The Hansson II cabinet () was the government of Sweden from 28 September 1936 to 13 December 1939. It was a coalition majority government between the Social Democrats and the Farmers' League, led by Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson of the Social Democrats.
The cabinet was installed following the 1936 general election. When the Winter War broke out in 1939, the cabinet resigned and the national unity Hansson III cabinet was formed between the four largest parties in the Riksdag (Swedish parliament).
History Before the 1936 election Since 1933, the Social Democrats had organized cooperation with the Farmers' League, when a historic compromise was reached between the parties regarding political collaboration, which was an important part of the Swedish model.Hedenborg and Kvarnström (2006): p. 295. This cooperation ceased temporarily in the summer of 1936, when Per Albin Hansson resigned his first cabinet. The reason for the resignation was that it did not get the support in parliament for its defense policy, even though it was only three months left to the 1936 general election.
The task of forming a new government went to the Farmers' League's leader Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp. This so-called vacation government launched any reforms or implemented some changes in the law since the parliament was not collected.Hedenborg and Kvarnström (2006): p. 296. The fall election were a major success for the Social Democrats, which gave rise to the Prime Minister to submit the government's resignation.
After the 1936 election The task of forming a new government went back to Per Albin Hansson as to the general astonishment government began negotiations with the Farmers' League, possibly because the Social Democrats did not want to depend on any of the left parties in parliamentary polls. The Farmers' League received three ministerial posts: Pehrsson-Bramstorp as minister for agriculture, Karl Gustaf Westman as minister for justice, and Janne Nilsson as minister for defence. Together, the two parties in the coalition got a majority in both chambers, unlike previous governments that reigned in minority. On 9 December 1938 Janne Nilsson died and was replaced by a social democratic politician, Per Edvin Sköld.
In the period leading to World War II, the government implemented a number of social reforms, including expensive district grouping of basic pensions and the introduction of two weeks paid vacation for all workers.
When the Finnish Winter War broke out, the government resigned and instead formed a national unity government that consisted of the Social Democrats, the Farmers' League, the People's Party, and the National Organization of the Right.
Ministers
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