Charles XI of Sweden

Charles XI (Karl XI) (November 24, 1655 – April 5, 1697) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death. He was the only son of Charles X of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp.

Foreign affairs

It was the general disaster produced by the speculative policy of his former guardians which first called forth his sterling qualities and hardened him into a premature manhood. With indefatigable energy he at once attempted to grapple with the difficulties of the situation, waging an almost desperate struggle with sloth, corruption and incompetence. Amidst universal anarchy, the young king, barely twenty years of age, inexperienced, ill-served, snatching at every expedient, worked day and night in his newly-formed camp in Scania to arm the nation for its mortal struggle, in the Scanian War.

Related Topics:
Scania - Scanian War

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The victory of Halmstad (August 17, 1676), when Charles and his commander-in-chief Simon Grundel-Helmfelt defeated a Danish division, was the first gleam of good luck, and on December 4, on the tableland of Helgonabäck, near Lund, the young Swedish monarch defeated Christian V of Denmark, who also commanded his army in person. After a ferocious contest, the Danes were practically annihilated. The Battle of Lund was, relatively to the number engaged, one of the bloodiest engagements of modern times. More than half the combatants (8,357, of whom 3,000 were Swedes) actually perished on the battle-field. All the Swedish commanders showed remarkable ability, but the chief glory of the day indisputably belongs to Charles XI. This great victory restored to the Swedes their self-confidence and prestige.

Related Topics:
Halmstad - August 17 - 1676 - Commander-in-chief - Simon Grundel-Helmfelt - Danish - December 4 - Helgonabäck - Lund - Christian V of Denmark - Battle of Lund

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In the following year, Charles with 9,000 men routed 12,000 Danes at the Battle of Landskrona. This proved to be the last pitched battle of the war, in September 1678 Christian V evacuated his army back to Zealand. In 1679 Louis XIV of France dictated the terms of a general pacification, and Charles XI, who bitterly resented "the insufferable tutelage" of the French king, was forced at last to acquiesce in a peace which at least left his empire practically intact.

Related Topics:
Battle of Landskrona - Zealand - Louis XIV of France

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Sweden's weak economy didn't favour wars, even if Sweden was very succesful in conflicts, conscriptions were hated by the peasants and especially mercenaries costed the government very much money. Therefore, Charles made up the Dividing system; one area of citizens should together hold one soldier for the state, and suppply him under peace time.

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Charles XI was, however, very harsh to the local population of occupied Scania, which had recently been part of Denmark. His cruelty earned him the name of Charles the Peoplemurderer (a name commonly not heard in English, "Karl Folkmördaren" in Swedish) in Scania, especially his hatred towards civil resistance fighters, called friskytter, made him begin a campaign of executions and burning of old Danish farms. If a partisan fighter were to be captured by Swedish forces, his fate was a cruel and brutal execution which often included being speared through the back, along the spine with the top exiting the neck.

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In his diary, it is stated that he had plans on deporting the entire population to Swedish Balticum. The Swedish language was also enforced onto the people, and Danish literature, language and laws were banned despite a promise concluded in the Treaty of Roskilde, which stated that the former Danish territory could preserve its language and laws. In response to this treatment, many Scanians fled to Zealand.

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