| |||||||||
During and after World War I, in which Sweden remained neutral, the country benefitted from the world-wide demand for Swedish steel, ball-bearings, wood pulp, and matches.
| This article is part of the History of Sweden series |
| Viking Age |
| Early Kingdoms |
| Unification |
| Modern Sweden |
| A New Great Power |
| The Swedish Empire |
| The Great War |
| Absolute Monarchy |
| Union with Norway |
| Modernization |
| Industrialization |
| Realm of Sweden |
| List of monarchs |
| List of wars |
Post-war prosperity provided the foundations for the social welfare policies characteristic of modern Sweden. Foreign policy concerns in the 1930s centered on Soviet and German expansionism, which stimulated abortive efforts at Nordic defence co-operation. Sweden followed a policy of armed neutrality during World War II and currently remains non-aligned. Sweden became a member of the European Union in 1995.