The Nation’s Scum: The Army’s Elite – Myths and Facts About Conscription and Conscripts

You might know the divided soldier – the son of the safe countryside, who tended his farm until one day was called to defend his country. But do you know his urban counterpart?

For four hundred years, there were professional conscripts in the Swedish army, but they were marginalized by irregular recruits. Many entered the army under duress, with meager pay and strict discipline. They were ordered, along with their families, to one of the kingdom’s garrison towns, where they were housed in remote, unwanted areas and treated as unwelcome outsiders. They were periodically discharged, then forced to fend for themselves as best they could, often leading to unrest in the cities.

A myth quickly spread that they were the “scum of the nation.” But this is not the whole truth. Some conscripts formed the absolute elite of the army, such as the Royal Guards regiments, the Svea and the Gotha, who lived in luxurious barracks.

It is from this duality that the story of conscripted soldiers is told for the first time. Based on extensive archival research, the book paints a picture of soldiers’ lives that oscillate sharply between success and failure, pride and shame, war and peace.