Olof Thörnell

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Olof Thörnell
General Thörnell in 1944.
Birth nameOlof Gerhard Thörnell
Nickname(s)"LM"[a]
Born(1877-10-19)19 October 1877
Trönö, Sweden
Died25 July 1977(1977-07-25) (aged 99)
Uppsala, Sweden
Buried
Uppsala old cemetery
AllegianceSweden
Service/branchSwedish Army
Years of service1897–1950
RankGeneral
Commands held
Other workChief of His Majesty's Military Staff

General Olof Gerhard Thörnell (19 October 1877 – 25 July 1977) was a senior Swedish Army officer. Thörnell's military career spanned several promotions and roles within the Swedish Army. He began as a lieutenant in the Uppland Regiment in 1900, later graduating from the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1906 and rising to the rank of captain. After teaching at the Army Staff College, he served as a captain in the Älvsborg Regiment. He then returned to the General Staff, quickly climbing the ranks to become a major and later a lieutenant colonel.

In 1918, he assumed a key position as head of the Central Department of the General Staff. Over the years, he held various commands in different regiments and was eventually appointed Chief of the Defence Staff in 1936. Despite being viewed as a rigid bureaucrat by some, he proved loyal to the government and took a cautious approach to Sweden's neutrality during World War II.

However, Thörnell's pro-German stance and the receipt of the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in 1940 led to criticism. He served as Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces until 1944, when he was succeeded by General Helge Jung. Thörnell continued to play a role in the military until 1950 when he served as chief of His Majesty's Military Staff until the king's passing.

Early life[edit]

Thörnell was born on 19 October 1877 in Trönö Parish [sv], Söderhamn Municipality, Sweden, the son of Per Thörnell, a vicar, and his wife Gerhardina "Dine" Margareta (née Lindgren).[2] He was the brother of professor Gösta Thörnell [sv]. He was born in the same room as Nathan Söderblom.[3] Thörnell grew up in a priest's home with close contact with the academic world. [3] After passing studentexamen on 17 May 1895 at Norra Latin in Stockholm he was commissioned as an officer in the Uppland Regiment (I 8) in 1897.[4] The choice of regiment gave him time to lay the groundwork for solid language knowledge at the Uppsala University during vacant periods, including in Russian. In future commissions to foreign units in Austria, France and the Netherlands, he had additional opportunities to improve his language skills alongside the professional studies.[3]

Career[edit]

Thörnell was promoted to lieutenant on 7 December 1900 in Uppland Regiment (I 8). On 7 July 1906 Thörnell graduated from the Royal Swedish Army Staff College and was commissioned as an officer cadet at the General Staff. He was promoted to captain of the General Staff on 10 June 1910. From 1911 to 1915 Thörnell was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College.[4] In 1915 he left the General Staff and served as captain in the Älvsborg Regiment (I 15). After a few years in the field, he returned to the General Staff, where he quickly rose through the ranks. On 27 November 1917, he was promoted to major and on 19 August lieutenant colonel.

He was promoted to major of the General Staff in 1917 and became head of the Central Department of the General Staff in 1918.[5] In 1921 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the General Staff. Thörnell was after that serving in the Upplands Infantry Regiment (I 8) in 1924 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel and acting commanding officer of Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 27) in 1926. On 24 August 1926 Thörnell was promoted to colonel and became commanding officer of Vaxholm Grenadier Regiment (I 26). On 1 January 1928 he was appointed military commander of Gotland and commanding officer of Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 27) and in 1931 he was appointed Inspector of the Swedish Army Service Troops. On 28 December 1933 he was promoted to major general and was appointed Inspector of the Swedish Infantry. On 1 July 1936, Thörnell, was promoted to Lieutenant General and at the same time appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. He now began the organization work. On 1 July 1937, the new staff gathered and the Chief of the Defense Staff took command of the new staff.[6] Thörnell had a harsh and sarcastic personality, and was commonly known as LM, short for Lustmördaren, "the lust murderer", among the younger officers in the Defence Staff.[1] He was considered an aged, stiff and unimaginable bureaucrat. The circle around Helge Jung had no respect for Thörnell, they saw him as a "chair warmer", a temporary solution until someone from their own ranks had enough years of service to take over his post. But from the government's point of view, Thörnell had an advantage. He was a loyal bureaucrat.[7]

