Swedish Empire – Dynasties & Territories

Timeline

Layers

House of Vasa (1523–1654) · House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken (1654–1720) · House of Hesse (1720–1751) · House of Holstein-Gottorp (1751–1818) · House of Bernadotte (1818–today) · Norway (Danish to 1814, union with Sweden 1814–1905) · Denmark (rival)

Events

• 7 Nov 1520, Stockholm Bloodbath: After his coronation, Christian II of Denmark had some 80-100 Swedish nobles, bishops and burghers executed on Stortorget, sparking Gustav Vasa's war of liberation.
• 23 Aug 1521, Gustav Vasa proclaimed Regent of Sweden: Leading the revolt against Christian II of Denmark, Gustav Eriksson Vasa was proclaimed riksföreståndare (regent) of Sweden by the lords of the realm at Vadstena.
• 6 Jun 1523, Reign of Gustav I Vasa: Gustav Vasa ruled for 37 years, broke with the Kalmar Union and the Church of Rome and built a centralised, hereditary monarchy. He died at Tre Kronor castle in Stockholm.
• 6 Jun 1523, Vasa dynasty: Gustav Vasa elected king: On 6 June, now Sweden's National Day, the Riksdag at Strängnäs elected Gustav Eriksson Vasa king, founding the Vasa dynasty and ending the Kalmar Union.
• 17 Jun 1523, Gustav Vasa takes Stockholm: The Danish garrison surrendered Stockholm, ending the Swedish War of Liberation; Gustav Vasa entered his capital on Midsummer Eve.
• 1 Sep 1524, Treaty of Malmö: Frederick I of Denmark and Gustav Vasa settled their dispute through Lübeck's mediation, ending the War of Liberation and effectively recognising Sweden's independence.
• 16 Jun 1527, Riksdag of Västerås: the Reformation: Gustav Vasa's Riksdag broke the power of the Catholic Church, transferring its wealth and castles to the crown and launching the Swedish Reformation.
• 13 Jan 1544, Hereditary monarchy adopted at Västerås: At the Riksdag of Västerås the Estates swore the Succession Pact, making the crown hereditary in Gustav Vasa's male line and ending elective kingship.
• 29 Sep 1560, Reign of Erik XIV: Gustav Vasa's eldest son won Reval (Tallinn) for Sweden in 1561, but his growing paranoia and the Sture murders of 1567 led his brothers to overthrow and imprison him.
• 4 Jun 1561, Reval submits to Sweden: The city of Reval (Tallinn) and the nobles of northern Estonia placed themselves under Erik XIV, creating Swedish Estonia, Sweden's first dominion across the Baltic.
• 13 Aug 1563, Northern Seven Years' War: Erik XIV's war against Denmark, Lübeck and Poland. The Danes took Älvsborg, Sweden's only western port, in 1563; the costly war ended in stalemate at Stettin.
• 30 Sep 1568, Reign of John III: Erik's half-brother seized power in 1568, ended the Northern Seven Years' War and leaned towards Catholicism with his 'Red Book' liturgy. His son Sigismund became king of Poland in 1587.
• 13 Dec 1570, Treaty of Stettin: Ended the Northern Seven Years' War: Denmark renounced its claims to Sweden, and Sweden agreed to pay 150,000 riksdaler to ransom Älvsborg fortress.
• 20 Aug 1583, Truce of Plussa: Truce with Russia ending the Livonian War: Sweden kept Narva, Ivangorod, Jama, Koporye and Kexholm, giving it control of Ingria.
• 27 Nov 1592, Reign of Sigismund: Already king of Poland-Lithuania, the Catholic Sigismund inherited Sweden in 1592. Beaten at Stångebro by his uncle Duke Charles, he was deposed by the Swedish Riksdag in 1599.
• 27 Nov 1592, Sweden-Poland personal union: Sigismund Vasa, elected king of Poland-Lithuania in 1587, inherited Sweden in 1592, uniting both crowns until the Swedish Riksdag deposed him in 1599.
• 15 Mar 1593, Uppsala Synod: The Uppsala Synod adopted the unaltered Augsburg Confession, committing Sweden firmly to Lutheranism before the Catholic King Sigismund could arrive.
