The Swedish Empire was once a powerhouse in Europe, commanding the respect of other nations, until its fall with the Treaty of Nystad. How did this once, mighty empire fall? Let’s start with the rise.
KINGDOM OF SWEDEN (800-1521)
Not that much is known about the early Kingdom of Sweden, but what we do know is that it was tied to Vikings. They would raid Denmark and England. It took until the 11th century for Sweden to fully unite.
KALMAR UNION (1397-1523)
The Kalmar union was a personal union of Denmark, Sweden and Norway that controlled Norway; Denmark; and parts of Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Greenland. The Kalmar Union was one of the strongest states in Europe at the time. After the Danish king forced the king of Sweden to retreat in battle, he was crowned in Kalmar. The Swedes didn’t like this, so under Gustavus Vasa, they rebelled against Denmark in the Swedish War of Liberation. Denmark couldn’t hold on to all of its possessions, but it kept Norway, Iceland, and Greenland.
KINGDOM OF SWEDEN UNDER THE VASA DYNASTY (1523-1611)
The kingdom of Sweden tried to unify Sweden as a religious state. There were more than half a dozen peasant revolts. Not much is known about the second kingdom of Sweden, as most of its history has been lost.
THE LION FROM THE NORTH (1611-1632)
Gustavus Adolphus, known as the Lion from the North, became king in 1611. Now the Thirty Years War was raging in Europe against Habsburg states. Denmark intervened, bringing in the UK. Then Sweden joined. Sweden quickly turned the tide on the battlefield. Already at war with Poland, they finished that conflict and declared war on the pro-Habsburg states, starting the second part of the Thirty Years War. Swedish intervention began with a landing in Prussia, forcing the Prussians to assist them. At this point the Swedish forces started to turn the tides against the Habsburg states. The battle of Breitenfield was a major victory for the Swedish-Saxony units, pushing back the Austrians with major casualties. But, then disaster occurred, and The Lion From The North was shot and killed in Lutzen, modern-day Germany. With this death, the Swedish forces lost steam.
GAINING NEW LANDS
This was a during/after period of the 30 years war, Sweden laid claim to parts of New Jersey, parts of the Gold Coast of Africa, Finland, a part of Norway, Aland islands, parts of Germany, some parts of the Caribbean, part of India, Estonia, and parts of Lithuania and Russia.
PEACE OF OLIVA
The peace of Oliva saw the victory of Sweden over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This caused all claims to the Swedish throne from Poland to be rebutted. Sweden annexed Estonia, Ingirina, Kexholm.
RUSSO-SWEDISH WAR (1656-1658)
This war was a loss for Russian forces that wished to claim Livonia. This resulted in Russia losing ships and Sweden having full claim over the Baltic region.
All of this would lead to the fall of the Swedish empire and the formation of the Russian Empire from the Tsardom of Russia.
