Švedijos požiūris į Baltijos sąjungos kūrimą 1918-1926 m

LTŠvedija iš esmės niekuo neprisidėjo prie kolektyvinio saugumo sistemos kūrimo Baltijos jūros regione, jos politika buvo aiškiai izoliacinio pobūdžio. Bet pagal Švedijos užsienio politikos ekspertų sunkiai paneigiamą nuomonę, efektyvi kolektyvinio saugumo sistema Baltijos jūros regione buvo iš viso negalima dėl aštrios didvalstybių konkurencijos aptariamu laikotarpiu. Nenorėdama apsispręsti palaikyti kurios nors didvalstybės pusę Švedija neturėjo kitos išeities, kaip laikytis pasyvios politikos. Straipsnyje siekiama išnagrinėti Švedijos poziciją ir laikyseną besikeičiančių Baltijos sąjungos projektų atžvilgiu nuo Pirmojo pasaulinio karo pabaigos iki 1926 m., taip pat tą poziciją bei laikyseną sąlygojusias aplinkybes. Istoriografijoje trumpą scheminį Švedijos požiūrio į Baltijos valstybių sąjungos kūrimą apibūdinimą yra pateikęs K. Kangeris, labai glaustai Švedijos laikyseną Baltijos valstybių vienybės Planų atžvilgiu yra nusakę W. Carlgrenas ir U. Larssonas, H. Carlbäckas-Isotalo. Tačiau iki šiol nėra išsamesnio tyrimo, ir ypač bandant įvertinti Švedijos laikyseną to rneto Lietuvos politinių siekių ir diplomatijos kontekste. Straipsnyje daugiausia remiamasi Švedijos valstybės archyve (Riksarkivei) saugoma dokumentine medžiaga (pirmiausia diplomatiniu susirašinėjimu), to meto švedų ir lietuvių periodine spauda, taip pat egzistuojančia nagrinėjamo laikotarpio diplomatinių santykių istoriografija.

ENThe present article discusses the position and attitude of Sweden regarding the changing projects of the Baltic Entente from the end of the World War I to 1926 and also the circumstances triggering such position and attitude. Projects of the Baltic Entente as a confederate formation of the Nordic and Baltic countries appeared at the close of the World War I. They were supported by Great Britain and to some extent by Germany, though for different political considerations. Although Sweden favoured independence of the newly established Baltic States, it categorically refused to join such confederate formation. The Baltic Entente in Sweden was perceived as a guarantee of independence of the Baltic States, which could not be provided by Sweden and other Scandinavian countries alone, therefore, they could not even participate in creation of the Baltic Entente, even more so to enter it. Unwilling to make a decision to be on the side of any Great Powers, Sweden had no other options but passive politics. In 1919-1920 Sweden also disapproved prospects of closer political and particularly military cooperation with the Baltic States. The launched conferences of the Baltic States in Sweden were primarily regarded as efforts to establish an anti-Russian bloc and in that case involvement of Sweden seemed dangerous. On 17 March 1922 in Warsaw a political treaty was concluded among Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. The treaty in question was a short way off a military union. Although based on different motivation Sweden and Lithuania shaped a common objective to withdraw Finland from a union with Poland. Swedish diplomats considered that the only chance for Finland to retain its independence was to keep away from any anti-Russian blocs. To some extent Sweden attempted to isolate Finland both from the Great Powers and the Baltic States.It was believed that in case of a combination between Germany and Russia, the Baltic States might be sufficient for the latter. The survival of Finland for Sweden was more important than that of the Baltic States. Ratification of the Warsaw treaty in Finland was unsuccessful. With joint efforts of Swedish and Lithuanian diplomats Finland was dissuaded from the Baltic Entente a member of which would have been Poland. To that end H. Elmquist, a Swedish envoy to Helsinki, and I. Šeinius, a Lithuanian envoy to Helsinki, cooperated particularly actively. In 1923-1925 the idea of a trilateral union of the Baltic States was discussed more actively. This idea received a complete support of Sweden as well. Individual Swedish diplomats, first of all Torsten Unden, an envoy to the Baltic States, undertook the initiative for Sweden to favour and support the trilateral union of the Baltic States by all means, first and foremost to assist the Baltic States in shaping into that particular variant of the Baltic Entente. For instance, T. Unden proposed to press the government of Estonia for a more favourable view of the trilateral Baltic Entente. The Swedish government discarded that and similar initiatives. According to the then Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sweden was content to welcome such course of events leading to fortification of the interior and exterior position of the Baltic States, but Sweden had to allow them to decide for themselves whether such closeness of the Baltic States was desirable and feasible. The politics of Sweden in the 1920s was clearly that of isolationism, which was reflected in its position regarding formation of the Baltic Entente.However, according to experts of the Swedish foreign policy, whose opinion is difficult to refute, an effective system of collective security in the region of the Baltic Sea was entirely impossible due to a fierce competition of the Great Powers in the given period.