• 28 May 1595, Treaty of Teusina: 'Eternal peace' with Russia signed at Tyavzino near Ivangorod: Russia recognised Swedish rule over Estonia and Narva, while Sweden returned Ingria and Kexholm.
• 5 Oct 1598, Battle of Stångebro: Duke Charles defeated his nephew King Sigismund's army at the Stångå bridges near Linköping, ending the Swedish-Polish personal union in practice.
• 3 Aug 1599, Duke Charles rules as regent: After Sigismund's deposition his uncle Duke Charles governed Sweden as riksföreståndare, crushing Sigismund's supporters (Linköping Bloodbath, 1600) before taking the crown himself.
• 3 Aug 1599, Riksdag deposes Sigismund: The Riksdag in Stockholm formally deposed the Catholic Sigismund, who ruled from Poland, leaving Duke Charles in power and opening decades of Polish-Swedish wars.
• 1 Apr 1604, Reign of Charles IX: Gustav Vasa's youngest son accepted the royal title in 1604 and was crowned in 1607. His reign brought war with Poland, Russia and finally Denmark; he died at Nyköping in 1611.
• 14 Apr 1611, Kalmar War: Christian IV of Denmark invaded Sweden, taking Kalmar in 1611 and Älvsborg in 1612; Sweden had to pay a huge ransom for Älvsborg at the peace of Knäred.
• 9 Nov 1611, Reign of Gustav II Adolf: The 'Lion of the North' reformed army and state with Axel Oxenstierna, won Ingria and Livonia, and made Sweden a great power in the Thirty Years' War before falling at Lützen.
• 30 Jan 1613, Treaty of Knäred: Ended the Kalmar War. Sweden had to pay one million riksdaler to ransom Älvsborg but won exemption from the Danish Sound Dues.
• 9 Mar 1617, Treaty of Stolbovo: Ended the Ingrian War: Russia ceded Ingria and Kexholm, cutting it off from the Baltic, while Sweden returned Novgorod.
• 14 Jun 1621, Gothenburg founded: Gustav II Adolf granted city privileges to Gothenburg, built with Dutch help at the mouth of the Göta älv to give Sweden a secure port on the North Sea.
• 23 Aug 1621, Capture of Riga: Gustav II Adolf besieged and took Riga, Livonia's great trading city, from Poland-Lithuania; it remained Swedish until 1710.
• 26 Sep 1629, Truce of Altmark: Six-year truce with Poland-Lithuania: Sweden kept Livonia and the Prussian ports with their tolls, freeing Gustav II Adolf to intervene in Germany.
• 6 Jul 1630, Gustav II Adolf lands at Peenemünde: Gustav II Adolf landed on Usedom with about 13,000 men, bringing Sweden into the Thirty Years' War as champion of the Protestant cause.
• 17 Sep 1631, Battle of Breitenfeld: Gustav II Adolf and his Saxon allies routed Count Tilly's Imperial-Catholic League army north of Leipzig, the first great Protestant victory of the war.
• 16 Nov 1632, Reign of Christina: Queen at five, Christina ruled in person from 1644, saw the Peace of Westphalia and hosted Descartes, then abdicated in 1654, converted to Catholicism and settled in Rome.
• 16 Nov 1632, Battle of Lützen: Gustav II Adolf killed: The Swedes defeated Wallenstein's Imperial army, but Gustav II Adolf was killed in the fog of battle; a memorial marks the spot where his body was found.
• 8 Aug 1634, Instrument of Government of 1634: Drafted by Axel Oxenstierna, Sweden's first constitution organised central government and introduced the counties (län) during Christina's minority.
• 5 Sep 1634, Battle of Nördlingen: An Imperial-Spanish army crushed the Swedes under Gustav Horn and Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar; Horn was captured and Sweden's hold on southern Germany collapsed.
• 12 Sep 1635, Treaty of Stuhmsdorf: Sweden extended its truce with Poland-Lithuania by 26 years, keeping Livonia but giving up the Prussian ports and their lucrative tolls.
• 4 Oct 1636, Battle of Wittstock: Field Marshal Johan Banér defeated a combined Imperial-Saxon army in Brandenburg, restoring Swedish fortunes after Nördlingen.
