedes’ access to different types of sources, they were still able to... (More)
Based on a review of the correspondence between Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States and the Swedish Foreign Ministry for the years 1938–1940, the purpose of this article is, firstly, to elaborate a framework for the analysis of intelligence reporting in times of crisis, secondly, to investigate how the Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States went about to report intelligence, and thirdly, to try to reconstruct how the Swedes coped with the volatile conditions characteristic of these years. The article concludes that the period can be divided into four phases, each marked by their respective conditions for intelligence reporting, and that despite shifts to the Swedes’ access to different types of sources, they were still able to compensate for the loss of certain sources – most notably, among the Baltic political and governmental elites – and keep Stockholm updated with developments. Their effort in this regard arguably adds a new dimension to prevailing understandings of Sweden’s interwar Baltic policy. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Based on a review of the correspondence between Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States and the Swedish Foreign Ministry for the years 1938–1940, the purpose of this article is, firstly, to elaborate a framework for the analysis of intelligence reporting in times of crisis, secondly, to investigate how the Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States went about to report intelligence, and thirdly, to try to reconstruct how the Swedes coped with the volatile conditions characteristic of these years. The article concludes that the period can be divided into four phases, each marked by their respective conditions for intelligence reporting, and that despite shifts to the Swedes’ access to different types of sources, they were still able to... (More)
Based on a review of the correspondence between Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States and the Swedish Foreign Ministry for the years 1938–1940, the purpose of this article is, firstly, to elaborate a framework for the analysis of intelligence reporting in times of crisis, secondly, to investigate how the Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States went about to report intelligence, and thirdly, to try to reconstruct how the Swedes coped with the volatile conditions characteristic of these years. The article concludes that the period can be divided into four phases, each marked by their respective conditions for intelligence reporting, and that despite shifts to the Swedes’ access to different types of sources, they were still able to compensate for the loss of certain sources – most notably, among the Baltic political and governmental elites – and keep Stockholm updated with developments. Their effort in this regard arguably adds a new dimension to prevailing understandings of Sweden’s interwar Baltic policy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Sweden, the Baltic States, intelligence, diplomatic history, the USSR, Sweden, the Baltic States, intelligence, diplomatic history, the USSR
in
Journal of Intelligence History
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85186218691
ISSN
1616-1262
DOI
10.1080/16161262.2024.2312328
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2ec989fd-c129-4e53-875f-ecaf21a0f860
date added to LUP
2024-02-20 09:47:56
date last changed
2024-03-12 04:07:33
@article{2ec989fd-c129-4e53-875f-ecaf21a0f860,
  abstract     = {{Based on a review of the correspondence between Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States and the Swedish Foreign Ministry for the years 1938–1940, the purpose of this article is, firstly, to elaborate a framework for the analysis of intelligence reporting in times of crisis, secondly, to investigate how the Swedish diplomats in the Baltic States went about to report intelligence, and thirdly, to try to reconstruct how the Swedes coped with the volatile conditions characteristic of these years. The article concludes that the period can be divided into four phases, each marked by their respective conditions for intelligence reporting, and that despite shifts to the Swedes’ access to different types of sources, they were still able to compensate for the loss of certain sources – most notably, among the Baltic political and governmental elites – and keep Stockholm updated with developments. Their effort in this regard arguably adds a new dimension to prevailing understandings of Sweden’s interwar Baltic policy.}},
  author       = {{Matz, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1616-1262}},
  keywords     = {{Sweden, the Baltic States, intelligence, diplomatic history, the USSR; Sweden; the Baltic States; intelligence; diplomatic history; the USSR}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Intelligence History}},
  title        = {{Intelligence reporting and crisis : Swedish diplomats’ reporting of intelligence from the Baltic States 1938-1940}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16161262.2024.2312328}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/16161262.2024.2312328}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}