Professor of History
Head of advanced level (masters level)
I work at the department as both researcher and teacher. My work has a strong connection to the Nordic countries and Finland in particular. This is reflected in the fact that I am a member of the board of the Cultural Foundation for Sweden and Finland and sometimes teach at Åbo Akademi University. In March 2023 I published a new book The Swedish History of Finland (SLS and Natur & Kultur, also in Finnish Suomen ruotsalainen historia Guardeamus).
My research is mainly focussed on military, social and political history, especially the 18th century, the revolutionary and Napoleonic eras, the period around 1808-09 (my thesis was about the Finnish War 1808-09) and the period up to and including the Second World War. My main focus has always been to understand war as a human phenomenon and how wars and the military have interacted with and had significance and consequences for civil society. I have always had a Nordic interest, which is reflected in the fact that my research concerns conditions throughout the Nordic region and not least Finland (The Åland islands).
In recent years, I have become increasingly interested in Norway during the Second World War. My research on Trondheim 1940-45 deals with the difficult question of why some people co-operate (collaborate) with the occupying power and others do not. This theme has strong personal connections as I grew up next door to a Norwegian resistance fighter from Trondheim. In spring 2026, the project will be summarised in a new book on colaboration in Trondheim 1940-45.
I am also part of a project (together with Rasmus Glenthöj, Morten Nordhagen Ottosen and Katrine Frökjär Baunvig) that aims to reassess and understand the behaviour of the Nordic countries during the Crimean War of 1854-56. My part of the project focuses on the military conditions and the operational planning to retake Finland.
I have taught at the department since 1995 at all levels and have thus had the privilege of meeting students throughout their maturity from undergraduate to master's degree.Not least, I have at times been involved in the history teacher training programme. My work has also included supervising doctoral students, and I am currently helping a doctoral student with her research.Part of my experience is the management of the undergraduate programme and an ongoing course development work. I am also interested in how good leadership can promote student and doctoral student performance. I am currently responsible for the advanced level in history.
I have been a regular participant in Nordic bilateral leadership programmes for young professionals: Sweden-Finland, Sweden-Latvia and Sweden-Lithuania.
Over the years I have tried to popularise history through lectures, radio programmes, TV programmes, newspaper articles and books. I try to write regularly in magazines and press.I am one of the authors of Swedish Battlefields (2003) which was widely distributed. In 2008-2009 I was particularly active as a lecturer in both Sweden and Finland and was used as an expert by both the Swedish and Finnish committees for the 2009 marches. My duties also included lecturing to the Royal Family at Stockholm Castle and accompanying parts of the Royal Family during their visit to Norrland in August 2009. In 2009, I received the Clio Prize for my book The Finnish War 1808-1809.
In November 2019, together with the historian of ideas Peter Bennesved and in collaboration with the book publisher Historiska media (and Urban Lindstedt), I started a podcast Militärhistoriepodden that addresses military history themes for a wide audience.In November 2025, we will celebrate six years of podcasting and more than 150 episodes (https://historia.nu/militarhistoriepodden/)
I have collaborated for many years with several local history associations in both Sweden and Finland - not least the Oravais Historical Association. Together with Göran Backman, I published an anthology highlighting new research on the history of the Finnish War (‘Krigsmaskineriet’), which was published in the summer of 2023.