History of Sweden (1523–1611)
In 1520, Christian II of Denmark took Stockholm and ordered the execution of Swedish nobles in an event known as the Stockholm Bloodbath. This massacre triggered a rebellion that began in Dalarna, north-west Sweden. Gustav Eriksson, a nobleman related to Sten Sture the Elder, gathered troops from this region by 1521. He received crucial support from Lübeck to defeat the Danes. His men elected him their monarch in August 1521. The War of Liberation continued until June 1523 when they captured Stockholm. Gustav Vasa then consolidated his rule over the newly independent kingdom.
Tax reforms occurred in 1538 and again in 1558 to simplify complex taxes on independent farmers. These changes adjusted assessments per farm to reflect ability to pay. Crown tax revenues increased significantly under this new system. A war with Lübeck in 1535 resulted in the expulsion of Hanseatic traders who previously held a monopoly on foreign trade. By 1544, Gustavus had support from 60% of farmlands across all of Sweden. The nation built its first modern army in Europe supported by this sophisticated tax system. Government bureaucracy grew alongside these fiscal measures. Gustav Vasa proclaimed the Swedish crown hereditary within his family, the House of Vasa.
Gustav Vasa addressed Pope Leo X in Rome shortly after seizing power in 1523. He requested confirmation for Johannes Magnus as archbishop following the deposition of Gustav Trolle. The pope initially refused but granted approval one year later. Magnus traveled to Rome and was consecrated in 1533 before never returning home. Gustav suppressed Catholic printing presses in 1526 and took two-thirds of Church tithes to pay national debt owed to German soldiers. In 1529 he summoned a church meeting in Örebro where all Catholic rituals were declared merely symbolic. Laurentius Petri became archbishop of Uppsala in 1531. A complete Lutheran church ordinance appeared only in 1571 and was defined in the Riksdag in 1591. The Uppsala Synod finalized a statement of faith on the 5th of March 1593.
Gustav faced half-dozen peasant risings between 1525 and 1543. These rebellions ended when the Dacke War was crushed by royal forces. Religious issues figured largely in all these conflicts though fiscal burdens remained grievous. Peasants formally protested against the introduction of Luthery due to wholesale seizure of Church property. They insisted on restoration of ancient Catholic customs. The degradation of Church property outraged many rural communities. Increasing tax demands added to their particular grievances. The state struggled to maintain control while implementing radical religious changes across the countryside.
Eric XIV engaged Sweden in the Livonian War later in October 1560. By March 1561, the city council of Reval surrendered to Sweden as an outpost for further conquests. The Northern Seven Years' War commenced after Danish fleet fired on Swedish navy at Bornholm on the 30th of May 1563. War was declared in Stockholm by emissaries from Denmark and Lübeck on the 13th of August 1563. Eric continued fighting until his insanity halted warfare in 1567. He was dethroned in 1568 and replaced by John who made peace attempts. A treaty signed at Stettin in 1570 eventually succeeded. Poland soon joined the conflict wanting control of Baltic trade routes.
Sigismund found out about the Uppsala Synod in 1593 and considered it an infringement of his prerogative. He initially tried to gain time by confirming what had been done upon arrival in Sweden. Aggressiveness of the Protestant faction made civil war inevitable. The struggle decided in favor of Charles and Protestantism at the Battle of Stångebro on the 25th of September 1598. Sigismund fled from Sweden never to return. On the 19th of March 1600, the Riksdag of Linköping proclaimed Duke Charles king under title of Charles IX. Sigismund and his line forfeited the Swedish crown which passed to male heirs of Charles. Sigismund ruled Poland from 1587 to 1632 while residing there throughout this period.
Common questions
When did Gustav Vasa capture Stockholm to end the War of Liberation?
Gustav Vasa captured Stockholm in June 1523. This event concluded the War of Liberation and allowed him to consolidate rule over the newly independent kingdom.
What tax reforms were implemented by Gustav Vasa between 1538 and 1558?
Tax reforms occurred in 1538 and again in 1558 to simplify complex taxes on independent farmers. These changes adjusted assessments per farm to reflect ability to pay and significantly increased Crown tax revenues.
Who became archbishop of Uppsala after Laurentius Petri was appointed in 1531?
Laurentius Petri became archbishop of Uppsala in 1531 following the deposition of Gustav Trolle. He served as archbishop until his death while Johannes Magnus had been consecrated in Rome in 1533 before never returning home.
On what date did the Battle of Stångebro decide the conflict between Sigismund and Charles IX?
The struggle decided in favor of Charles and Protestantism at the Battle of Stångebro on the 25th of September 1598. Sigismund fled from Sweden never to return after this decisive engagement.
When did Eric XIV engage Sweden in the Livonian War and when did the Northern Seven Years' War commence?
Eric XIV engaged Sweden in the Livonian War later in October 1560. The Northern Seven Years' War commenced after Danish fleet fired on Swedish navy at Bornholm on the 30th of May 1563.