• 29 Mar 1638, New Sweden: Settlers from the Kalmar Nyckel and Fogel Grip founded Fort Christina (Wilmington, Delaware); the colony fell to Peter Stuyvesant's Dutch forces in 1655.
• 6 Mar 1645, Battle of Jankau: Lennart Torstensson's Swedish army destroyed an Imperial-Bavarian army in Bohemia, opening the road towards Vienna.
• 23 Aug 1645, Treaty of Brömsebro: Ended the Torstenson War: Denmark ceded Gotland, Ösel, Jämtland and Härjedalen, plus Halland for 30 years, and Sweden was freed from the Sound Dues.
• 24 Oct 1648, Peace of Westphalia: Ended the Thirty Years' War. Sweden gained Western Pomerania, Wismar and Bremen-Verden, five million thalers and a seat in the Imperial Diet.
• 22 Apr 1650, Swedish Gold Coast: The Swedish Africa Company built Fort Carolusborg at Cabo Corso (Cape Coast, Ghana) to trade in gold, ivory and slaves; lost to Denmark in 1658, regained, then taken by the Dutch.
• 16 Jun 1654, Reign of Charles X Gustav: Christina's cousin, the first Palatinate king, spent his reign at war with Poland, Russia and Denmark, winning Scania, Halland, Blekinge and Bohuslän before dying in Gothenburg.
• 16 Jun 1654, Palatinate-Zweibrücken dynasty begins: Queen Christina abdicated at Uppsala Castle and her cousin Charles X Gustav, son of the Count Palatine of Kleeburg, was crowned the same day, founding the Palatinate dynasty.
• 9 Feb 1658, March across the Belts: In a bitter winter Charles X Gustav led his army across the frozen Little and Great Belts to Zealand, forcing Denmark into the humiliating Treaty of Roskilde.
• 8 Mar 1658, Treaty of Roskilde: After the March across the Belts, Denmark-Norway ceded Scania, Halland, Blekinge, Bohuslän, Bornholm and Trøndelag, giving Sweden its greatest extent.
• 21 Aug 1658, Siege of Copenhagen: Charles X Gustav broke the Roskilde peace and besieged Copenhagen; the city held out, repelling a great Swedish assault in February 1659, until peace in 1660.
• 21 Feb 1659, Assault on Copenhagen: Swedish troops stormed Copenhagen's walls across the ice by night but were beaten back with some 2,000 casualties, saving the Danish capital.
• 23 Feb 1660, Reign of Charles XI: King at four, Charles XI took power in 1672 and won at Lund in 1676. He then made himself absolute monarch, reclaimed crown lands in the Great Reduction and built the allotment army.
• 3 May 1660, Treaty of Oliva: Peace with Poland-Lithuania and its allies: Poland ceded Livonia and Riga, and John II Casimir renounced the Polish Vasas' claim to the Swedish throne.
• 6 Jun 1660, Treaty of Copenhagen: Ended the Dano-Swedish war: Bornholm returned to Denmark and Trøndelag to Norway, while Sweden kept Scania, Halland, Blekinge and Bohuslän.
• 1 Jul 1661, Treaty of Kardis: Peace with Russia signed at Kärde manor in Estonia: Russia returned its conquests in Livonia and the Stolbovo borders were confirmed.
• 28 Jun 1675, Battle of Fehrbellin: The Great Elector's Brandenburg army defeated a Swedish force under Waldemar von Wrangel, shattering the myth of Swedish invincibility.
• 14 Dec 1676, Battle of Lund: Charles XI defeated Christian V's Danish army north of Lund in one of the bloodiest battles in Nordic history, securing Scania for Sweden.
• 29 Jun 1679, Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Under French pressure, Brandenburg returned most of the Swedish Pomerania it had conquered, keeping only a strip east of the Oder.
• 6 Oct 1679, Peace of Lund: The final peace of the Scanian War restored pre-war borders between Sweden and Denmark-Norway, confirming Swedish rule over Scania, Halland and Blekinge.
• 11 Oct 1680, Charles XI's absolutism and Great Reduction: The Riksdag approved the Great Reduction of crown lands held by the nobility and freed Charles XI from the Council's control, laying the foundation of royal absolutism.
