Military Hans Högman
Copyright © Hans Högman 2017-10-27

The Many Swedish Wars - 1500s

Swedish Wars - 1500s

1521-1523, War with Denmark, "The Liberation War"

Allied with Sweden: Lübeck (from 1522). Gustav Vasa of Sweden removed the Danish King Christian II from the Swedish throne and drove the Danes out of Sweden. Gustav Vasa was elected new king of Sweden June 6, 1521 in the City of Strängnäs. A few battles: The battle of Västerås on April 29, 1521 The conquest Kalmar on May 27, 1523 The conquest Stockholm on June 16 -  17, 1523 After the capture of Stockholm, Sweden was again a free nation. In September the Swedish Finland is also liberated. Peace in Malmö September 1, 1524.

1534-1536, War with Lübeck, "The controversy of the count".

Allied with Sweden: Denmark and Prussia. When King Frederik I of Denmark died in 1533 there was a dispute about who the next king would be. The foremost candidate was his oldest son, Duke Christian. Another candidate was his younger son, Hans. A third candidate was the former king of Denmark, Christian II. Christian II was forced to abdicate in 1523. Count Christopher of Oldenburg (he actually gave name to the controversy) was by force trying to reinstate Christian II as King of Denmark. At this time there was a conflict between Sweden and Lübeck. After the Swedish Liberation War, which ended in 1523, Sweden had large debts to Lübeck. As a down payment of the debt Lübeck got a monopoly of the Swedish trade (export and import). The Swedish king, Gustav Vasa, didn’t really approve of this and the relations between the two parts were strained. Now, Lübeck had plans to shut out the Netherlands from the trade on the Baltic Sea. King Gustav Vasa refused to support this, so did the Danes. Lübeck now chooses to support Count Christopher of Oldenburg in his efforts to reinstate Christian II as the new king of Denmark. Christian II was the opponent in the Swedish Liberation War, and King Gustav Vasa did not wish to see him back on the Danish throne. Therefore Sweden decided to support Denmark with military support against the Danish rebels supported by count Oldenburg. The combined Swedish-Danish forces did conquer the rebels and Duke Christian was elected new King of Denmark. As a king he was known as Christian III. In 1536 Denmark signed a separate peace treaty with Lübeck without notifying the Swedes. This made King Gustav Vasa of Sweden furious and the King immediately withdrew his troops from Denmark. Sweden signed an armistice with Lübeck on November 25, 1636. The peace talks were resumed in 1537 and a convention was signed in Copenhagen on August 29, 1537. No formal peace treaty was signed though. The Swedish debt to Lübeck was now considered settled and the Lübeck monopoly of the Swedish trade ended. Gain of land: +- zero

1554-1557,  with Russia,"The Great Russian War".

At this point in time, the relations between Sweden and Russia had been very tense for a couple of hundred years. The Swedish expansion eastwards continued during the regime of King Gustav Vasa. The conflicts along the Swedish-Russian border escalated into a war in the beginning of 1555. Sweden was the aggressor in the war. Peace in Novgorod April 2, 1557. The terms were an armistice for 40 years and a rectification of the borders. However, a rectification was never carried out. Gain of land: +- zero

1561

, The Submission of Estonia

The Estonian knighthood, including the city of Reval, turns themselves into Swedish hands after a trial of strength between Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Poland-Lithuania.  The western part of Estonia, the province of Wiek, falls into Swedish hands in 1581. Map of Sweden 1561 Gain of land: + Major part of Estonia (the provinces of  Harrien, Wierland and Jerven) including the city of Reval (today's Tallinn) See detailed map

1563-1570, War with Danmark, Poland and Lübeck "The Nordic Seven Years' War"

In the Swedish Liberation War, which ended 1523, the Swedes ended a period of Danish regents of Sweden. Ever since that year, the Danes had tried to recapture the Swedish throne. This war was a new attempt to do so and was in large a struggle for the domination of the Nordic Region. In the beginning of the war the Danes took the only gateway Sweden had on the west coast, the Älvsborg fortress. A first attempt for peace was made in Roskilde, Denmark, in November 1568. The final peace treaty was signed in Stettin, December 13, 1570. According to the treaty, Sweden was to pay 150,000 riksdaler to Denmark to regain Älvsborg, an enormous amount in those days. That process was called "Älvsborgs lösen" (The Älvsborg's ransom). In the peace treaty, the Kalmar Union was formally dissolved and the Danish king relinquish all claims of the Swedish throne. For the first time Sweden recognized the so called Skåne provinces (Skåne, Blekinge and Halland) as Danish territory. The Stettin peace also included a peace treaty with Lübeck. (Riksdaler was the Swedish currency at the time.) Gain of land: - Sweden had to pay to get Älvsborg back (A Swedish fortress on the west coast) See detailed map.

1563-1568, War with Poland and the Livonian nobility, "The First Polish War".

