Swedish Civil War

15th century

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The Swedish Civil War of the 15th century was a rebellion led by Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson against Erik of Pomerania, the king of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Engelbrekt, a mine owner from the Bergslagen region, led peasants and miners against Erik's oppressive policies. The rebellion gained support from nobles and clergy, becoming a national struggle.12

Although a truce was initially reached, Erik's failure to uphold constitutional rights led to renewed conflict. Engelbrekt's forces captured Stockholm, but he was assassinated in May 1436. Despite this, the rebellion's momentum contributed to Erik's eventual deposition in 1439, marking a significant step towards Sweden's eventual independence from the Kalmar Union.1234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Sweden
The Kalmar Union
…to accept this compromise, and war broke out between the two countries. In 1457 the noble opposition, led by Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna, rebelled against Charles, who fled to Danzig. Oxenstierna and Erik Axelsson Tott, a Danish noble, became the regents, and Christian was hailed as king of Sweden. Christian…
Read More
…to accept this compromise, and war broke out between the two countries. In 1457 the noble opposition, led by Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna, rebelled against Charles, who fled to Danzig. Oxenstierna and Erik Axelsson Tott, a Danish noble, became the regents, and Christian was hailed as king of Sweden. Christian…
Read More