The Club War (also Cudgel War, Finnish Nuijasota, Swedish Klubbekriget) was a 1596 peasant uprising in occupied Finland against the exploitation by the nobility and military of the kingdom of Sweden. The peasants, armed with clubs, took up residence in Nokia Manor and won several skirmishes against the Swedish cavalry, but were decisively defeated by Klaus Fleming on January 1-2, 1597. Thousands of Finns were slain and their fled leader, Jaakko Ilkka, was captured a few weeks later and executed. Events February 5 - 26 catholics crucified in Nagasaki, Japan. ... Nokia is a town and municipality of Finland on the banks of the Emäkoski River in the region of Pirkanmaa and the province of Western Finland, some 15 kilometers to the west of Tampere. ... Klaus Fleming (1535-1597) was a Finnish noble man. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... Events 17 January - A court case in Guildford recorded evidence that a certain plot of land was used for playing “kreckett” (i. ...

At first glance the war may look like an ordinary rebellion started by unsatisfied peasants. However there was much more to it. In the background was the power struggle of two aspirants of power: King Sigismund, who was supported by the Swedish nobility, and Duke Carl(later Charles IX of Sweden), who encouraged the Finnish peasants to revolt, hoping to ascend to the throne through rebellion. The war got its name from the spiked clubs that the peasants used. Cudgels were the only effective weapon available to the peasants against the heavy armour of the Swedish knights. Reign in Poland September 18, 1587 – April 19, 1632. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Charles IX (Karl IX) (October 4, 1550 – October 30, 1611), was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. ...

The Cudgel War started on the 25th of November in 1596 and ended on the 24th of February, 1597. During those three months almost three thousand Finns, 1,5 % of the population, lost their lives. The same percentage in today's Finland would be the death of around 75,000 people, which is close to the number of casualties Finland suffered during the Second World War.

The war started in southern Ostrobothnia on the 25th of November in 1596. The peasants were led by a merchant called Jaakko Ilkka. He was opposed by soldiers led by Lord Klaus Fleming, Marshal of Swedish-occupied Finland and Admiral of the royal fleet. Fleming had incarcerated Ilkka before accusing him of rebellious acts but Ilkka had escaped. Ostrobothnia, Österbotten (literally East (of) Bottom / the Gulf of Bothnia) or Pohjanmaa (literally Bottom land / soil / ground), is a historical province to the north in Finland. ... Klaus Fleming (1535-1597) was a Finnish noble man. ...

The first to meet Fleming's army on the battlefield was the peasant force led by Pentti Pouttu, he meet a 300-strong cavalry squadron against led by Akseli Kurki. Without fortifications the peasants were no match for the trained cavalrymen and were soundly beaten. On New Year's Eve the main force, led by Jaakko Ilkka, met Klaus Fleming and his troops in Nokia. Klaus Fleming had around 3000 men against some 2500 peasants. The battle lasted for most of the day. In the end Klaus Fleming ordered the peasants to lay down their weapons. He promised to let the men go free on the condition that they would surrender their leaders to him and rebel no more. Many peasants tried to flee in secret but Fleming noticed the attempt and ordered a charge. Running men were an easy game for the cavalry: around 500 peasants were caught and killed during the flight from Nokia to Jalasjärvi. It was a poor start for the New Year of 1597. Jaakko Ilkka and the leaders of the rebellion were later captured in Ostrobothnia and executed in the last days of January.

It is also notable that the Cudgel war was the only major rebellion against Swedish rule during the 600 years Finland was occupied by Sweden. This has made it a symbol against Swedish rule for Finns in the same way the legend of Lalli is. Lalli is a character in Finnish history. ...