• 11 Apr 1681, Zweibrücken in personal union with Sweden: Charles XI inherited the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, his family's German homeland; ruled from Sweden, though occupied by France until 1697, until Charles XII's death.
• 15 Apr 1697, Reign of Charles XII: Crowned at 15, the warrior king won at Narva in 1700 but lost his army at Poltava in 1709, spent five years in Ottoman exile and was killed at Fredriksten in Norway in 1718.
• 22 Feb 1700, Great Northern War: Denmark, Saxony-Poland and Russia attacked Sweden. After early victories, defeat at Poltava turned the war; the Treaty of Nystad ended Sweden's era as a great power.
• 18 Aug 1700, Peace of Travendal: After Charles XII's landing on Zealand, Denmark-Norway left the anti-Swedish coalition and restored the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
• 30 Nov 1700, Battle of Narva: In a snowstorm, 18-year-old Charles XII's roughly 10,500 men routed a Russian army three to four times larger that was besieging Narva.
• 8 Jul 1709, Battle of Poltava: Peter the Great's army crushed Charles XII's invasion force in Ukraine, the decisive battle of the Great Northern War and the start of Russian supremacy.
• 11 Jul 1709, Surrender at Perevolochna: Trapped at the Dnieper, the remains of the Swedish army, some 14,000 men under Lewenhaupt, surrendered to the Russians while Charles XII escaped to Ottoman territory.
• 10 Mar 1710, Battle of Helsingborg: Magnus Stenbock's hastily raised army defeated the Danish invasion force on the Ringstorp heights outside Helsingborg, driving the Danes out of Scania.
• 19 May 1713, The Great Wrath: Russia occupies Finland: Russian forces landed at Helsingfors in 1713 and overran Finland; the harsh occupation remembered as the Great Wrath (Isoviha) lasted until the Peace of Nystad.
• 11 Dec 1718, Charles XII killed at Fredriksten: Charles XII was killed by a shot to the head while inspecting siege trenches before Fredriksten fortress at Halden, Norway; the campaign was abandoned.
• 16 Dec 1718, Reign of Ulrika Eleonora: Charles XII's sister won the throne by accepting a new constitution that stripped the crown of absolute power, then abdicated in favour of her husband, Frederick of Hesse.
• 4 Mar 1719, Age of Liberty: New constitutions of 1719 and 1720 transferred power from the crown to the Riksdag, beginning half a century of parliamentary rule dominated by the Hats and Caps.
• 20 Nov 1719, Treaty of Stockholm with Hanover: First of the treaties ending the Great Northern War: Sweden ceded the duchies of Bremen and Verden to Hanover.
• 1 Feb 1720, Treaty of Stockholm with Prussia: Sweden ceded Stettin and Swedish Pomerania south of the Peene, with Usedom and Wollin, to Prussia for two million thalers.
• 4 Apr 1720, Reign of Frederick I: A German prince elected king, Frederick I had little real power during the Age of Liberty, when the Riksdag and its Hats and Caps parties ruled. He was also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1730.
• 14 Jul 1720, Treaty of Frederiksborg: Peace with Denmark-Norway: Sweden lost its Sound Dues exemption, dropped support for Holstein-Gottorp, paid 600,000 riksdaler and recovered Stralsund and Rügen.
• 10 Sep 1721, Treaty of Nystad: Ended the Great Northern War: Sweden ceded Livonia, Estonia, Ingria and part of Karelia to Russia, which returned most of Finland. The Swedish Empire was over.
• 23 Mar 1730, Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel: Frederick I inherited Hesse-Kassel on his father's death, ruling it in personal union with Sweden through his brother William as regent.
• 25 Jun 1731, Swedish East India Company: Chartered in 1731, the Gothenburg-based company sent 132 expeditions to Canton and beyond, making vast profits from tea, silk and porcelain.
• 8 Aug 1741, Hats' Russian War: The Hat party's war of revenge against Russia began badly with defeat at Villmanstrand (Lappeenranta); Russia occupied Finland until the Treaty of Åbo.
• 18 Aug 1743, Treaty of Åbo: Ended the Hats' Russian War: Sweden ceded land east of the Kymi River and agreed to elect Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp as heir to the throne.
