The Stockholm Bloodbath

[Atterdag]

.:The Stockholm Bloodbath:.

Today it's 486 years since Prounion Danish and Swedish forces condemned a large amount of opposing Swedish nobles to death.
82 Swedish bishops and noblemen were dragged out on the great square in Stockholm city and killed with great savageness.
This was possible the reason why the two kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden engaged each other in wars for 200 years with great hate and anger (200 years later the Great Northern War ended with Swedish defeat) mostly resulting in severe Danish defeats.
Sweden had first left the Kalmar Union in 1448, protesting about the high Danish taxes and obvious hegemony.
They were defeated by Christian the 1.st of Denmark after a 5 year long war.
Only 11 years later the Swedes declared independence once again, they recalled their deposed king and this time the Danes had no success in subduing Sweden.

But Christian 2. of Denmark and Norway elected king in both kingdoms in 1512 decided to restore the union.
In 1517 and 1518 he led two campaigns against Sweden, both resulted in defeats at the hands of Swedish peasent armies.
He returned with a large force of mercenaries in the early months of 1520.
The Danish king met the Swedes under Sten Sture at Bogesund in Västergötland.
The two armies amassed before each other and the artillery opened fire.
One of the very first shots crushed the knee of Sten Sture, causing him incredibly pain and forcing him of the field.
Without their commander the Swedes were like lamb reap for the slaughter and their army crumbled before the assailing Danes.
Sten Sture died while retreating to Stockholm, and his widow took command of the 'rebel' forces.
The fortune of war soon switched side, and the conflict continued with victories to both the kingdoms.
Fact is that the antiunion party in Sweden was defeated and Christian 2. was crowned king of the kingdom of Sweden the 1st of November.
Provided that the land was ruled according to Swedish customs and by Swedish law.

8 days later Christian had the remaining antiunion nobles dragged out and beheaded, even though he had promised them indemnity.
All of Europe and, especially Denmark, was terrified by this event. The nobles knew that the king could try them if they opposed him. Afraid of loosing their power they started to plot.
Christian didn't last long; he was deposed as king of Sweden in 1523 by Gustav Vasa.
A civil war broke out in Denmark and he was also deposed there by the Danish privy council. He stayed exiled in Holland with his family for 8 years, but tried to regain his throne. He landed in Norway and recieved the Norwegians support. His rival his uncle Frederik lured him to negotiations in Copenhagen, but Frederik broke the truce and had his nephew put in jail.

He never sat on the Danish throne again.


Kings come and go, but this particular event would ultimately lead to great animosity between the two people who, were and are actually brothers (or cousins..)



Today this ancient hate is still visible, though mostly coming up when the two nations are facing each other in football, or any sport for that matter. I can only speak for the Danish part, but that’s how it is, and that is probably the same relationship any country has with it’s nemesis.

When my parent visited Stockholm some years ago, they ate supper with some Swedish business relatives.

They said as serious as humanly possible, that it was nice that Danes and Swedes could eat together in a civilized fashion after the bloodbath at Stockholm.


______________________________________

Don't forget to read the rest of Gesta Danorum, deeds of the Danes.

Holy war in the Baltic an article on crusades and warfare in medieval Northern Europe

The siege of Copenhagen Possible the most important battle in the history of Scandinavia

The Great Northern War The last great war between the old foes.

The German occupation of Denmark And what it lead to.

[Valus]

A fascinating event indeed...
What one must remember is that up until then Denmark had been the predominant nation in the Baltic area and I would say that Christian 2 was the only Danish King that could basically have taken over the whole country..
No other king would be as succesful as he was and his rising star probably climaxed at the Stockholm Bloodbath as it was really a demonstration of absolute political and millitary power as this was the first time that either side has virtually taken over a capital..
Yet Sweden would continue the war, suffering both defeats and winning victories, but to say that it was an ungoing war from the 1520's right until the early 18th century is a mistake imo, even though there was really no longer periods of peace between the nations...
The result of the bloodbath probably eased Gustav Wasa's/Vasa's succesion, as basically many of his opponents had been killed, and he would use this "political" disturbance to his advantage...
Wasa was a ruthless king that used intrigues and millitary might to defeat many of his opponents, many within his own borders, and I doubt that Christian 2 was any more ruthless than him...

[Kontos]

Thanks for a great post Atterdag.
I love history, I learn something ever day.

[Atterdag]

No other king would be as succesful as he was and his rising star probably climaxed at the Stockholm Bloodbath as it was really a demonstration of absolute political and millitary power as this was the first time that either side has virtually taken over a capital..

I actually do not recall that to ever happen again.

Yet Sweden would continue the war, suffering both defeats and winning victories, but to say that it was an ungoing war from the 1520's right until the early 18th century is a mistake imo, even though there was really no longer periods of peace between the nations...
The result of the bloodbath probably eased Gustav Wasa's/Vasa's succesion, as basically many of his opponents had been killed, and he would use this "political" disturbance to his advantage...
Wasa was a ruthless king that used intrigues and millitary might to defeat many of his opponents, many within his own borders, and I doubt that Christian 2 was any more ruthless than him...

It wasn't 200 years of peace and prosperity though.
The only time the two nations fought a common enemy was briefly during the 30 years war. Where Christian 4. refused Gustav Adolphs proposal of a united Scandinavian force against the Catholics.

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

Excellent and Informative Post Atterdag. + Rep.

[Valus]

Originally Posted by Atterdag

I actually do not recall that to ever happen again.

You are correct! Though the swedish army under Charles XII did defeat the danes and probably could have taken the danish capital in 1700 should they have wanted it... Though of course we all know that a war is far from over just because you have taken the capital, the danes would have would found it hard to take over the whole nation as would the swedes 200 years later...
The Stockholm bloodbath was probably the climax of danish political power in the baltic while Swedens would be almost 200 years later...
So there are really no side that has been dominant throughout the whole period, even though the danes were most succesfull in the earlier stage of the conflicts and Sweden in the later..
After the great Nordic war the both nations had virtually lost their influence and would never be as dominant as they had been during the 17th and early 18th century...

[Atterdag]

You are correct! Though the swedish army under Charles XII did defeat the danes and probably could have taken the danish capital in 1700 should they have wanted it

You're talking about the battle at Humlebæk?
The Swedes could probably have taken Copenhagen then, even though the spirit 59' was trying to be rewoked.

But then again with the Danish army in Holstein and with the Swedish, English and Holland fleets mastering the seas, there were little that could be done.