In 1863 the Swedish government issued a regulation on mandatory military training for male pupils in elementary and secondary schools and elementary schoolteachers training colleges, although such training had existed earlier - starting in Linköping 1834.
InStockholma fumbling start of this military training began 1865. To get a more conform and well structured military training the Association for Promoting Military training of Schoolboys (APMS) was founded in early 1868, focusing on pupils in the elementary schools.
APMS, as a good lobby organisation, succeeded well with its efforts to get a good military training developed and successively expanded it to include even Stockholms secondary schools. One important explanation to APMS´s success was the nationalistic and patriotic spirit of the society at that time – the second half of the 19th century. Another explanation is the enthusiastic and prominent citizens ofStockholm that formed the board of APMS.
Initially the military training was infantry movements, military drill and rifle shooting. Gradually the military training concentrated to rifle shooting including shooting competitions among theStockholmschools. From 1891 secondary schools from outsideStockholmwere invited and participated in the shooting competitions.
Among the school teachers there was a debate on the need and benefits of the military training. Different opinions could be read in the teachers professional journals. There were four main issues on the agenda. Firstly the lowest age to take part in the military training. Secondly the education time the military training stole from other more traditional education. Thirdly the merits of the military training from the army´s point of view. Fourthly the military trainings ability to implement a nationalistic and a patriotic spirit to the male youth was doubted.
This debate was very intensive 1897-1899 starting with an article in one of the teachers professional journals where the benefits of the military training in schools were strongly questioned. APMS responded to the anti-military-training articles which ended with the publishing of a contra-booklet with the message that the military training in schools were beneficial and also a tool to promote and establish a more nationalistic and patriotic spirit to the schoolboys.
During the first world war, in1917, amotion was proposed to the Parliament meaning to abolish the mandatory military training in schools. After an animated discussion in the daily press and after hard argumentation in the Parliament the motion passed in April 1917 with 175 votes for and 167 votes against.
The military training was now more or less voluntary. This was a big defeat for APMS, which soon became a part of the Voluntary Shooting Association for Youth of Stockholm.