The Birth of The Swedish Nation State

Struggle for power

The Swedish Middle Ages was, from a political point of view, rather turbulent. Struggle for power amongst powerful families and Great Men (Stormännen) caused politically unstable situations. Sweden was a kingdom where the king was elected by members of a council of aristocrats, i.e. the throne was not inherited.

The presence of powerful Great Men and chiefs meant that the king's influence was often quite limited. His political and fiscal control over the country depended upon support from the aristocracy. The situation was even more complicated when, in 1397, Sweden, Norway and Denmark formed the Kalmar Union, mainly to try to counterbalance the increasing political and economic influence of the German Hanseatic League. The countries in the union agreed to elect a common king from Denmark. This later led to serious antagonism between Sweden and Denmark, initiating a bilateral struggle for power.

During the late Middle Ages there is cause to talk about political anarchy in Sweden. Constant struggle for power between a number of families and the Danish King Kristian II ended in "The Bloodbath of Stockholm" in 1520. The result of this struggle enabled Gustav Vasa to become king in 1521.

Autocracy

As king, Gustav Vasa started to transform Sweden into an autocratic nation- state. At that time this meant strong central authority led by an absolute monarch. Gustav Vasa made the tax-system much more efficient than it had been before. Earlier a number of farms or a village formed a tax unit; from now on every single farm was a unit. All farms, and how much each farm had to pay was precisely written down. The king had sheriffs who ensured that everyone paid their taxes. This meant heavily increased taxes for most farmers and caused rebellions in some parts of the country. The king handled the rebellions successfully (most rebels were killed). This strengthened his authority even more.

From catholicism to protestantism

The most important reform Gustav Vasa made was the reformation of the Church. In order for the king to gain political control and control over the property of the Church, all Swedes suddenly became Protestants instead of Catholics. This made it possible for the king to establish himself, not the Pope, as head of the Church, and also to use the Church as a pedagogic tool on the people. Because everyone had to attend church on Sundays, the state could reach almost the entire people with information, propaganda and also a certain amount of education.

The Bible was, for instance, translated from Latin to Swedish. This had a positive impact on literacy among the ordinary people. Negative consequences following the Reformation were the total breakdown of the health-care and education system. This was an effect of the closing of the abbeys, which were mainly responsible for such activities before the Reformation. The Reformation also meant that almost all connections with the Continent were cut off. This led to cultural isolation from the rest of Europe.

King Gustav Vasa is known for his correspondence with his subordinates. He personally wrote letters even to common farmers, telling them how to do things and solve problems. Some hundred years later in history when a quite romanticised picture of the king was drawn, this was used as an example of his greatness and one of the facts that, for many generations of Swedes, made him a beloved monarch. The people who received critical letters from King Gustav Vasa probably did not think of him as a "beloved monarch". Most people were presumably terrified.
Photo: Adlercreutz, Copyright © Elfsborgs Fästning AB

Search Tourist information Nature, Recreation, Sport Culture Industry & Trade Society

Useful information Quiz game Contents About... E-mail