Frederick III of Denmark

Frederick III (March 28, 1609 – February 19, 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death.

Siege of Copenhagen repelled

But Charles's insatiable lust for conquest and his ineradicable suspicion of Denmark induced him to endeavour to despatch an inconvenient neighbour without any reasonable cause, without a declaration of war, in defiance of all international equity.

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Terror was the first feeling produced at Copenhagen by the landing of the main Swedish army at Korsør on Zealand on July 17. None had anticipated the possibility of such a sudden and brutal attack, and everyone knew that the Danish capital was very inadequately fortified and garrisoned.

Related Topics:
Copenhagen - Swedish army - Korsør - Zealand - July 17

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Fortunately, Frederick had never been deficient in courage. "I will die in my nest", were the memorable words with which he rebuked those counsellors who advised him to seek safety in flight. On August 8, representatives from every class in the capital urged the necessity of a vigorous resistance, and the citizens of Copenhagen, headed by the great Mayor Hans Nansen, protested their unshakable loyalty to the king and their determination to defend Copenhagen to the uttermost. The Danes had only three days' warning of the approaching danger, and the vast and dilapidated line of defence had at first only 2000 regular defenders. But the government and the people displayed a memorable and exemplary energy under the constant supervision of the king and queen and mayor Nansen. By the beginning of September, all the breaches were repaired, the walls bristled with cannons, and 7000 men were under arms.

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So strong was the city by this time that Charles X, abandoning his original intention of carrying the place by assault, began a regular siege. This he also was forced to abandon when an auxiliary Dutch fleet reinforced and reprovisioned the garrison and defeated him on October 29 in the Battle of the Sound. The Dutch then assisted in the liberation of the Danish Isles in 1659. Thus, the Danish capital had saved the Danish monarchy. But it was Frederick III who profited most by his spirited defence of the common interests of the country and the dynasty. The traditional loyalty of the Danish middle classes was transformed into a boundless enthusiasm for the king personally, and for a brief period Frederick found himself the most popular man in his kingdom. He made use of his popularity by realizing the dream of a lifetime and converting an elective into an absolute monarchy by the Revolution of 1660, the same year Charles X died. In 1665 Frederick had the opportunity to return the favour to the Dutch by preventing the British to take the Spice Fleet from the East Indies having sought refuge in Norway, while the British tried to seduce him to take the fleet himself pointing out it was more valuable than the whole of his kingdom.

Related Topics:
Dutch - Battle of the Sound - 1659 - Absolute monarchy - 1660 - 1665

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Frederick III died at the castle of Copenhagen and is interred in Roskilde Cathedral.

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