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The Stay Behinds

Sweden's Cold War Guardians
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The Stay Behinds

By: Johan Wennström
Narrated by: Johan Wennström
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Packed with first-hand accounts and previously classified government documents, this book reveals the secrets of Sweden's resistance network, created to deter a potential Soviet occupation.

Following World War II, Sweden faced the looming threat of the Soviet Union and its drive to spread communism. This led to the formation of a resistance movement involving Sweden's intelligence service, the employers' association and the labour movement. The stay-behind network was fully legalised in 1955 and continued its clandestine work until the mid-1990s, with the mission of keeping communism – and the Soviets – out of Sweden.

Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with key figures, author Johan Wennström peels back the layers of secrecy surrounding the stay-behinds. This book looks at the men who created the network, the work the operatives carried out, the cell-like structure they relied on, and how the US and UK intelligence communities cooperated with the Swedish stay-behinds. This is the first in-depth study of a secret organization that helped shape modern Sweden. It also highlights lessons for today's NATO and makes the case for a defence policy grounded in national interest.©2026 Johan Wennström (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 20th Century Europe Military Modern Scandinavia
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Critic reviews

A fascinating read about how Sweden’s secret stay-behind network prepared for a Soviet invasion that never came.
Incredibly researched, insightful and illuminating, this is required reading for those seeking to understand a nation’s security calculations, the costs and benefits of international alliances, and the stakes and lasting impact of the Cold War.
Don’t let the Swedes fool you into thinking they weren’t ready for the Soviets. This book shows just how prepared they were.
Johan Wennström’s contributions on Swedish intelligence services are groundbreaking.
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