During the Nordic Seven Years' War (see above), Poland supported the Danes. However the Polish participation in the war ended when the Swedish Duke Johan (Johan III) succeed his brother, Erik XIV, on the Swedish throne in 1568. King Johan III was married to a Polish princess. This war was foremost fought in Livland (in the Baltic region). There was no formal peace treaty with Poland. Gain of land: +- zero

1570-1595,  War with Russia. "The 25 Years' War with Russia"

Allied with Sweden: Poland between 1578 and 1582. In 1561 Sweden begun a powerful expansion to the east. This expansion resulted in a conflict with Russia. The aim for the Russians in the war was to capture the Swedish provinces in the Baltic region. The war started in 1570 when Russia and Poland signed an armistice. In 1581, Narva and the nearby city Ivangorod falls into Swedish hands. Armistice in Pliusa on August 10, 1583 (Sweden possesses Estonia, Kexholms län and a large part of Ingermanland (Ivangorod, Jama and Kopore)) Armistice in Pliusa on December 19, 1585 Armistice in Narva on February 10, 1590 (Sweden retires from Ivangorod, Jama and Kopore but keeps Narva and the part of Estonia located west of river Veilika.) Peace in Teusina May 18, 1595. Sweden keeps Narva and the whole of Estonia inclusive the city of Reval. Russia receives the major part of Ingermanland and Kexholms län. Landvinningar: + Narva (today an Estonian city), + A part of Ingermanland (Baltic province), + The rest of Estonia (The Baltics), - Kexholms län Map of Sweden 1595 The borderline between Sweden and Russia are established: From the Systerbäckens outlet in eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, across the lakes Saimen and Enare träsk, across Neugdona on the Kola Peninsula and up to the Arctic Ocean. See detailed map.

1598-1599,  War with Poland, "The War with Sigismund" (in Reality a Swedish Civil War)

Sigismund, King of Sweden as well of  Poland, was forced to give up the Swedish throne. The battles of Stegeborg September 8 and of Stångebro September 25, 1598 between Duke Karl and Sigismund are well known. Sigismund was the son of the Swedish King Johan III in his marriage with the Polish princess Katarina Jagellonica. When Johan III died in 1592 Sigismund became King of Sweden. However there was a problem. Sweden was a Lutheran nation since the 1520’s and Sigismund was of catholic faith plus King of Poland since 1587. Duke Karl was a brother of Johan III and therefore Sisgismund’s uncle. There was also a conflict between Sweden and Poland about Estonia. Those conflicts grew into a war between Duke Karl and Sisgismund. Duke Karl won this war and was in 1599 elected new King of Sweden as King Karl IX. Gain of land: +- zero  
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Military Hans Högman
Copyright © Hans Högman 2017-10-27

The Many Swedish

Wars - 1500s

Swedish Wars - 1500s

1521-1523, War with Denmark, "The

Liberation War"

Allied with Sweden: Lübeck (from 1522). Gustav Vasa of Sweden removed the Danish King Christian II from the Swedish throne and drove the Danes out of Sweden. Gustav Vasa was elected new king of Sweden June 6, 1521 in the City of Strängnäs. A few battles: The battle of Västerås on April 29, 1521 The conquest Kalmar on May 27, 1523 The conquest Stockholm on June 16 -  17, 1523 After the capture of Stockholm, Sweden was again a free nation. In September the Swedish Finland is also liberated. Peace in Malmö September 1, 1524.

1534-1536, War with Lübeck, "The

controversy of the count".

Allied with Sweden: Denmark and Prussia. When King Frederik I of Denmark died in 1533 there was a dispute about who the next king would be. The foremost candidate was his oldest son, Duke Christian. Another candidate was his younger son, Hans. A third candidate was the former king of Denmark, Christian II. Christian II was forced to abdicate in 1523. Count Christopher of Oldenburg (he actually gave name to the controversy) was by force trying to reinstate Christian II as King of Denmark. At this time there was a conflict between Sweden and Lübeck. After the Swedish Liberation War, which ended in 1523, Sweden had large debts to Lübeck. As a down payment of the debt Lübeck got a monopoly of the Swedish trade (export and import). The Swedish king, Gustav Vasa, didn’t really approve of this and the relations between the two parts were strained. Now, Lübeck had plans to shut out the Netherlands from the trade on the Baltic Sea. King Gustav Vasa refused to support this, so did the Danes. Lübeck now chooses to support Count Christopher of Oldenburg in his efforts to reinstate Christian II as the new king of Denmark. Christian II was the opponent in the Swedish Liberation War, and King Gustav Vasa did not wish to see him back on the Danish throne. Therefore Sweden decided to support Denmark with military support against the Danish rebels supported by count Oldenburg. The combined Swedish-Danish forces did conquer the rebels and Duke Christian was elected new King of Denmark. As a king he was known as Christian III. In 1536 Denmark signed a separate peace treaty with Lübeck without notifying the Swedes. This made King Gustav Vasa of Sweden furious and the King immediately withdrew his troops from Denmark. Sweden signed an armistice with Lübeck on November 25, 1636. The peace talks were resumed in 1537 and a convention was signed in Copenhagen on August 29, 1537. No formal peace treaty was signed though. The Swedish debt to Lübeck was now considered settled and the Lübeck monopoly of the Swedish trade ended. Gain of land: +- zero

1554-1557,  with Russia,"The Great Russian

War".

