Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union unitedthree kingdomsDenmark, NorwaySweden under one monarch1397. The countries had given up their sovereignty but not their independenceSwedish dissatisfaction overDanish centralized government gave rise toconflict that would leadits dissolution1523.Union
The union was formed by Queen Margaret I (1353 - 1413) inSwedish townKalmar, close toDanish border, after DanishSwedish troops1389 had defeatedSwedish king, AlbertMecklenburg,he subsequently failedpaytribute60,000 silver marks within three years after his release. King Albert, bornGermany, was ill-liked bySwedish nobilitytheir rebellion had received help fromDanes, who intendedunionserve ascheck ongrowing power ofGerman Hanseatic League. Queen Margaret who wasdaughter oflate Danish king Valdemar Atterdagwife oflate Norwegian king Haakon VI, maneuveredhave her grand-nephew, EricPomerania elected king overthree countries. Queen Margaret promisedprotectpolitical influenceprivileges ofnobility underunion, but king Eric wantedstrengthenmonarchy.Conflict
The Swedes where not happy withDanes' frequent wars on Schleswig, Holstein, MecklenburgPomerania which were disturbanceSwedish exports toEuropean continent (notably iron). Furthermore,centralizinggovernmentDenmark caused suspicions. The Swedish Privy Council wantedretainfair degreeself-government. The unity ofunion eroded in1430s, even topointarmed rebellion, leading toexpulsionDanish forces from Sweden. Eric was deposed1438-1439 asunion kingsucceeded bychildless ChristopherBavaria. Inpower vacuum that arose following Christopher’s death1448, Sweden elected Charles VIII king withintentreestablishunion underSwedish Crown. Charles was elected kingNorway infollowing year, butcountsHolstein were more influential thanSwedes andNorwegians togethermadeDanish Privy Council appoint Christian IOldenburg as king,were not aboutsurrender their claim tounion throne that easily. Duringnext seven decades strugglepower andwars between SwedenDenmark would dominateunion.Aftersuccessful re-takingSweden by Christian II andsubsequent Stockholm bloodbath1520,Swedes started yet another rebellion which oustedDanish forces once again1521. While independence had been reclaimedelectionking Gustav Vasa on June 6, 1523 restored sovereigntySwedenfinally dissolvedunion.
