History 1b 2019-20: w. 49 - Gustav I + Introduction of PR + Centralization of Power + Hereditary throne + Four Estates + Expansion of territory

As I’ve noted in class, we are still working on covering a number of different topics that we can think of as building blocks. You will later be able to put together different information to create different histories of Swedish development – focusing on politics, or economics, or religion, or social issues.

Currently, you want to make sure you understand the various topics that we’re covering. In order to be able to use information later, you need to first have an understanding of them.

Gustav Eriksson/Gustav I/ Gustav Vasa (all same person)

In 1521 he became Protector of the Realm/Riksföreståndare

1523 – elected king

1528 – crowned

I will regularly refer to “the Crown” – whereby I mean the monarch/kingdom. At this point (by the end of Gustav’s reign), when there is a strong king, the monarch and the kingdom are pretty much the same thing, because few others have much power in comparison to the king.

things that Gustav I accomplished:

- pushed through the Protestant Reformation – Lutheranism

- confiscated the greater part of the Catholic Church’s estates and treasures; additionally all monasteries except Vadstena were eventually transformed into the property of the Crown or part of Gustav’s inheritance, which were pretty much the same thing

- suppressed all opposition

- organized a centralized government

- made the Riksdag (which at the time of Gustav consisted of the Four Estates) a part of all future Swedish forms of government

- instituted a system of hereditary monarchy

Very briefly, here is what you’ll find laid out below:

1	2	3	4	5
Gustav comes to power – fought Christian II -resulted in debt to Hansa League	Change from CC to Lutheranism -started in 1527 -change in religious practice -transferred $ from CC --> Swedish Crown -solvency --> military centralized power	Centralized power -chieftains in many areas -Gustav gradually takes control over the regions -taxes -united Sweden -defended Sw.	Succession of the throne -Riksdag 1544 -helps create stability -contributes to the mystery of the throne	Expansion of territory -military + central authority allows Sweden to conquer Sami, parts of Poland, Germany, Baltics, what was Danish

In 1520, Sweden was a part of the Kalmar Union – a union with Denmark, Norway and Sweden (at this point Finland is part of Sweden. Finland was part of Sweden from at least the 12^th century until 1809 – when Sweden “lost” Finland to Russia).

Kalmar Union had begun in 1397.

In 1520, Christian II (the Tyrant), who was the king at the head of the Kalmar Union, executed many of the Swedish nobility (including Gustav’s father) who could be threats to his power. This is known at the Stockholm Bloodbath.

Gustav Eriksson, who had not attended the coronation at which the execution took place, then tried to get Swedes to rise up against Christian II.

To fight Christian II, Gustav borrowed money from the Hansa League

--> this led to a large debt

Introduction of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden

In 1527, Gustav I got the approval from the Riksdag/Four Estates to begin the process of changing the kingdom’s religion from Catholicism to Lutheranism (Protestantism). Historians often say that Gustav “pushed” through the Reformation in Sweden, because it wasn’t necessarily something most people wanted.

Gustav’s reason for the adoption of Lutheranism was to get to the CC’s property (land + objects) and the ability to keep Swedish money in Sweden (not going to Rome). He will use this money to get out of debt.

Gustav will also place himself at the head of the Swedish Church.

Centralization of Power

Gustav I now has money. With this money, he can:

- get out of debt

- pay for a military

o with a military, he can put down/suppress rebellions from inside Sweden.

§ Because he is successful at keeping control, he is able to centralize power – taking away power from regional leaders (hövdingar)

o with a military, he and future monarchs will be able defend Sweden from outside threats as well as expand into/conquer new territories

There were many different rebellions against Gustav I. We listened to part of a podcast about the Nils Dacke Feud (Nils Dackefejden).

We listened from 9:00–12:00.

Hereditary Throne (följd av tronen; arvrike)

With the introduction of the Ref., Gustav was able to bring the Sw. economic situation under control. He could then afford a military, which could then protect from threats inside and outside the country.

Regarding threats inside the country. We noted that there were uprisings such as those led by Nils Dacke in Småland. Thus, the threat of violence against a rule was very real in the 1500s.

In the past, Swedish rule had often changed from family to family as a result of violence (killing the king).

We looked at clip from “Arn” to illustrate how rapid power could change. We watched from 1:32 until the end.

Gustav had taken power via violence (fighting Christian II). He wanted to establish a legal path for his sons to inherit the throne. So in 1544 he once again gathered the Riksdag/Four Estates to ask for approval for a new law that would establish that the throne would be passed on via inheritance/blood.

He wanted there to be an acceptance of how power will be passed on in Sweden. In doing so, he increased the power of his family, but he also introduced greater stability in the kingdom. The process worked well when there were children to inherit the title. But when monarchs had no children, then there were snags – which we will see were very important to how Sweden developed in the 18^th c. (1700s).

Riksdag /The Four Estates

The Four Estates are essentially four classes of Swedish society.

nobility – adeln

clergy - präster

burghers – borgare

peasants - bönder

Some other kingdoms/states, such as France, also had similar political bodies. But Sweden was special because even the peasants were represented by their own estate. In France, there were only three estates. The peasants have very little power at this point. But they are there. There is a system that allows for them to be considered in the larger political picture.

Gustav I’s use of Riksdag in 1527 for the introduction of the Protestant Reformation and in 1544 to establish a hereditary monarchy helped establish that Riksdag would be a part of all future forms of Swedish government.

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De fyra stånden De fyra stånden var Ridderskapet och adeln, Prästeståndet, Borgarståndet och Bondeståndet. Från 1527 till 1866 bestod riksdagen av representanter för dessa stånd. (Riksdag formally established the 4-Estate Parliament in 1617. But in practice it had existed since Gustav Vasa’s time.) Tillsammans kallades de Riksens ständer, eller ständerna.

Varje stånd sammanträdde för sig i sin egen lokal, men man behandlade samma frågor. Adeln var mest talrikt representerad, ty där var varje ätt representerad av ättens huvudman, eller en ställföreträdare för denne. Vid de inledande voteringarna kunde upp till 1200 riksdagsmän delta, men vanligen samlades mellan 400 och 500 ledamöter. Adeln var det ledande ståndet, som först yttrade sig i frågorna.

Prästerna var representerade av företrädare för varje stift. Biskoparna var självskrivna, därutöver valdes några präster av de övriga prästerna i stiftet. I prästeståndet deltog ungefär 50 riksdagsmän.

I borgarståndet skulle varje stad vara representerad, vanligen av borgmästaren eller någon annan i stadens styrelse, men även grosshandlare, handelsmän och hantverkare valdes till riksdagsmän. I borgarståndet deltog omkring 100 ledamöter.

Bondeståndets riksdagsmän valdes av bönderna i häradet, och ibland kunde flera härader gå samman om en riksdagsman. I bondeståndet deltog omkring 130 ledamöter. Vanligen var bondeståndets riksdagsmän nämndemän med vana att sammanträda och fatta beslut om gemensamma angelägenheter. Några var läs- och skrivkunniga, men det var inget krav för valbarhet.

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