The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the Nordic Seven Years' War, the First Northern War or the Seven Years War in Scandinavia) was the war between Sweden and a coalition of Denmark-Norway, Lubeck and Poland, fought between 1563 and 1570. An inflexibly imperialistic orientation of both Sweden’s and Denmark’s ruling monarchs combined to revive the old hostilities among the countries neighboring the Baltic. The combat, as was characteristic of the period, was cruelly pursued with the main purpose to conquer the opponent and annihilate him. Many border towns and cities were conquered and pillaged; some were burnt to the ground. The fighting continued until both armies had been exhausted, and many men died. The resulting peace was a stalemate, with neither party gaining any new territory. Statistics State: Schleswig-Holstein District: Independent city Area: 214. ... Events February 1 - Sarsa Dengel succeeds his father Menas as Emperor of Ethiopia February 18 - The Duke of Guise is assassinated while besieging Orléans March - Peace of Amboise. ... Events January 23 - The assassination of regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray throws Scotland into civil war February 25 - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England. ... Baltic can refer to: The Baltic Sea Council of the Baltic Sea States - an intergovernmental organization Baltic sea countries - countries with access to the Baltic Sea The term Baltic countries is sometimes used more or less synonymously for Northern Europe (Russia not included) The Baltic region (Balticum) Baltic States - the...

The Context of the Northern Seven Years' War

The Nordic Kalmar Union, which lasted on and off from 1397 to 1523, collapsed as the result of Swedish resentment of Danish domination. A successful rebellion in 1471, led by the Sture family, had firmly established Swedish independence by 1503. But by 1520 Christian II of Denmark had easily reconquered Sweden, and took a bloody revenge for the rebellion from the Kalmar Union. All though the exact events are not certain, a number of noble men and women, as well as leading citizens of Stockholm, were executed in the so called Stockholm Bloodbath, and the corpse of recently deceased chancellor Sten Sture was allegedly dug up and burnt. The unwarranted violence was condemned by the Pope, and repugnant even to the Danes, and on returning home Christian II was forced off the throne by his own councilors. He was replaced by Frederick I, who was crowned in March of 1523. The Kalmar Union (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish: Kalmarunionen) was a series of personal unions (1397–1520) that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch. ... Sture was the name an influential family in Sweden from the late 15th century to the early 16th century. ... Christian II (1481 – 1559) was a Danish monarch and King of Denmark, Norway (1513 – 1523) and Sweden (1520 – 1521), under the Kalmar Union. ... Stockholm Bloodbath The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre, took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of Christian II of Denmark (in Swedish history known as Christian the Tyrant). The bloodbath itself is a series of events taking place between... Frederick I of Denmark and Norway (October 1, 1471 – April 10, 1533) was the son of the first Oldenburg King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1426-1481) and of Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430-1495). ...

In Sweden, the power vacuum combined with the Danish revolt, allowed Gustav Vasa with the support of peasants and the Hansa towns of Lübeck and Danzig to consolidate control of Sweden and claim the throne in June 1523. Gustav Vasa is how the Swedish King Gustav I of Sweden, born as Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) is known. ... Hansa can refer to Hansa Records - Record label based in Germany. ... Statistics State: Schleswig-Holstein District: Independent city Area: 214. ... For alternative meanings of Gdańsk and Danzig, see Gdansk (disambiguation) and Danzig (disambiguation) The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

Gustav Vasa’s Sweden was weak in 1523. Access to the west was virtually completely blocked by Denmark-Norway which continued in union. Sweden’s access to the East was limited to a 20 kilometer stretch on the Kattegat at Älvsborg Fortress (where modern Gothenburg was later founded). Further, Denmark controlled the Baltic, limiting Sweden there. The Baltic Sea The Kattegat, or Kattegatt, is a bay of the North Sea and a continuation of the Skagerrak, bounded by Denmark and Sweden. ... Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg  listen ) is a city and a municipality on the western coast of Sweden, in the County of Västra Götaland. ...

Gustav Vasa took an action which did not bear immediate fruit in the Nordic Seven Years' War, but was to have a lasting impact on Sweden’s fortune; he changed the military structure in Sweden. In 1544 he used the old Scandinavian concept of Uppbåd (the ability to call up some fraction of men from each district in an emergency) to establish the first native standing army in Europe. The men served in standby, remaining at home in peacetime, and being paid by tax concessions, but were required to assemble and drill. This system was expanded. By 1560 when Gustav Vasa died, every ten peasants were required to provide one soldier who must serve anywhere domestic or foreign as required by the king.

