Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Per Gustaf Sylvan (23 April 1875 – 19 September 1945) was a Swedish Army officer. He served as Chief of the Army from 1937 to 1940.

Early life

Sylvan was born on 23 April 1875 in

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...

, Sweden, the son of Ph.D. Per Gustaf Sylvan (1827–1903) and Tina Löfvengren (1844–1893). He was the brother of major general Ove Sylvan.

Career

Sylvan was commissioned as an officer in 1895 with then rak of ''

underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word ''Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 192 ...

''. He attended the Artillery and Engineering College higher course and became a lieutenant in 1898 and did

refresher training A refresher, in English legal phraseology, is an additional fee paid to counsel in a prolonged case. The fee applies when a case on trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form ...

at the same college from 1900 to 1902. Sylvan was an artillery staff officer from 1902 to 1904 and was an artillery teacher at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1904 to 1912. Sylvan was the leader of the Artillery Committee in 1910 and 1918 to 1920 and the Fortification Committee in 1919. He was promoted to captain in 1907 and major in 1915 and was head of the Artillery and Engineering College from 1915 to 1922. Sylvan was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1918 and conducted a study trip to the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

front the same year. He was a teacher at the Artillery Shooting School from 1920 to 1925 and was lieutenant colonel at the

Wendes Artillery Regiment The Wendes Artillery Regiment ( sv, Wendes artilleriregemente), designation A 3, was a Swedish Army artillery regiment that traced its origins back to the 17th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from Scania, where it was ...

(A 3) in 1922. Sylvan was head of the artillery measuring course in 1922 and 1923 and was a teacher at the Artillery Shooting School from 1920 to 1925. He was promoted to colonel in 1926 and was chief of the Artillery Staff from 1926 to 1931 and was the head of the Artillery Shooting School from 1927 to 1931. Sylvan underwent tactical course for generals in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

in 1927. He was commanding officer of the Småland Army Artillery Regiment (A 6) from 1931 to 1932. Sylvan was brigade commander of the

Eastern Army Division The Eastern Army Division ( sv, Östra arméfördelningen, 4. förd), was a division of the Swedish Army that operated in various forms from 1941 to 2000. Its staff was located in Strängnäs Garrison in Strängnäs. The unit was disbanded as a r ...

from 1932 to 1935, inspector of the Military Schools from 1932 to 1935 and commanding officer of the Southern Army Division from 1935 to 1937. He was promoted to major general in 1933 and was lieutenant general and Chief of the Army from 1937 to 1940.

Personal life

He married the first time in 1906 with Signild Sylvan (1875–1908). They were the parents of Ph.D. Nils Sylvan (1907–1998). He married a second time in 1913 with Märta Santesson (1884–1963).

Dates of rank

*1895 – ''

Underlöjtnant ''Underlöjtnant'' (from the German word ''Unterleutnant'') was the lowest officer rank in the Swedish Army from 1835 to 1937 instead of the previous ranks of ''fänrik'' and cornet. was reintroduced in 1914 with the same position as , from 192 ...

'' *1898 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

*1907 – Captain *1915 – Major *1918 – Lieutenant colonel *1926 –

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

*1933 –

Major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

*1937 –

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Awards and decorations

Sylvan's awards:

Swedish

* King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1928) * Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the ...

* Commander 2st Class of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

* Knight of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star ( Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of t ...

Foreign

* Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav * Commander 2st Class of the Order of the Dannebrog * Commander of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

with swords

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien) is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for m ...

Bibliography

* *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvan, Per 1875 births 1945 deaths Swedish Army lieutenant generals Chiefs of Army (Sweden) People from Malmö Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Commanders Second Class of the Order of Vasa Knights of the Order of the Polar Star