Swedish Pomerania

Swedish Pomerania (Swedish: Svenska Pommern) was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from the 17th to the 19th century, situated on the German Baltic Sea coast. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the Southern Baltic Coast including Pomerania and parts of Silesia and Prussia. At the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 Sweden received Upper Pomerania, or Vorpommern, a strip of Lower Pomerania, or Hinterpommern, with the islands of Rügen, Usedom and Wollin.

Under the Swedish crown

The history of Pomerania under Swedish Dominion is much a story of destitution and conflict. During 1657 to 1659, under the Northern Wars (not to be confused with the Great Northern War), Polish, Austrian and Brandenburg troops ravaged the country and upon this followed the occupation by Denmark and Brandenburg 1675-1679 under the Scanian War, whereby Denmark claimed Rügen and Brandenburg the rest of Pomerania. Both campaigns were in vain for the winners, except for Gollnow and the strip of land on the east side of the Oder, which were held by Brandenburg as a pawn in exchange for reparations, until these were paid in 1693.

Related Topics:
Swedish Dominion - Northern Wars - Scanian War

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The first years of the Great Northern War did not affect Pomerania and even when Danish, Russian and Polish forces had crossed the borders in 1714, Prussia first appeared as a hesitant mediator before turning into an aggressor. King Charles XII of Sweden led the defence of Pomerania for an entire year, November 1714 to December 1715 from the walls of Stralsund before fleeing to Lund. The Danes seized Rügen and Upper Pomerania above the river Peene, and the rest was taken by Prussia. By the Treaty of Fredriksborg, June 3, 1720, Denmark was obliged to hand back control over the occupied territory to Sweden, but in the Treaty of Stockholm, on January 21 in the same year, Prussia had been allowed to retain its conquest. By this, Sweden ceded the parts of Lower Pomerania that had been won in 1648 as well as Upper Pomerania south of Pene and the islands of Wollin and Usedom. The remainder of the Pomeranian dominion held by Sweden after 1720 was the so-called Swedish Pomerania. A feeble attempt to regain the lost territories in the Pomeranian War (1757-1762), coinciding with the Seven Years War, failed.

Related Topics:
Great Northern War - Charles XII of Sweden - Lund - Peene - Treaty of Fredriksborg - June 3 - 1720 - Treaty of Stockholm - January 21 - Pomeranian War

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The entry into the Third Coalition in 1805, where Sweden unsuccessfully fought its First War against Napoleon subsequently led to the occupation of Swedish Pomerania by French troops from 1807 to 1810. In 1812, when French troops yet again marched into Pomerania, the Swedish Army mobilized and won against Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, together with troops from Russia, Prussia and Austria. Sweden also attacked Denmark and by the Treaty of Kiel on January 14, 1814, Sweden gave away Pomerania in exchange for Norway. The fate of Pomerania was however finally settled through the treaties between Prussia and Denmark on June 4 and with Sweden on June 7, 1815. In this manoeuvre Prussia had gained Pomerania in exchange for Lauenburg and 2.6 Million Thalers given to Denmark and of 3.5 Million Thalers awarded to Sweden in war damages. The territory was incorporated as Neuvorpommern ("New Upper Pomerania") into the already Prussian province of Pomerania.

Related Topics:
Third Coalition - First War against Napoleon - 1812 - French - Swedish Army - Mobilized and won - Napoleon - Battle of Leipzig - 1813 - Russia - Prussia - Austria - Denmark - Treaty of Kiel - January 14 - 1814 - Norway - June 4 - June 7 - 1815 - Lauenburg - Thaler

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