Courtyard Crisis

Karl Staaff received support from the Social Democrats during the Courtyard Crisis. Here Staaff (immediately to the right of the pillar) stands in front of his ministry outside the Chancellery gate and listens to the Social Democratic opposition's declaration of loyalty in connection with the Workers' march on February 8, 1914, two days after the Peasant armament support march. Hjalmar Branting, with the letter in hand, is the Social Democrats' party leader and spokesman.
Gustaf V, King of Sweden, in 1911.
Karl Staaff.
Sven Hedin.

The Courtyard Crisis (Swedish: Borggårdskrisen) was a constitutional conflict between Sweden's King Gustaf V and the Liberal Prime Minister Karl Staaff.

The crisis has been seen as the culmination of the struggle between the pro-King conservatives and the pro-parliamentary forces. It was rooted in differing views on how much money should be spent on defense - Gustaf V advocated higher funding than the government. World War I broke out in July 1914, six months after the Courtyard Speech, and united the parties on the defense issue.