Sweden's Military Procurement System During the Campaign Against Napoleon, 1805–1807

Abstract

This article investigates how the Swedish state's supply system was organized during the campaign against Napoleon in 1805–1807, and how the state-merchant cooperation, which was so important for the outcome of military campaigns, functioned during the war. The article utilizes the concept of the ‘contractor state’ to comprehend how the Swedish system operated. The results show that the supply system was based on warehouses which were supplied by local resources, but also with supplies that originated from Holstein, Livonia and Scania. These supplies arrived in the warehouses through the assistance of merchants in places such as Lübeck and Stralsund.