On 8 December 1939 he was appointed Supreme Commander and on 1 January he was promoted to general. Thörnell's time as the Supreme Commander was marked by several major concessions to Germany and Thörnell himself was generally considered pro-German.[8] Thörnell was criticized by Torgny Segerstedt among other, because he, on 7 October 1940, received the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle by the hands of the Prince of Wied with a letter signed by Adolf Hitler.[9] Thörnell was a skilled organizer who put high demands on his staff. He was also a politically cautious general, overcautious some thought, who took active part in the intricate game about the Swedish neutrality during the first dangerous war years. He tried to safeguard the country for as many possible chain of events as possible.[10] Thörnell left office as Supreme Commander on 1 April 1944 and was succeeded by Helge Jung. Thörnell was chief of His Majesty's Military Staff until the king died on 29 October 1950.[3]

Duties[edit]

  • Member of the 1918 Military Payroll Experts (1918 års militära avlöningssakkunniga) 1920-1921[4]
  • Member of the 1921 Pension Committee (1921 års pensionskommittée)[4]
  • Member of the Swedish Armed Forces Salaries and Wages Board (Försvarsväsendets lönenämnd) 1921-1924[4]
  • Vice Chancellor of the Orders of His Majesty the King (Kungl. Maj:ts Orden) in 1947[4]

Personal life[edit]

On 1 October 1904 he married Anna Henrika Halling (1883–1972) in Skållerud, the daughter of factory manager Alex Halling and Henrika Gustafva (née Collén).[5] They had four children: Gerhard (1905–1940), Barbro (1908–1992), Ulla (1914–2011) and Per (1918–1990).[11]

Death[edit]

Olof Thörnell's grave in Uppsala old cemetery.

Thörnell died on 25 July 1977 in Uppsala and was buried in Uppsala old cemetery.[12]

Dates of rank[edit]

Promotions
Rank Date
Underlöjtnant 1897
Lieutenant 1900
Captain 1910
Major 1917
Lieutenant Colonel 1921
Colonel 1926
Major General 1933
Lieutenant General 1 July 1936
General 1 January 1940

Awards and decorations[edit]

Swedish[edit]

Escutcheon of Olof Thörnell showing the Order of the Seraphim.

Foreign[edit]

Honours[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Short for Lustmördaren, "The lust murderer".[1]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Andolf & Hugemark 1992, p. 275
  2. ^ Kjellander 2005, p. 22
  3. ^ a b c d H:son Ericson 1977, pp. 251–253
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Lagerström 1968, p. 959
  5. ^ a b c d Harnesk 1964, p. 813
  6. ^ Furtenbach 1964, pp. 9, 11
  7. ^ Berggren 2018
  8. ^ Frick & Rosander 2004, p. 138
  9. ^ a b Andolf & Hugemark 1992, p. 243
  10. ^ Dahlberg 1983, p. 91
  11. ^ Berglöw 1999
  12. ^ "Thörnell, Olof Gerhard". www.svenskagravar.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  13. ^ Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1969). Sveriges statskalender. 1969 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. p. 93. SELIBR 3682754.
  14. ^ "Minnesmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  15. ^ "Minnesmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  16. ^ "Minnesmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  17. ^ Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1940 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1940. p. 9.
  18. ^ Sveriges statskalender för året 1931 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1931. p. 16.
  19. ^ Sveriges statskalender för året 1925 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell. 1925. p. 845.
  20. ^ "Vasaorden m/1772" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  21. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  22. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  23. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  25. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  26. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  27. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  28. ^ "Förtjänstmedalj" (in Swedish). Digitaltmuseum.se. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  29. ^ a b Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1955. p. 352.
  30. ^ Berghman 1949, p. 107

Print[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olof Thörnell.
Military offices
Preceded by Inspector of the Swedish Army Service Troops
1931–1933 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
C A P A Sjögren
 Inspector of the Swedish Infantry
1933–1936 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
None
 Chief of the Defence Staff
1936–1939 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
None
 Supreme Commander
1939–1944 		Succeeded by
Court offices
Preceded by Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff
1944–1950 		Succeeded by
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