• 5 Apr 1751, Reign of Adolf Frederick: Chosen as heir in 1743 to satisfy Russia, the first Holstein-Gottorp king remained a figurehead of the Riksdag; his queen Louisa Ulrika's attempted royalist coup of 1756 failed.
• 2 Dec 1766, Freedom of the Press Act: The Riksdag passed the world's first law protecting freedom of the press, which also established public access to official documents.
• 12 Feb 1771, Reign of Gustav III: Patron of the arts and founder of the Swedish Academy, Gustav III restored royal power in the coup of 1772, fought Russia in 1788-90 and was shot at a masked ball in 1792.
• 19 Aug 1772, Gustav III's coup: Gustav III seized power in a bloodless revolution; two days later the Estates accepted a new constitution restoring royal authority and ending the Age of Liberty.
• 1 Jul 1784, Saint-Barthélemy, Swedish colony: France traded the Caribbean island to Sweden for trading rights in Gothenburg; its free port Gustavia prospered before Sweden sold it back to France in 1878.
• 21 Feb 1789, Union and Security Act: Backed by the commoners against the nobility, Gustav III forced through an act giving the king power to declare war and make peace, and opening most offices to commoners.
• 9 Jul 1790, Battle of Svensksund: Gustav III's archipelago fleet routed the Russian galley fleet off present-day Kotka in the largest naval battle ever fought in the Baltic, leading to peace at Värälä.
• 14 Aug 1790, Treaty of Värälä: Peace with Russia after Svensksund restored the pre-war border and ended Russia's claimed right to meddle in Swedish domestic affairs.
• 16 Mar 1792, Assassination of Gustav III: Gustav III was shot in the back by Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball in the Royal Opera in Stockholm; he died of his wound 13 days later, on 29 March.
• 29 Mar 1792, Reign of Gustav IV Adolf: His hostility to Napoleon led Sweden into disastrous wars and the loss of Finland to Russia. Officers arrested him in the coup of March 1809; he abdicated and died in exile.
• 26 Jun 1803, Treaty of Malmö: Wismar pawned: Sweden pawned Wismar to Mecklenburg-Schwerin with a right of redemption after 100 years; the town never returned and Sweden renounced its claim in 1903.
• 21 Feb 1808, Finnish War: Russia invaded Finland; Sveaborg fortress surrendered in May 1808 and, after defeats such as Oravais, Sweden had to cede all of Finland to Russia at Fredrikshamn.
• 14 Sep 1808, Battle of Oravais: Russian forces defeated the Swedish-Finnish army at Oravais in the bloodiest battle of the Finnish War, sealing the loss of Finland.
• 13 Mar 1809, Coup of 1809 and new constitution: Officers arrested Gustav IV Adolf after the loss of Finland; the Riksdag deposed him and on 6 June adopted a new constitution with separation of powers.
• 6 Jun 1809, Reign of Charles XIII: Gustav III's brother, regent after the 1809 coup, accepted a new constitution as king. Childless, he adopted Marshal Bernadotte as heir, and from 1814 he was also King of Norway.
• 17 Sep 1809, Treaty of Fredrikshamn: Sweden ceded Finland, Åland and the land east of the Torne River to Russia, about a third of the realm, creating the Grand Duchy of Finland.
• 21 Aug 1810, Bernadotte elected Crown Prince at Örebro: The Riksdag at Örebro elected French Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte heir to the childless Charles XIII; adopted by the king, he took the name Charles John.
• 3 Mar 1813, Guadeloupe ceded to Sweden: Britain ceded Guadeloupe to Sweden for joining the coalition against Napoleon, but it stayed under British administration and went back to France in 1814.
• 16 Oct 1813, Battle of Leipzig: Swedes against Napoleon: Crown Prince Charles John led the Allied Army of the North, including Swedish troops, in the 'Battle of the Nations' that broke Napoleon's power in Germany.
• 14 Jan 1814, Treaty of Kiel: Defeated by the Allies, Denmark ceded Norway to the King of Sweden in exchange for Swedish Pomerania and Rügen, which in the end went to Prussia.
• 26 Jul 1814, Swedish campaign against Norway: Sweden's last war: after Norway declared independence, Charles John's army invaded, took Fredrikstad and forced the Convention of Moss and union with Sweden.
