Swedish Empire
Sweden, 1611–1721. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Swedish Empire, called the Great Power Era in Sweden, was the period in the 17th and early 18th centuries when Sweden was a European great power with territorial control over much of the Baltic region. The beginning of the period is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and its end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War. Sweden reached the height of its power during the Northern War of 1655–1660, when its primary adversary, Denmark–Norway, was neutralized by the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. Charles XII won early victories, but his campaign in Russia ended in a decisive defeat at the Battle of Poltava.
Seat of power: Stockholm
Rulers
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1611–1632
During his reign, Sweden rose from the status of a Baltic Sea basin regional power to one of the great powers of Europe. He was assisted by Count Axel Oxenstierna, the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden.
Portrait of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden: Presumably Jacob Hoefnagel, Public domain, file
Christina of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1632–1654
She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus at the age of five, but only began ruling the Swedish Empire when she reached the age of eighteen. Her lavish spending habits pushed the state towards bankruptcy, sparking public unrest.
Portrait of Christina of Sweden: Sébastien Bourdon, Public domain, file
Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1654–1660
He led Sweden during the Second Northern War, enlarging the Swedish Empire.
Portrait of Charles X Gustav of Sweden: Sébastien Bourdon, Public domain, file
Charles XI of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1660–1697
He worked to correct the country's neglected political, financial and economic situation, and sustained peace during the remaining 20 years of his reign.
Portrait of Charles XI of Sweden: Attributed to David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, Public domain, file
Carl XII of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1697–1718
He assumed power at the age of fifteen, and won multiple victories despite being significantly outnumbered. The campaign ended in heavy losses at Poltava, and Charles spent the following years in exile in the Ottoman Empire.
Portrait of Carl XII of Sweden: Workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud, Public domain, file
Ulrika Eleonora I of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1718–1720
After agreeing to renounce the powers of absolute monarchy established by her father, she was recognized as successor by the Riksdag. She abdicated on 29 February 1720 in favour of Frederick, her husband.
Portrait of Ulrika Eleonora I of Sweden: Attributed to Georg Desmarées, Public domain, file
Frederick I of Sweden
Monarch of Sweden, 1720–1751
His reign was powerless, and the parliamentary government dominated by Hat Party politicians ventured into a war with Russia, which ended in defeat.
Portrait of Frederick I of Sweden: Martin van Meytens, Public domain, file
Culture
- Sweden's rise was supported by a rapidly expanding metals economy. By the early seventeenth century, Sweden had become northern Europe's leading exporter of iron and copper.
- New Sweden was founded in the valley of the Delaware River in 1638.
- The Vasa warship was richly decorated as a symbol of the king's ambitions for Sweden and himself.
Picture
The ship sank on her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628 and was salvaged in 1961 after 333 years on the seabed.
Image: JavierKohen, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.