Engelbrekt rebellion
Engelbrekt Rebellion | |||||||||
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Part of Dano-Swedish War | |||||||||
Statue of Engelbrekt at Kornhamnstorg in Stockholm | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Sweden | |||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson |
Dano-Swedish wars | ||||||||
The Engelbrekt rebellion (Engelbrektsupproret) was an uprising during 1434–1436 led by Swedish miner and nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson and directed against Eric of Pomerania, the king of the Kalmar Union. The uprising, with its center in Dalarna and Bergslagen, spread throughout Svealand and Götaland. The rebellion caused erosion within the unity of the Kalmar Union, leading to the temporary expulsion of Danish forces from Sweden.[1][2]
Background
In 1434, Sweden was part of the Kalmar Union, a
Rebellion
Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, with interests in the mining region of Bergslagen, stood out as the leader. In 1431 or 1432, Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson had been appointed spokesman for the people of Bergslagen to persuade King Erik to dismiss the local bailiff in Västerås, Jens Eriksen. Negotiations with Eric took place in
In January 1435 Engelbrekt summoned representatives from the four Estates to a Diet in Arboga, which later has been called the first Riksdag of the Estates (although it is uncertain whether the peasants really participated). Engelbrekt was elected Captain (Rikshövitsman) of the Swedish realm. The antagonism abated when Eric promised changes for the better. However, as before, people felt these promises were not being fulfilled, hence the rebels picked up their axes once more. On April 27, 1436, a rebel army unit was sent marching towards Stockholm, where people still supported Eric due to the strong and influential Danish presence in the city.
A certain degree of inner tension among the rebelling forces occurred because the
Consequently, Knutsson won the power struggle and would become King Charles VIII of Sweden in 1448.
Consequences
The Engelbrekt rebellion caused the unity of the Kalmar Union to erode, leading to the temporary expulsion of Danish forces from Sweden. Although later Danish kings regained influence over Sweden, the rebellion had set a precedent for Swedish claims to sovereignty. It also set a precedent for peasants to engage actively in Swedish politics. While it is uncertain whether all four Estates participated in the Diet (Riksdag) in Arboga, this was in fact the case in 1436, when a Diet was held in Uppsala following the death of Engelbrekt. Thus, the Engelbrekt rebellion marked the start of a democratic institution, which, to a certain extent, included the peasants.
See also
- Popular revolts in late-medieval Europe
- Riksdag of the Estates
References
- ^ "Engelbrektsupproret". rickardlundquist.wixsite.com. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson". Nordisk familjebok. 1881. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Erik av Pommern". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Borganäs". Nordisk familjebok. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Karl Knutsson (Bonde)". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Magnus Bengtsson (Natt och Dag)". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ Herman Schück. "Erik Puke". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
Other sources
- Ahnlund, Nils (1934) Engelbrekt : tal och uppsatser (Stockholm : Svenska kyrkans diakonistyrelse)
- Ahnlund, Nils (1917) Erik Pukes släkt (Stockholm : Historisk tidssskrift)
- Lundegård, Axel (1913) Om Engelbrekt, Erik Puke och Karl Knutsson som blef kung (Stockholm : Aktiebolaget Ljus förlag)