General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Stig Gustaf Eugén Synnergren (25 February 1915 – 29 April 2004) was a
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...
officer who was the
Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
The Supreme Commander ( sv, överbefälhavaren; acronym: ÖB) is the highest ranked professional military officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, and is by NATO terminology the Swedish chief of defence equivalent. The Supreme Commander is the agency ...
from 1970 to 1978. Synnergren was a strong advocate for the
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
system and during his time as Supreme Commander the combat aircraft
Saab 37 Viggen
The Saab 37 Viggen (Swedish for ''"the Bolt"'' or ''"the Tufted Duck"'' ( see name)) is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following ...
was introduced. Synnergren was famous for advancing from the rank of captain to becoming the "youngest general in the modern times" in just five years.
Early life
Synnergren was born on 25 February 1915 in Överluleå Parish,
Boden Municipality
Boden Municipality (Swedish: ''Bodens kommun'') is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Boden.
In 1919 the evolving garrison town of Boden was detached from Överluleå and instituted as a city municipal ...
, Sweden,
the son of Gösta Synnergren, an engine driver, and his wife Sara (née Carlstén).
His father was also a
Social Democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
city councilman in Boden and his mother was a Social Democratic member of the child welfare committee.
Synnergren's school years were marked by sports, physical education and outdoor recreation. He passed ''
studentexamen
Studentexamen (Swedish for "students' examination" or "students' degree"), earlier also ''mogenhetsexamen'' ("maturity examination") was the name of the university entrance examination in Sweden from the 17th century to 1968. From 1862 to 1968 ...
'' in
Luleå
Luleå ( , , locally ; smj, Luleju; fi, Luulaja) is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core (2018) and is the seat of Lu ...
in 1936
with the grades ''A'' in physics and ''a'' in mathematics and chemistry. He was then admitted to the
Royal Institute of Technology
The KTH Royal Institute of Technology ( sv, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, lit=Royal Institute of Technology), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technolo ...
in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. He had at this time no thought of becoming an officer.
The turning point of his life happened during a fall day in 1936 during the
Berlin Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-s ...
in which Synnergren participated as a member of the Swedish gymnastics squad. The experience of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, surrounded by the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
throughout threatening paramilitary splendor changed Synnergren's choice of career. Like so many of his peers, he had a strong feeling that a new
world war
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
was imminent. He withdrew his application to the Royal Institute of Technology and decided to become an officer. In 1939, as
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
broke out, he finished first in his class at the
Swedish Infantry Officer Candidate School at the
Royal Military Academy.
Career
Military career
Synnergren was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant in 1939 and served in the
Ski Battalion (I 19 K) in
Kiruna
(; se, Giron ; fi, Kiiruna ) is the northernmost Stad (Sweden), city in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland, Sweden, Lapland. It had 17,002 inhabitants in 2016 and is the seat of Kiruna Municipality (population: 23,167 in 2016) in Norr ...
during World War II and guarded the
Norwegian border when
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
occupied
' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...
.
After the German attack on Norway on 9 April 1940, he as an intelligence officer in the regimental staff, on several occasions, alone and on skis, got into the war zone in
Northern Norway
Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...
to make contact with the Norwegian forces and gather intelligence within the German dominated area. Because of his
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
experience and skills, he became, after a brief interlude as a cadet officer at Karlberg in 1944, the head of evacuation in
Jokkmokk
Jokkmokk (; smj, Jåhkåmåhkke or ; se, Dálvvadis; fi, Jokimukka) is a locality and the seat of Jokkmokk Municipality in Norrbotten County, province of Lapland, Sweden, with 2,786 inhabitants in 2010. The Lule Sami name of the place (composed ...
and was as such responsible for management of the Norwegian refugees.
After the war, he was appointed captain in 1946 and did in a short time a rapid military career.
Synnergren graduated from the
Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1948 and became a cadet of the General Staff and then captain of the General Staff. He conducted studies in the
Norwegian Army
The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...
in 1950 and 1953, the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
in 1951 and 1953 and the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1951 and 1959.
