Viktor Balck - Military Career

Military Career

Balck was born in Karlskrona, Sweden and was a sailor in his youth. In 1861, he became a cadet of the Swedish Navy at the Swedish War Academy at Karlberg in Stockholm. After a while, he switched track to become a cadet in the Swedish army, and was active in fencing and gymnastics. He stayed on as assistant gymnastics instructor at Karlberg for a while, and was promoted to second lieutenant in the Närke regiment in 1866. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1875 at the same regiment and to captain in 1884.

However, his military career came to be devoted almost entirely to gymnastics and sports. He was assistant teacher at Karlberg 1868-1870 and gymnastics teacher at the Swedish cavalry riding school at Strömsholm 1870-1872. He became teacher of military gymnastics and fencing at the Swedish Central Institute of Gymnastics in 1885, was head teacher of the same subject 1887-1909 and the Institute's director 1907-1909. He was promoted to major in the Swedish Army in 1894, to lieutenant colonel in 1900 and to colonel in 1904. In 1909 he transferred to reserve status and in 1914 he received an honorary promotion to major general.