The Immediate Cause of the War

Erik XIV (1533-1577), Swedish King 1560-1568

Frederick II of Denmark and Norway 1534 - 1588

The start of the war has been attributed mainly to Denmark's displeasure over the Kalmar Union being dismantled. This displeasure was shown several times during Gustav Vasa's reign of Sweden, for example when Danish king Christian III included the traditionally Swedish insignia of three crowns into his own shield. The Swedish interpretation was that Denmark continued to claim Sweden. Erik XIV of Sweden (December 13, 1533–February 26, 1577) was the son of Gustav I of Sweden and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg. ... Events January 25 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. ... Events March 17 - formation of the Cathay Company to send Martin Frobisher back to the New World for more gold May 29 - Publication of the Bergen Book which is better known as the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, one of the Lutheran confessional writings, later condensed into an... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berhick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ... Events March 23 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. ... Events May 10 - Jacques Cartier explores Newfoundland while searching for the Northwest Passage. ... Events May 12 - Day of the Barricades in Paris. ... Gustav Vasa is how the Swedish King Gustav I of Sweden, born as Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) is known. ... Christian III (August 12, 1503–January 1, 1559), king of Denmark and Norway, was the son of Frederick I of Denmark and his first consort, Anne of Brandenburg. ...

This and other events created a dangerous environment, especially after Gustav Vasa’s and Christian III's deaths - both countries now had young and hawkish monarchs, Erik XIV in Sweden and Frederik II in Denmark. Erik XIV of Sweden (December 13, 1533–February 26, 1577) was the son of Gustav I of Sweden and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg. ... Frederick II (July 1, 1534 - April 4, 1588), King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death. ...

More controversies arose - Erik XIV in the beginning of his reign - obstructed Denmark's plans to conquer Estonia.

In February, 1563 Swedish messengers had been sent to Hessen to negotiate Erik's marriage with princess Kristina. The messengers were restricted to Copenhagen. Erik himself turned down requests to remove Denmark and Norway's symbol in his shield. Lubeck, upset over obstacles of trade that Erik had introduced to hinder the Russian trade, joined Denmark in a war alliance. Poland soon joined, wanting control of the Baltic trade. Hesse is also the name of the German writer Hermann Hesse, as well as the German mathematician Otto Hesse. ... City nickname: none Location in Denmark Area  - Total  - Water 526 km² xxx km² xx% Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density 502,204 1,116,979 954/km2 [including water] xxx/km2 [land only] Time zone Eastern: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 55°43 N 12°34 W Copenhagen (Danish: København) is... Statistics State: Schleswig-Holstein District: Independent city Area: 214. ...

The War

Initial phase

In May, the first movements of the war started. A Danish fleet under Jakob Brockenhuus sailed towards the Baltic. At Bornholm, on May 30, the Swedish navy under Jakob Bagge fired upon the Danish fleet even though war had not officially been declared. A fight arose that ended with Danish defeat. Baltic can refer to: The Baltic Sea Council of the Baltic Sea States - an intergovernmental organization Baltic sea countries - countries with access to the Baltic Sea The term Baltic countries is sometimes used more or less synonymously for Northern Europe (Russia not included) The Baltic region (Balticum) Baltic States - the... Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland (on the map of Denmark to the right, it is not shown in its true location; see the map at the bottom of the article). ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ...

German royal emissaries were sent to negotiate a peace, but at the meeting place of Rostock no Swedes appeared. August 13, 1563 the war declaration was a fact in Stockholm, Denmark and Lubeck. That month, Danish king Fredrik II attacked Älvsborg. In the beginning of the war the Danes advanced from Halland with an army of professional mercenaries of 25,000 strong and captured, after three days of bombardment and a 6 hours assault, Sweden’s gateway to the west, Älvsborg fortress, was lost on September 4th. Rostock (slavic origin: roztoka) is a city in northern Germany. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... Stockholm  listen? is the capital and the largest city of Sweden. ... Halland is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Hallandia, or Halland - a historical Province of Sweden Halland County, or Hallands län - a current County of Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ...

