Hedin was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1905, to the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1909, the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund in 1910, the Swedish Academy in 1913 and the Royal Society of Sciences at Uppsala in 1922.

Prior to World War One, Hedin was deeply involved in discussions about defence and conservative national issues. He and Carl Bennedich wrote the “courtyard speech” delivered by Gustaf V in association with the peasant armament support march (Bondetåget) of 1914, in which the king distanced himself from the Swedish government’s defence policy.

Hedin had developed a love of German culture when he was young. During the first and second World Wars, he regarded Germany as the only guarantee against Russia, which he distrusted. His support for Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler has darkened his legacy. However, he was against the persecution of Jews and used his contacts to save people from the concentration camps.