Sweden has long opposed nuclear weapons – but it once tried to build them

In the years after World War Two, neutral, peace-loving Sweden embarked on an ambitious plan – build its own atomic bomb.

Sweden hasn’t fought a war since 1814. But for more than 20 years after the end of World War Two, this formerly  pursued a plan to equip its military with the ultimate weapon, the atomic bomb. The government finally shut the programme down in 1968 after a long public debate.

Sweden thereby joined a  – which includes Switzerland, Ukraine and South Africa – who gave up their nuclear weapons programmes and showed the world that nuclear disarmament was possible.

The extent of Sweden’s nuclear programme , until  discovered the truth in 1985 and