Rickard Sandler
Encyclopedia
Rickard Johannes Sandler (29 January 1884 – 12 November 1964) was a Swedish
Social Democratic
politician
. He served as
Minister without Portfolio
in the Swedish government
from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance
from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923, Minister for Trade from 14 October 1924 to 24 January 1925, Prime Minister
from 24 January 1925 to 7 June 1926, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs
from 24 September 1932 to 19 June 1936 and again from 28 September 1936 to 13 December 1939. Sandler is the only Swedish Social Democratic Prime Minister who didn't hold the post of party chairman. He is also the second youngest Prime Minister of Sweden – aged of 41 at his admission.
parish
(now Kramfors Municipality
), Västernorrland County
. His father Johan Sandler was a headmaster at a folk high school
and later a Member of Parliament
. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Uppsala University
, Rickard Sandler became a teacher at a folk high school in Kramfors
(where his father was headmaster) and another in Brunnsvik. After joining the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
, Sandler's political career took off. He received a Licentiate of Arts
degree in 1911 at the age of 26, after which he became a member of the board of the Social Democratic Party
, and would remain a member until 1952. In 1917 he became editor-in-chief for Ny Tid, a social democratic
newspaper in Gothenburg
.
Nils Edén
, Sandler became Secretary of State
to the Minister of Finance
, Fredrik Thorsson. He continued in the same capacity when Hjalmar Branting
became Prime Minister in 1920. In 1921 when Thorsson went on to start the new Ministry of Trade, Sandler took his place as the Minister of Finance, a capacity he held until 1923. In Hjalmar Brantings second government (1921 – 1923), Sandler was a Minister without Portfolio
, and in the third the Minister of Trade. He took the latter position after some persuasion, as he was intent to take up a job as the headmaster of the folk high school in Brunnsvik.
As Prime Minister, Sandler had to deal with the issue of reducing the Swedish military, as had been promised during the election campaign. He was supported by the Freeminded People's Party
in what became the largest disarmament in Sweden. Following disarmament, the issue of unemployment came into focus when the government annulled a decision by the Unemployment Commission (arbetslöshetskommissionen) to deny payment to workers at the Stripa mine who were on strike. The liberal
and conservative
parties, who held the majority seats in the riksdag (parliament), disagreed with the government, called for a vote of no confidence, and defeated the government. The 1928 elections saw Arvid Lindman
of the conservative General Electoral League becoming the Prime Minister.
Sandler returned to the government in 1932 as Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held (except for a brief period in 1936) until 1939. Sandler left the government over a disagreement with the Prime Minister about the Winter War
. Sandler wanted Sweden to actively help Finland
after the Soviet Union
had attacked it on November 30, 1939, a stance the Prime Minister did not hold.
Now a Member of Parliament, Sandler continued to be influential in Swedish foreign policy. In 1940 he became a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
(utrikesutskottet), and the chairman from 1946 to 1964. He was also a United Nations
Delegate (1947 – 1960).
(1941 – 1952). He was chairman of several governmental inquiries, including the Socialization Committee (1920 – 1936), a commission appointed to audit the Swedish refugee policy during World War II, known as the Sandler Commission (1945 – 1947), and the Commission on the Constitution (1954 – 1963).
Sandler was one of the founders of The Workers' Enlightenment League (Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund
ABF) in 1912. He was the main writer of the Marxist-oriented party programme of the Social Democratic Party in 1920. He published the widely-circulated statistical outline of social classes "The society as it is" (1911). Between 1926 and 1932 he was director of Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån). Sandler translated Das Kapital
by Karl Marx
into Swedish
, and in 1943 he authored a book on literary and historic secret writings called Cipher.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Social Democratic
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served as
Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in the Swedish government
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Sweden)
The Minister for Finance of Sweden, officially Cabinet Minister and Head of the Ministry of Finance , is a member of the Swedish cabinet and head of the Ministry of Finance. It is often considered the most powerful office in Swedish politics after the Prime Minister.- List of officeholders :...
from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923, Minister for Trade from 14 October 1924 to 24 January 1925, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
from 24 January 1925 to 7 June 1926, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign...
from 24 September 1932 to 19 June 1936 and again from 28 September 1936 to 13 December 1939. Sandler is the only Swedish Social Democratic Prime Minister who didn't hold the post of party chairman. He is also the second youngest Prime Minister of Sweden – aged of 41 at his admission.
Early life and career
Rickard Sandler was born in TorsåkerTorsåker
Torsåker is a locality situated in Hofors Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 873 inhabitants in 2005. It contains a parish for the Archdiocese of Uppsala...
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
(now Kramfors Municipality
Kramfors Municipality
Kramfors Municipality is a municipality in Västernorrland County, northern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Kramfors....
), Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
. His father Johan Sandler was a headmaster at a folk high school
Folk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
and later a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
, Rickard Sandler became a teacher at a folk high school in Kramfors
Kramfors
Kramfors is a locality and the seat of Kramfors Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 6,235 inhabitants in 2005.Geographically the town is situated on the western shore of the Ångerman River. This river was the reason that Kramfors was founded, because in the 19th century it was a...
(where his father was headmaster) and another in Brunnsvik. After joining the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is a branch of the Swedish social democratic party Socialdemokraterna and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation...
, Sandler's political career took off. He received a Licentiate of Arts
Licentiate of Arts
The Licentiate of Arts is a degree roughly equivalent to the completion of half the coursework required for a doctoral dissertation in arts. The academic degree licentiate exists in various European countries. The University of Art and Design Helsinki acknowledges the degree Licentiate of Arts....
degree in 1911 at the age of 26, after which he became a member of the board of the Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
, and would remain a member until 1952. In 1917 he became editor-in-chief for Ny Tid, a social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
newspaper in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
.
Rise in politics
In 1918, in the government of Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
Nils Edén
Nils Edén
Nils Edén was a Swedish historian and liberal politician, Prime Minister of Sweden 1917–1920, and along with Hjalmar Branting acknowledged as co-architect of Sweden's transition from quasi-absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy with equal male and female suffrage.Edén was born in...
, Sandler became Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
to the Minister of Finance
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
, Fredrik Thorsson. He continued in the same capacity when Hjalmar Branting
Hjalmar Branting
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party , and Prime Minister during three separate periods . When Branting came to power in 1920, he was the first Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden...
became Prime Minister in 1920. In 1921 when Thorsson went on to start the new Ministry of Trade, Sandler took his place as the Minister of Finance, a capacity he held until 1923. In Hjalmar Brantings second government (1921 – 1923), Sandler was a Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
, and in the third the Minister of Trade. He took the latter position after some persuasion, as he was intent to take up a job as the headmaster of the folk high school in Brunnsvik.
As Prime Minister
When Hjalmar Branting became ill and left office before his death on February 1925, and Fredrik Thorsson who was a likely candidate to replace Branting as Prime Minister also fell sick and died, Sandler was appointed Prime Minister, at the age of 41.As Prime Minister, Sandler had to deal with the issue of reducing the Swedish military, as had been promised during the election campaign. He was supported by the Freeminded People's Party
Freeminded People's Party (Sweden)
The Freeminded People's Party was a political party in Sweden represented in the Riksdag from 1924 to 1935. It was formed in 1924 by the pro-ban majority of the Liberal Coalition Party as a consequence of the split over the issue on alcohol prohibition...
in what became the largest disarmament in Sweden. Following disarmament, the issue of unemployment came into focus when the government annulled a decision by the Unemployment Commission (arbetslöshetskommissionen) to deny payment to workers at the Stripa mine who were on strike. The liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
parties, who held the majority seats in the riksdag (parliament), disagreed with the government, called for a vote of no confidence, and defeated the government. The 1928 elections saw Arvid Lindman
Arvid Lindman
Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman was a Swedish Rear Admiral, Industrialist and conservative politician...
of the conservative General Electoral League becoming the Prime Minister.
Foreign affairs
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. Sandler wanted Sweden to actively help Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
after the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
had attacked it on November 30, 1939, a stance the Prime Minister did not hold.
Now a Member of Parliament, Sandler continued to be influential in Swedish foreign policy. In 1940 he became a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs is a defunct committee of the Norwegian Parliament responsible for matters related to foreign policy, development assistance, international agreements, Svalbard and the Norwegian polar regions.- Leaders :...
(utrikesutskottet), and the chairman from 1946 to 1964. He was also a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Delegate (1947 – 1960).
Other achievements
Sandler was Governor of Gävleborg CountyGävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
(1941 – 1952). He was chairman of several governmental inquiries, including the Socialization Committee (1920 – 1936), a commission appointed to audit the Swedish refugee policy during World War II, known as the Sandler Commission (1945 – 1947), and the Commission on the Constitution (1954 – 1963).
Sandler was one of the founders of The Workers' Enlightenment League (Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund
Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund
Arbetarnas bildningsförbund is the educational section of the Swedish labour movement. ABF conducts seminars, classes and study circles on all kinds of subjects, including workshops, languages and music....
ABF) in 1912. He was the main writer of the Marxist-oriented party programme of the Social Democratic Party in 1920. He published the widely-circulated statistical outline of social classes "The society as it is" (1911). Between 1926 and 1932 he was director of Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån). Sandler translated Das Kapital
Das Kapital
Das Kapital, Kritik der politischen Ökonomie , by Karl Marx, is a critical analysis of capitalism as political economy, meant to reveal the economic laws of the capitalist mode of production, and how it was the precursor of the socialist mode of production.- Themes :In Capital: Critique of...
by Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
into Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, and in 1943 he authored a book on literary and historic secret writings called Cipher.