At this point in time, the relations between Sweden and Russia had been very tense for a couple of hundred years. The Swedish expansion eastwards continued during the regime of King Gustav Vasa. The conflicts along the Swedish-Russian border escalated into a war in the beginning of 1555. Sweden was the aggressor in the war. Peace in Novgorod April 2, 1557. The terms were an armistice for 40 years and a rectification of the borders. However, a rectification was never carried out. Gain of land: +- zero

1561

, The Submission of Estonia

The Estonian knighthood, including the city of Reval, turns themselves into Swedish hands after a trial of strength between Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Poland-Lithuania.  The western part of Estonia, the province of Wiek, falls into Swedish hands in 1581. Map of Sweden 1561 Gain of land: + Major part of Estonia (the provinces of  Harrien, Wierland and Jerven) including the city of Reval (today's Tallinn) See detailed map

1563-1570, War with Danmark, Poland and

Lübeck "The Nordic Seven Years' War"

In the Swedish Liberation War, which ended 1523, the Swedes ended a period of Danish regents of Sweden. Ever since that year, the Danes had tried to recapture the Swedish throne. This war was a new attempt to do so and was in large a struggle for the domination of the Nordic Region. In the beginning of the war the Danes took the only gateway Sweden had on the west coast, the Älvsborg fortress. A first attempt for peace was made in Roskilde, Denmark, in November 1568. The final peace treaty was signed in Stettin, December 13, 1570. According to the treaty, Sweden was to pay 150,000 riksdaler to Denmark to regain Älvsborg, an enormous amount in those days. That process was called "Älvsborgs lösen" (The Älvsborg's ransom). In the peace treaty, the Kalmar Union was formally dissolved and the Danish king relinquish all claims of the Swedish throne. For the first time Sweden recognized the so called Skåne provinces (Skåne, Blekinge and Halland) as Danish territory. The Stettin peace also included a peace treaty with Lübeck. (Riksdaler was the Swedish currency at the time.) Gain of land: - Sweden had to pay to get Älvsborg back (A Swedish fortress on the west coast) See detailed map.

1563-1568, War with Poland and the

Livonian nobility, "The First Polish War".

During the Nordic Seven Years' War (see above), Poland supported the Danes. However the Polish participation in the war ended when the Swedish Duke Johan (Johan III) succeed his brother, Erik XIV, on the Swedish throne in 1568. King Johan III was married to a Polish princess. This war was foremost fought in Livland (in the Baltic region). There was no formal peace treaty with Poland. Gain of land: +- zero

1570-1595,  War with Russia. "The 25 Years'

War with Russia"

Allied with Sweden: Poland between 1578 and 1582. In 1561 Sweden begun a powerful expansion to the east. This expansion resulted in a conflict with Russia. The aim for the Russians in the war was to capture the Swedish provinces in the Baltic region. The war started in 1570 when Russia and Poland signed an armistice. In 1581, Narva and the nearby city Ivangorod falls into Swedish hands. Armistice in Pliusa on August 10, 1583 (Sweden possesses Estonia, Kexholms län and a large part of Ingermanland (Ivangorod, Jama and Kopore)) Armistice in Pliusa on December 19, 1585 Armistice in Narva on February 10, 1590 (Sweden retires from Ivangorod, Jama and Kopore but keeps Narva and the part of Estonia located west of river Veilika.) Peace in Teusina May 18, 1595. Sweden keeps Narva and the whole of Estonia inclusive the city of Reval. Russia receives the major part of Ingermanland and Kexholms län. Landvinningar: + Narva (today an Estonian city), + A part of Ingermanland (Baltic province), + The rest of Estonia (The Baltics), - Kexholms län Map of Sweden 1595 The borderline between Sweden and Russia are established: From the Systerbäckens outlet in eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, across the lakes Saimen and Enare träsk, across Neugdona on the Kola Peninsula and up to the Arctic Ocean. See detailed map.

1598-1599,  War with Poland, "The War with

Sigismund" (in Reality a Swedish Civil War)

Sigismund, King of Sweden as well of  Poland, was forced to give up the Swedish throne. The battles of Stegeborg September 8 and of Stångebro September 25, 1598 between Duke Karl and Sigismund are well known. Sigismund was the son of the Swedish King Johan III in his marriage with the Polish princess Katarina Jagellonica. When Johan III died in 1592 Sigismund became King of Sweden. However there was a problem. Sweden was a Lutheran nation since the 1520’s and Sigismund was of catholic faith plus King of Poland since 1587. Duke Karl was a brother of Johan III and therefore Sisgismund’s uncle. There was also a conflict between Sweden and Poland about Estonia. Those conflicts grew into a war between Duke Karl and Sisgismund. Duke Karl won this war and was in 1599 elected new King of Sweden as King Karl IX. Gain of land: +- zero