This caused Sweden to be cut off from the Baltic sea. Erik then attacked Halmstad, without result; the Swedish counterattack was driven back by the professional Danish army. After the kings departure from his army, Charley de Mornays stepped in as the commanding officer and was beaten by the Danish at Mared. Halmstad [halmstɑː(d)] is a Municipality in Halland County, in southwest Sweden. ...

At sea a battle broke out near Öland on September 11th, whereafter the war took a pause. Öland is an island in the Baltic Sea. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ...

Attacks by land

Sweden occupied the undefended Norwegian province of Jemtland, which was quickly reconquered by a counterattack by forces under command of the Norwegian governor of Trøndelag. Jemtia, or Jämtland (or simply Jamtland as it is known by its local dialect), is a historical Province or landskap in the north of Sweden. ... Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the middle of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. ...

In 1564 the Swedes marched under Claude Collart and occupied the Norwegian provinces of Jemtland, Herjedalen and Trøndelag, including the city of Trondheim. Initially welcomed in Trøndelag, their ill treatment of the Trøndelag natives laid the groundwork for the later resistance to Swedish invasion. Although repelled from Trøndelag, they continued to occupy Jemtland and Herdalia. These provinces were later recaptured by Norwegian forces. Herdalia, or Härjedalen, is a historical Province or landskap in the north of Sweden. ... County Sør-Trøndelag Landscape Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (A) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ...

The Danish mercenary army was superior to the Swedish peasant army in all but one respect; the professional army would not fight until their pay was current. Because only a fraction of the army would march, Denmark had to give up the plan to take the Kalmar fortress and settle for an attack on Stockholm instead. In August, Erik attacked Blekinge and his army occupied it cruelly, the Danish soon reclaimed this. Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... Blekinge is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Blechingia, or Blekinge - a historical Province of Sweden Blekinge County, or Blekinge län - a current County of Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

New battles

On May 30 a battle broke out between the Swedish navy and the Danish navy (now under the direction of Herluf Trolle) between Gotland and Öland. Swedish commander Jakob Bagge was captured, but the battle was a draw. August Klas Kristersson Horn become the new commander and beat the Danish at Ölands north tip August 14th. May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... Gotland is the largest island in the Baltic Sea. ... Öland is an island in the Baltic Sea. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ...

Horn attacked the provinces Hallandia and Scania in 1565, and made several attempts at Bahusia and Uddevalla. The Danish burned old Lodose in the province Westrogothia. Against the Danish army, Erik marched the army himself at first, but then again turned command over to someone else, this time to Nils Boije, who August 28th took Varberg. The Danish under Daniel Rantzau beat the Swedish at Axtorna 20th October. Hallandia (Halland) is a historical Province (landskap) on the western coast of Sweden. ... Scania (Skåne) is the southernmost historical Province (landskap) of Sweden. ... Events March 1 - the city of Rio de Janeiro is founded April 27 - Cebu City is established becoming the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. ... Bahusia, or Bohuslän, is a historical Sweden. ... Uddevalla is a Municipality in Västra Götaland County, in western Sweden. ... Westrogothia (Västergötland) is a historical Province (landskap) in the southwest of Sweden. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Varberg is a Municipality in Halland County, in southwest Sweden. ...

At sea the Swedes fared better. Horn - commanding the Swedish navy - hunted a Danish/Lubeck fleet up against the German coast where most of it was destroyed. Upon this victory Horn steered for Oeruend and levied a toll on passing ships. A while later he delivered a successful battle on the Mecklenburgish coast, at Buchow. The Danish were beaten again at sea by Bornholm on July 7. This ensured the command of the Baltic to the Swedes. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ...

In January 1566 Sweden unsuccessfully laid siege to the Båhus Fortress in Norway’s Bahusia province. Daniel Rantzau moved his forces into Westrogothia. At sea the Swedes continued their success, Horn returned to take king toll charges in the Baltic without any interference from the Danish. Another battle at sea outside of Öland occurred the 26th of July. It resulted in the complete destruction of the Danish navy in a storm. Horn was now called to command troops on land, where he died September 9th. BÃ¥hus Fortess 2005: View on Fars Hatt Tower BÃ¥hus Fortress (also Baahus or Bohus) lies along the old Norwegian - Swedish border, north east from Hissingen where the Göta river splits into two branches. ...

Swedish cruelties on land

Sweden invaded the Norwegian Østerdal, crossing Hedmark and occupying Norwegian territory as far west as Skiensfjord. They devastated the country districts, burnt Sarpsborg and massacred the military garrisons. Hedmark is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. ... The town and municipality Sarpsborg in the county of Østfold, Norway. ...

