Editing History of Sweden (section)

==Rise as a Great Power==
{{main|Rise of Sweden as a Great Power}}

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the kings demanded ever increasing taxes and military conscription, emphasizing the need for defense. However the money and manpower were used for offensive warfare. Indeed, when there seemed to be a real threat of invasion in 1655–1660, King [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden|Charles X Gustav]] asked the people to give more and to manage their own defences.  Finally a balance was reached that provided a well supplied aggressive foreign policy.  During the 17th century, after winning wars against Denmark, Russia, and Poland, Sweden (with scarcely more than 1 million inhabitants) emerged as a great power by taking direct control of the Baltic region, which was Europe's main source of grain, iron, copper, timber, tar, hemp, and furs.<ref>Anna Maria Forssberg,  "The Final Argument: war and the merging of the military and civilian spheres in 17th-century Sweden." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 39.2 (2014): 170–184.</ref>

Sweden had first gained a foothold on territory outside its traditional provinces in 1561, when [[Swedish Estonia|Estonia]] opted for vassalage to Sweden during the [[Livonian War]]. While, in 1590, Sweden [[Treaty of Teusina|had to cede]] [[Ingria]] and [[Kexholm]] to Russia, and [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]] tried to incorporate [[Swedish Estonia]] into the [[Duchy of Livonia]], Sweden gradually expanded at the eastern Baltic during the following years. In a series of [[Polish–Swedish War (1600–1629)]] and the Russo-Swedish [[Ingrian War]], [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustavus Adolphus]] retook Ingria and Kexholm (formally ceded in the [[Treaty of Stolbovo]], 1617) as well as the [[Swedish Livonia|bulk of Livonia]] (formally ceded in the [[Treaty of Altmark]], 1629).
[[File:Porträtt av Drottning Kristina, målat av hovmålare David Beck (ca 1650) - Livrustkammaren - 91525.tif|thumb|[[Christina, Queen of Sweden]], David Beck, ca. 1650]]
Sweden's role in the [[Thirty Years' War]] determined the political as well as the religious balance of power in Europe. From bridgeheads in [[Battle of Stralsund (1628)|Stralsund (1628)]] and [[Treaty of Stettin (1630)|Pomerania (1630)]], the Swedish army advanced to the south of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and in a side [[Torstenson War|theater of the war]] deprived Denmark–Norway of [[Danish Estonia]], [[Jämtland]], [[Gotland]], [[Halland]], [[Härjedalen]], [[Älvdalen Municipality|Idre and Särna]], became exempt from the [[Sound Dues]], and established claims to [[Bremen-Verden]], all of which was formalized in the [[Second Treaty of Brömsebro (1645)|Treaty of Brömsebro]] (1645). In 1648, Sweden became a guarantor power for the [[Peace of Westphalia]], which ended the Thirty Years' War and left her with the additional dominions of Bremen-Verden, [[Wismar]] and [[Swedish Pomerania]]. From 1638 Sweden also held the colony of [[New Sweden]], along the [[Delaware River]] in [[North America]].

===Sweden as a Great Power 1648–1721===
{{main|Swedish Empire}}

In 1655, in the [[Second Northern War]], Charles X Gustav of Sweden invaded and occupied western Poland–Lithuania, the eastern half of which was already occupied by Russia. The rapid Swedish advance became known in Poland as the Swedish Deluge. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania became a Swedish fief, the Polish–Lithuanian regular armies surrendered and the Polish King [[John II Casimir Vasa]] fled to the Habsburgs. The Deluge lasted for five years and took a great toll on Poland and Lithuania, with some historians crediting this invasion as the start of the downfall of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The country was devastated, treasures stolen, and insurmountable loss of lives occurred.

Sweden was able to establish control of the Eastern bank of the [[Öresund|Sound]], formalised in the [[Treaty of Roskilde]] (1658), and gain recognition of her southeastern dominions by the European [[great powers]] in the [[Treaty of Oliva]] (1660); but Sweden was barred from further expansion at the Southern coast of the Baltic. Sweden came out of the [[Scanian War]] with only minor losses largely due to [[France]] forcing Sweden's adversaries into the treaties of [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1679)|Fontainebleau (1679)]] (confirmed [[Peace of Lund|at Lund]]) and [[Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679)|Saint-Germain (1679)]].