• 14 Aug 1814, Convention of Moss: Ceasefire ending the Swedish-Norwegian war: Norway kept its constitution and entered a union with Sweden, while Christian Frederick gave up the Norwegian crown.
• 4 Nov 1814, Union of Sweden and Norway: The Storting elected Charles XIII King of Norway, creating a union of two kingdoms under one monarch that lasted until Norway's peaceful secession in 1905.
• 23 Oct 1815, Swedish Pomerania handed to Prussia: Under the Vienna settlement Sweden handed Swedish Pomerania and Rügen to Prussia, ending 185 years of Swedish rule on the German Baltic coast.
• 5 Feb 1818, Reign of Charles XIV John: Born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in Pau, the former French marshal founded the Bernadotte dynasty, won Norway for the Swedish crown and began Sweden's long era of peace.
• 8 Mar 1844, Reign of Oscar I: Bernadotte's son brought liberal reforms, including equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters in 1845, and supported closer Scandinavian cooperation.
• 8 Jul 1859, Reign of Charles XV: A popular, pan-Scandinavian king and amateur painter, whose reign saw the 1866 reform that replaced the four-estate Riksdag with a two-chamber parliament.
• 22 Jun 1866, Riksdag reform: two-chamber parliament: The four Estates voted for Louis De Geer's reform in December 1865, and in 1866 the medieval Riksdag of the Estates gave way to a two-chamber parliament.
• 18 Sep 1872, Reign of Oscar II: King of Sweden and Norway during rapid industrialisation, Oscar II saw the union with Norway dissolved in 1905 and renounced the Norwegian throne.
• 23 Sep 1905, Karlstad Treaty: union with Norway dissolved: Negotiators in Karlstad agreed the peaceful dissolution of the union with Norway; Oscar II renounced the Norwegian throne on 26 October 1905.
• 8 Dec 1907, Reign of Gustaf V: Sweden's longest-lived king kept the country neutral through both world wars; the 1914 Courtyard Crisis was the last royal challenge to parliamentary government.
• 3 Aug 1914, Neutrality in World War I: Sweden declared neutrality and stayed out of the First World War, though blockades caused severe food shortages and the hunger riots of 1917.
• 24 May 1919, Riksdag votes for women's suffrage: The Riksdag passed the first of two constitutional votes introducing universal and equal suffrage for women and men; the confirming vote followed on 26 January 1921.
• 24 Jun 1921, Åland crisis settled by the League of Nations: The League of Nations Council awarded the Åland Islands to Finland rather than Sweden, with guarantees for their Swedish language and culture and demilitarisation.
• 10 Sep 1921, First election with universal suffrage: Sweden's first general election under universal and equal suffrage: women voted for the first time and five women were elected to the Riksdag.
• 1 Sep 1939, Neutrality in World War II: Sweden declared neutrality, was 'non-belligerent' in Finland's Winter War, made concessions to Germany, and later sheltered refugees, including Denmark's Jews in 1943.
• 29 Oct 1950, Reign of Gustaf VI Adolf: A respected archaeologist and plant collector, he came to the throne at 67; his reign preceded the 1974 constitution that left the monarch a purely ceremonial role.
• 1971, Unicameral Riksdag introduced: The two-chamber Riksdag was replaced by a single chamber of 350 members, which first met in temporary premises at Sergels torg on 11 January 1971.
• 15 Sep 1973, Reign of Carl XVI Gustaf: Grandson of Gustaf VI Adolf, he was the first Swedish king to reign with purely ceremonial duties under the 1974 constitution and is Sweden's longest-reigning monarch.
• 28 Feb 1974, Instrument of Government of 1974: Sweden's current constitution, in force from 1 January 1975, declared that all public power proceeds from the people and made the monarch a purely ceremonial head of state.
• 1980, Act of Succession: equal primogeniture: Sweden became the first monarchy to adopt absolute primogeniture, making Crown Princess Victoria heir to the throne ahead of her younger brother Carl Philip.
• 1995, Sweden joins the European Union: After a narrow yes vote in the referendum of 13 November 1994, Sweden joined the European Union together with Austria and Finland.

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