1567 continued the attack against Norway. Sweden invested Akershus Fortress in Oslo. When they were defeated, they retreated north into Hedmark and the Opplands, burning Hamar Cathedral and destroying the bishop’s fortified palace Hamarhus. Akershus is a county in Norway, bordering Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud, Oslo and Østfold. ... County Hedmark Landscape Hedemarken Municipality NO-0403 Administrative centre Hamar Mayor (2004) Einar Busterud (By- og bygdelista - The City and Rural areas Party) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 257 351 km² 338 km² 0. ...

Double-edged successes

Spring time came and Erik XIV turned insane. This incapacitated the Swedish warfare. Even the Danish were exhausted and did no serious attacks until October when Rantzau attack with about 8,500 man into Småland and Östergötland. He arrived in November and burned every field, house and livestock he could. An attempt to cut his retreat off over the Holaveden failed, and in the middle of February 1568 he returned to Halland. This same year Erik was dethroned and another break occurred in the war.

Attempts were made to make peace between the fighting nations during these years. Some negotiators that attempted this included dukes of Pommern, French messenger Charles Dancay, Emperor Ferdinand I and Emperor Maximilian II. See: Ferdinand I of Castile and Leon, the Great (ca. ... Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II Maximilian II of the Habsburg dynasty was born in 1527 at Vienna and died in 1576 in Regensburg. ...

But since Eric XIV and Fredrik II showed no love for peace, the attempts failed. In 1568, Swedish duke Johan began negotiations with Denmark and November 18th 1568 this led to a draft of peace in Roskilde. This however was turned down by the Swedes. In 1569, war stirred again. The Danes attacked Varberg and reclaimed it on November 13th. The Swedes on the other hand now had great success in Skåne. November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ...

Peace negotiations

At this point, both armies were exhausted. This led to further negotiations toward peace. In September 1570 a peace negotiations meeting began in Stettin and peace was finally reached on December 13, 1570. The Swedish king withdrew the claims to Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and Gotland, while the Danes withdrew their claims to Sweden as a whole. In addition, the Kalmar Union was declared dissolved. Motto: none Voivodship West Pomeranian Municipal government Rada miasta Szczecina Mayor Marian Jurczyk Area 301,3 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 413 600 1372/km² Founded City rights 8th century 1243 Latitude Longitude 14°34E 53°26N Area code +48 91 Car plates ZS Twin towns Berlin-Kreuzberg... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kalmar Union (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish: Kalmarunionen) was a series of personal unions (1397–1520) that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch. ...

The Swedes ransomed Älvsborg with 150,000 riksdaler (currency of the time). The disputes concerning the three crowns insignia was pushed for future arguments. The daler or the Riksdaler was the name of the currency used in Sweden until 1873 when it was replaced with the krona as an effect of the Scandinavian Monetary Union. ...

The Consequences

Perhaps the most significant consequence of this war was initiation of a standing Swedish army. This war, followed by a virtually continuous involvement of Sweden over the next century in other wars, produced a military capability which made Sweden, for a period, the greatest military power in the north.

This war, with its extreme destruction and wanton civilian casualties strengthened the hatred between Swedes and Danes, while polarizing the until-then ambivalent Norwegian opinion to one of fear and resistance to Sweden.

The invasion routes of Norway also presaged the attacks on Norway in the next century and defined Norwegian defensive policy.

References

• A History of Sweden by Ignar Andersson; Frederick A. Praeger; 1956
• The Northern Wars, 1558-1721 by Robert I. Frost; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000; ISBN 0-582-06429-5
• History of the Norwegian People by Knut Gjerset, The MacMillan Company, 1915, Volumes I & II
• The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725 by Jill Lisk; Funk & Wagnalls, New York, 1967
• Fra Bondeoppbud til Legdshær by Trygve Mathisen, Guldendal Norsk Forlag, 1952
• Sweden - The Nation's History by Franklin D. Scott; Southern Illinois University Press; 1988; ISBN 0-8093-1489-4
• East Norway and its Frontier by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 1956
• The Heart of Norway by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1953.
• Sweden and the Baltic, 1523 - 1721, by Andrina Stiles, Hodder & Stoughton, 1992 ISBN 0-340-54644-1