The following period of peace allowed [[Charles XI of Sweden]] to reform and stabilise the realm. He consolidated the finances of the Crown by the [[Reduction (Sweden)|great reduction of 1680]]; further changes were made in finance, commerce, national maritime and land armaments, judicial procedure, church government and education.<ref>A. Upton, ''Charles XI and Swedish Absolutism'' (Cambridge University Press, 1998).</ref>

=== The Great Northern War: 1700 ===
{{main|Sweden after the Great Northern War}}
Russia, Saxony–Poland, and Denmark–Norway pooled their power in 1700 and attacked the Swedish Empire. Although the young Swedish King [[Charles XII of Sweden|Charles XII]] (1682–1718; reigned 1697–1718) won spectacular victories in the early years of the [[Great Northern War]], most notably in the stunning success against the Russians at the [[Battle of Narva (1700)]], his plan to attack Moscow and force Russia into peace proved too ambitious.
[[File:Caroline family crypt Riddarholm Church 2013 Stockholm.jpg|thumb|left|This family crypt and the chapel above it house, in highly ornate coffins, the remains of all four of the [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbach Dynasty]] monarchs of Sweden whose high-powered period (1654–1720) has been called the ''Caroline Era'' for Kings [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden|Carl X Gustav]], [[Charles XI of Sweden|Carl XI]] and [[Charles XII of Sweden|Carl XII]].]]
The Russians won decisively at the [[Battle of Poltava]] in June 1709, capturing much of the exhausted Swedish army. Charles XII and the remnants of his army were cut off from Sweden and fled south into Ottoman territory, where he remained three years. He overstayed his welcome, refusing to leave until the [[Ottoman Empire]] joined him in a new war against Tsar [[Peter the Great|Peter I]] of Russia. He established a powerful political network in Constantinople, which included even the mother of the sultan. Charles's persistence worked, as Peter's army was checked by Ottoman troops. However, Turkish failure to pursue the victory enraged Charles and from that moment his relations with the Ottoman administration soured. During the same period, the behavior of his troops worsened and turned disastrous. Lack of discipline and contempt for the locals soon created an unbearable situation in [[Moldavia]]. The Swedish soldiers behaved badly, destroying, stealing, raping, and killing. Meanwhile, back in the north, Sweden was invaded by its enemies; Charles returned home in 1714, too late to restore his lost empire and impoverished homeland; he died in 1718.<ref>He was shot through the head during a siege in his second failed attack on Norway, but whether by assassination at close range or by stray enemy fire at long range is mysteriously unclear. Andersson, ''A History of Sweden'' p. 247</ref> In the subsequent peace treaties, the allied powers, joined by Russia and Great Britain-Hanover, ended Sweden's reign as a great power. Russia now dominated the north. The war-weary [[Riksdag]] asserted new powers and reduced the crown to a constitutional monarchy, with power held by a civilian government controlled by the Riksdag. A new "[[Age of Liberty|Age of Freedom]]" opened, and the economy was rebuilt, supported by large exports of iron and lumber to Britain.<ref>Absolute monarchy returned briefly at the end of the 18th century.</ref> The Riksdag developed into an active parliament. This tradition continued into the nineteenth century, laying the basis for the transition towards a modern democracy.<ref>{{cite book|author=Baten, Jörg |title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present.|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=23|isbn=9781107507180}}</ref>

