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Gustav Vasa: From rebel to Swedish king
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Swedish National Day is celebrated annually on __________.
November 1520, Räfsnäs. Nobleman Gustav Eriksson is hiding at his family estate, when he hears that the Danish king Christian II has killed over 80 people in Stockholm. Among them, two of his uncles and his dad. He hears that Christian has decided that all Gustav’s estates will be confiscated and that the Danes are now looking for him throughout the country. Gustav plans to rebel against the tyrant king.
He decides to set off to the region Dalarna to find support. There, almost everyone has weapons, and they are known to start rebellions. In early December, Gustav makes his way to Dalarna. On his way, he must avoid being recognized by the Danish King’s men, so he dresses up as a peasant. In Dalarna, Gustav meets the locals called the Dalecarlians.
He tries to convince them to join his cause, but they refuse. Gustav continues his journey, trying to convince the Dalecarlians to join him. Always closely chased by the Danish King’s men. Over the following weeks, a lot of dramatic events happen in different places in Dalarna. Gustav has to hide in a cellar, flee through an outhouse, and hide in a load of hay.
Well… we don’t know if this part is true, or if someone made this up later to make Gustav a hero. Without support from the Dalecarlians, Gustav decides to flee to Norway. At the same time, the people in Dalarna receive the news of King Christian's executions in Stockholm, the Stockholm Bloodbath. The King also wants the Dalecarlians to pay more taxes. Now, the Dalecarlians send a messenger for Gustav and persuade him to return.
They are ready to back his rebellion! During the spring of 1521, the rebellion spreads across the country. In the summer, Gustav is elected regent of Sweden. The Danes still control all fortified cities and castles in Sweden, so Gustav needs help from outside to capture them. He turns to the Hansa City of Lübeck.
He promises duty-free trade in return for troops, ships, and cannons. In 1522, Lübeck troops arrive and, one by one, the castles and cities that are under Danish control surrender. With support from the aristocracy, Gustav is elected king of Sweden in Strängnäs on June 6, 1523. Stockholm surrenders later that month. The war is over.
The Danish have lost. In midsummer, Gustav Eriksson Vasa marches into Stockholm as king of Sweden. 500 years later, we celebrate Swedish National Day on the 6th of June, in memory of Gustav Vasa becoming king of Sweden.