Editing History of Sweden (section)

===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>