He was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1953 to 1956 and again from 1957 to 1958. Synnergren was promoted to major in 1957 and was head of the Tactics Department at the
Army Staff from 1958 to 1960.
He studied at the
Swedish National Defence College
The Swedish Defence University ( sv, Försvarshögskolan, FHS) is situated on Drottning Kristinas väg 37 in Östermalm, Stockholm City Centre, next to the campus of the Royal Institute of Technology.
History
Today's Swedish Defence University ...
in 1960
and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the
Svea Life Guards
The Svea Life Guards ( sv, Svea livgarde), also I 1, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that was active in various forms 1521–2000. The unit was based in the Stockholm Garrison in Stockholm and belonged to the King's Life and Household Tro ...
(I 1) in 1961.
Between 1962-63 he was commanding officer of
Västernorrland Regiment
The Västernorrland Regiment ( sv, Västernorrlands regemente), designation I 21, is a Swedish Army infantry unit which operated in various forms the years 1869–1983, 1991–2000 and from 2022. It is located in Sollefteå Garrison in Sollefteå ...
(I 21). In 1963 he was promoted to major general and appointed
Chief of the Army Staff and of the
General Staff Corps General Staff Corps ( sv, Generalstabskåren, Gst) was an administrative corps within the Swedish Armed Forces between 1937 and 1990 and consisted of Swedish Army officers chosen for duty in the Defence Staff and Army Staff. It replaced the earlie ...
. Between 1966-67 he was the military commander of
Bergslagen Military District
Bergslagen Military District ( sv, Bergslagens militärområde, Milo B), originally V Military District ( sv, V. militärområdet) was a Sweden, Swedish Military district (Sweden), military district, a command of the Swedish Armed Forces that had ...
(Milo B). In 1967 he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed
Chief of the Defence Staff and was three years later promoted to general and appointed
Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
The Supreme Commander ( sv, överbefälhavaren; acronym: ÖB) is the highest ranked professional military officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, and is by NATO terminology the Swedish chief of defence equivalent. The Supreme Commander is the agency ...
.
During Synnergren's time as the Supreme Commander, a series of long-term decisions were made that meant big changes for the defense. The
policy of neutrality
A neutral country is a state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO, CSTO or the SCO). As a type of ...
was concluded and thus the idea of a strong defense of universal
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
. It was decided that the aircraft
Viggen
The Saab 37 Viggen (Swedish for ''"the Bolt"'' or ''"the Tufted Duck"'' ( see name)) is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, followin ...
would be developed while reorganizing and cut-backs were made in the Army and Navy.
Synnergren was in the media most closely associated with
military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
as the secret intelligence agency
IB was exposed during his time as Supreme Commander.
Other work
Synnergren had during and after his military career a series of positions of trust. He was chief of
His Majesty's Military Staff
His Majesty's Military Staff ( sv, H.M. Konungens stab) is the military staff of the Swedish monarch and functions as a unit of the Royal Court. It is led by the chief of staff and supports the King and the Royal Family at official ceremonies, mil ...
from 1978 to 1986, chairman of the
Swedish Tourist Association from 1976 to 1987 and chairman of the
Swedish Ski Association
The Swedish Ski Association ( sv, Svenska Skidförbundet) is a sports governing body for skiing in Sweden. It was established in Sundsvall on 11 December 1908 as the Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Association ( sv, Svenska skidlöpningsförbundet) ...
from 1973 to 1975.
He was also chairman of
Stora AB
Stora Enso Oyj (from sv, Stora and fi, Enso ) is a manufacturer of pulp and paper industry, pulp, paper and other forest products, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. The majority of sales takes place in Europe, but there are also significant ...
from 1980 to 1986, Bergvik och Ala AB from 1981 and board member of
Saab-Scania
Saab-Scania AB was a Swedish vehicle manufacturer that was formed from the 1969 merger of Saab AB and Scania-Vabis. The company was split in 1995.