The reign of Charles XII (1697–1718) has stirred up great controversy. Historians have puzzled over why this military genius overreached and greatly weakened Sweden. Although most early-19th-century historians tended to follow [[Voltaire]]'s lead in bestowing extravagant praise on the warrior-king, others have criticised him as a fanatic, a bully, and a bloodthirsty warmonger. A more balanced view suggests a highly capable military ruler whose oft-reviled peculiarities seemed to have served him well, but who neglected his base in Sweden in pursuit of foreign adventure.<ref>R. M. Hatton, ''Charles XII of Sweden'' (1968)</ref> Slow to learn the limits of Sweden's diminished strength, a party of nobles, who called themselves the "[[Hats (party)|Hats]]", dreamed of revenge on Russia and ruled the country from 1739 to 1765; they engaged in wars in 1741, 1757, Russian influence grew in Sweden after the war in 1741 which greatly affected politics in the Swedish realm (though much of this influence was lost in 1790 as a result of the Russo-Swedish war of 1788–1790).

===Enlightenment===
{{main|Enlightened Absolute Monarchy in Sweden}}
[[File:Porträtt av Gustav III - Livrustkammaren - 12890.tif|thumb|Gustav III, 1780s]]
Sweden joined in the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] culture of the day in the arts, architecture, science, and learning. A new law in 1766 established for the first time the principle of freedom of the press, a notable step towards liberty of political opinion. The Academy of Science was founded in 1739 and the Academy of Letters, History, and Antiquities in 1753. The outstanding cultural leader was [[Carl Linnaeus]] (1707–78), whose work in biology and ethnography had a major impact on European science.

Following half a century of parliamentary domination came the reaction from the monarchy. [[Gustav III of Sweden|King Gustav III]] (1746–1792) came to the throne in 1771, and in 1772 led a coup d'état, with French support, that established him as an "enlightened despot", who ruled at will. The Age of Freedom and party politics was over. Precocious and well-educated, he became a patron of the arts and music. His edicts reformed the bureaucracy, repaired the currency, expanded trade, and improved defense. The population had reached two million and the country was prosperous, although rampant alcoholism was a growing social problem. Gustav III weakened the nobility and promoted numerous major social reforms. He felt the Swedish monarchy could survive and flourish by achieving a coalition with the newly emerged middle classes against the nobility. He personally disliked the French Revolution but decided to promote additional anti-feudal reforms to strengthen his hand among the middle classes.<ref>Neander N. Cronholm, ''A History of Sweden from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' (1902) ch 35</ref>

After Gustav made war on Russia and did poorly, he was assassinated by a conspiracy of nobles who were angry that he tried to restrict their privileges for the benefit of the peasants. Under the successor, [[Gustav IV of Sweden|King Gustav IV]], Sweden joined [[Napoleonic wars|various coalitions against Napoleon]] but was badly defeated and lost much of its territory, especially Finland and Pomerania. The king was overthrown by the army, which in 1810 decided to bring in one of Napoleon's marshals, Jean Bernadotte, as the heir apparent.

====Colonies and slavery====
Sweden experimented briefly with overseas colonies, including "[[New Sweden]]" in [[Colonial America]] and the "[[Swedish Gold Coast]]" in present-day [[Ghana]], which began in the 1630s. Sweden purchased the small Caribbean island of [[Saint Barthélemy]] from France in 1784, then sold it back in 1878; the population had included slaves until they were freed by the Swedish government in 1847.<ref>Francine M. Mayer, and Carolyn E. Fick, "Before and After Emancipation: Slaves and Free Coloreds of Saint-Barthelemy (French West Indies) in The 19th Century." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 1993 18 (4): 251–73.</ref>

====Early urbanisation====
Between 1570 and 1800, Sweden experienced two periods of urban expansion, c. 1580–1690 and in the mid-18th century, separated by relative stagnation from the 1690s to about 1720. The initial phase was the more active, including an increase in the percentage of urban dwellers in Stockholm – a pattern comparable to increasing urban populations in other European capital and port cities – as well as the foundation of a number of small new towns. The second period of urban growth began around 1750 in response to shifts in Swedish trade patterns from the Baltic to the North Atlantic.<ref>Sven Lilja, "Swedish Urbanization c. 1570–1800: Chronology, Structure and Causes," ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 1994 19 (4): 277–308.</ref> It was characterised by increasing populations in the small towns of the north and west.