Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...

Nils Gunnar Sköld (23May 192117March 1996) was a

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

officer. He served as Commanding General of the

Eastern Military District The Order of the Red Banner Eastern Military District ( Russian: Восточный военный округ) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction wi ...

and Commandant General in Stockholm from 1974 to 1976 and as Chief of the Army from 1976 to 1984.

Early life

Sköld was born on 23 May 1921 in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden, the son of the politician and former Minister for Defence Per Edvin Sköld and his wife Edit (née Persson). He was also brother to the Marshal of the Realm Per Sköld and the first female National Antiquarian

Margareta Biörnstad Margareta Biörnstad (23May 1928 – 1November 2019), was a Swedish Archaeology, archaeologist. She was Sweden's first female Swedish National Heritage Board#National Antiquarians, National Antiquarian () from 1987 to 1993. Personal life Biö ...

Career

Sköld was commissioned as an officer in 1943 and attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College from 1948 to 1950. Sköld became a captain of the General Staff in 1954 and served in the Army Staff's Organization Department the same year. He served at the Defence Staff's Planning Department in 1957 and was company commander of the Swedish UN battalion in Gaza in 1959. Sköld served at the

Norrbotten Regiment The Norrbotten Regiment (), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Norrb ...

(I 19) the same year and was promoted to major in 1960 and was also teacher of strategy at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1960. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1962 and served at the Norrbotten Regiment (I 19) in 1963. Sköld was promoted to colonel of the General Staff in 1964 and served as section chief at the Defence Staff from 1964 to 1967 and was after that regimental commander of

Hälsinge Regiment The Hälsinge Regiment (), designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the p ...

(I 14) from 1967 to 1968. He was chief of staff at the

Western Military District The Western Military District () was a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia, in existence from 2010 until its abolishment as a unitary military command on February 26, 2024, succeeded by the newly reconstituted Moscow Mil ...

(Milo V) from 1968 to 1969. Sköld was promoted to major general in 1969 and was head of the Army Materiel Administration (''armématerielförvaltningen'') at the

Swedish Defence Materiel Administration The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (, FMV) is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. The agency is responsible for the supply of materiel to the Swedish defence organisation. It is located in Stockholm. D ...

and the Technical Staff Corps (''Tekniska stabskåren'') from 1969 to 1974. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 1974 and was military commander at the

(Milo Ö) and the Commandant General in Stockholm from 1974 to 1976. Sköld was then Chief of the Army from 1976 to 1984. As Chief of the Army he stressed the role of conscription in a major public defense of more traditional kind and laid great emphasis on issues concerning security policy and leadership in war. His defense doctrine was summed up in the concept of "tough guys" ("''sega gubbar''"), which accounted for an organization where every man was armed, and where a tenacious defense battle could be conducted over the entire Swedish territory. He was an expert in the 1962 Defense Commission and in the 1965 Defense Investigation. Sköld was a member of the 1969 Defense Research Investigation. He was an expert at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

from 1984 to 1987 and chairman of the Friends of the

Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology The National Museum of Science and Technology () is a museum in Stockholm. It is Sweden’s largest museum of technology, and has a national charter to be responsible for preserving the Swedish cultural heritage related to technological and in ...

from 1986. Sköld also made a contribution to

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...

by laying the foundations for the army music platoon. Like his father and grandfather, Sköld was a

social democrat Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

, which he also declared with an openness that was less common among senior officers.

Personal life

In 1945, Sköld married Inger Rutqvist (born 1924), the daughter of the timber dealer John Rutqvist and Elma, née Wikström. He was the father of Per-Olov (born 1949) and Ingemar (born 1953). Like his father and grandfather Sköld was a

Social Democrat Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

, as he declared with an openness that was less common among senior officers.

Death

Sköld died on 17 March 1996. The funeral took place on 27 March 1996 in in

Nockeby Nockeby is a residential district in western Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, l ...

, Stockholm. He was interred at the Kungsholm Cemetery in Stockholm.

Dates of rank

*1943 – Second Lieutenant *19?? –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*1954 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*1960 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*1962 – Lieutenant Colonel *1964 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

*1969 – Major General *1974 –

Awards and decorations

Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_1st_Class_BAR

Commanders 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 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(5 June 1971) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_BAR

Commander of the

(6 June 1968) * UN_Medal_UNEF_ribbon_bar

United Nations Emergency Force Medal

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () 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 military (army and air force) and de ...

(1960)