Mecklenburgian invasion of Sweden
| Mecklenburgian invasion of Sweden | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Wars of Deposition against Magnus | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Magnus Eriksson Haakon VI |
 Albert of Mecklenburg Nils Turesson Bielke | ||||||||
The Mecklenburgian invasion of Sweden was a military campaign by led by Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg that took place in 1363–1364, following a rebellion and deposition war against the king of Sweden, Magnus Eriksson. In 1364, Magnus was deposed, and the duke's son Albert III of Mecklenburg was crowned King of Sweden.
Background
[edit]In the year 1363, the conspiracies among the nobility began to have repercussions for both Magnus Eriksson and Haakon VI, the kings of Sweden and Norway.
The recent territorial losses suffered by the kingdom, particularly the cession of Scania and Blekinge to Denmark, were attributed to a supposed conspiracy involving Magnus and Haakon. In response, several Swedish noblemen embarked on a journey to Germany in search of a "suitable" new candidate for the throne. After their deliberations, they settled on Albert III of Mecklenburg, the youngest son of Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg and a nephew of Magnus Eriksson.[1][2]
War
[edit]In the autumn of 1363, it became widely known that the Danish King Valdemar IV had embarked on an extended journey abroad. Duke Albert II recognized this as an opportune moment to join the rebellion, as he was now shielded from Danish involvement in the conflict. On November 10th, Albert set sail from Warnemünde, accompanied by Swedish nobles and a contingent of 600 soldiers, with the intent to dethrone Magnus Eriksson from the Swedish throne. By November 29th, the forces from Mecklenburg, along with the rebellious Swedish nobles, landed in Stockholm, where they encountered minimal resistance. Upon learning of these developments, the kings of the union, Magnus Eriksson and Haakon VI, promptly prepared for battle.[3] A fortress was constructed on an island in Lake Kilarpsjön to secure the northern approach along the road through Holaveden.[4]
On February 15th, 1364, Albert III of Mecklenburg was elected king of Sweden, despite this being contrary to existing laws that stipulated the king must be of Swedish descent. Consequently, Albert's election was legally questionable, even though he was in fact the nephew of King Magnus Eriksson. In Finland, Nils Turesson Bielke, stationed at Viborg, lost Svaneholm Castle to the Åbo garrison loyal to Magnus after a six-day siege. This likely marked a stalemate in the conflict, and in July 1364, the Treaty of Jönköping was signed, wherein both parties agreed to a ceasefire for the remainder of the year, during which Magnus Eriksson and Haakon VI would assume control over Västergötland, Värmland and Dalsland as personal fiefdoms.[3][5]
References
[edit]- ^ Sundberg 2010, p. 251–253.
- ^ Sundberg 1999, p. 173.
- ^ a b Opsahl 2019.
- ^ Opsahl 2024.
- ^ Sundberg 1999, p. 175.
Cited works
[edit]- Sundberg, Ulf (2010). Sveriges krig (in Swedish). Hallstavik: Svenskt militärhistoriskt bibliotek. ISBN 978-91-85789-61-0.
- Sundberg, Ulf (1999). Medeltidens Svenska krig (in Swedish). Stockholm: Hjalmarson & Hogberg. ISBN 91-89080-26-2.
- Opsahl, Erik (2019). Skre, Dagfinn (ed.). Rulership in 1st to 14th century Scandinavia. Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-042110-1.
- Opsahl, Erik (2024-04-30), "Magnus 7. Eriksson", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), retrieved 2024-09-04
External links
[edit]
Media related to Mecklenburgian invasion of Sweden at Wikimedia Commons