History
Truck and bus manufacturer Scania AB of Södertälje merged with car and aeroplane manu ...
from 1981 to 1990,
LKAB
Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag (LKAB) is a government owned Swedish mining company. The company mines iron ore at Kiruna and at Malmberget in northern Sweden. The company was established in 1890, and has been 100% state-owned since the 1950s ...
from 1982 to 1986, Saab Combitech from 1982 to 1990 and the
International Ski Federation
The ''Fédération internationale de ski et de snowboard'' (FIS; en, International Ski and Snowboard Federation) is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. Founded on 2 February 1924 in Chamonix, France during the ...
from 1976 to 1988.
Synnergren was also a board member of the East Economic Office (''Öst Ekonomiska Byrån''), an agency which occupied a special position among the agencies engaged in the Swedish military intelligence.
Personal life
In 1941, Synnergren married junior school teacher Margit Lindgren (1916–2016),
the daughter of the first office clerk at
SJ, Anton Lindgren and his wife Anna Richardsson. He was the father of Britta (born 1942), Kristina (born 1946) and Elisabeth (born 1947).
Death
Synnergren died on 28 April 2004 in
Hedvig Eleonora Parish
Hedvig Eleonora Parish ( sv, Hedvig Eleonora församling) is a parish in Östermalm's church district (''kontrakt'') in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. The parish is located in Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm County. The parish forms its own ...
,
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
.
He was interred at
Galärvarvskyrkogården
Galärvarvskyrkogården (literally Galley Shipyard Cemetery) is a cemetery on the island of Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It has about 1,300 burial sites and an area of approximately 0.9 hectares.
History
Galärvarvskyrkogården in Djurgård ...
in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
.
Dates of rank
*13 April 1939 –
Second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
*4 April 1941 –
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 sub ...
*1 April 1947 –
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
*1 April 1957 –
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
*1 October 1961 –
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
*1 August 1962 –
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 of ...
*1 October 1963 –
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 a ...
*1 April 1967 –
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 ...
*1 October 1970 –
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Awards and decorations
*
H. M. The King's Medal, 12th size gold medal worn around the neck on a chain of gold (1978)
*
![Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_Grand_Cross_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_Grand_Cross_BAR.svg)
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 Or ...
(6 June 1970)
*
![Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR.svg)
Commander 1st Class 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 Or ...
(11 November 1966)
*
![Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar.svg)
Knight 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 Or ...
(before 1963)
*
Swedish Ski Association
The Swedish Ski Association ( sv, Svenska Skidförbundet) is a sports governing body for skiing in Sweden. It was established in Sundsvall on 11 December 1908 as the Swedish Cross-Country Skiing Association ( sv, Svenska skidlöpningsförbundet) ...
's Sixtus Medal (1988)
Foreign
*
![ISL_Icelandic_Order_of_the_Falcon_-_Grand_Cross_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/ISL_Icelandic_Order_of_the_Falcon_-_Grand_Cross_BAR.png)
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Falcon
The Order of the Falcon ( is, Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. N ...
(26 October 1981)
*
![St Olavs Orden storkors stripe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/St_Olavs_Orden_storkors_stripe.svg)
Grand Cross of the
Order of St. Olav (1 July 1973)
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 ...
(1956)
*Honorary member of the
Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences
The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Örlogsmannasällskapet, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence i ...
(1970)
*Member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences or ''Kungliga Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien'' (IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which promo ...
(1977)
References
External links
Articleat ''
Svenskt biografiskt lexikon
''Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' () is a Swedish biographical dictionary, started in 1917. The first volume, covering names ''Abelin'' to ''Anjou'', was published in 1918. As of 2017, names from A to S are covered.
Volumes
# ABELIN – ANJOU (1 ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Synnergren, Stig
1915 births
2004 deaths
Swedish Army generals
People from Boden Municipality
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences
Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
20th-century Swedish military personnel
Burials at Galärvarvskyrkogården
Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Sweden)