Philosophers
41-509: Chronological history The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia , agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark , Sweden (then including much of present-day Finland ), and Norway , together with Norway's overseas colonies (then including Iceland , Greenland ,
82-457: A hereditary kingdom in a real union with Denmark. Norway continued to remain a part of the realm of Denmark–Norway under the Oldenburg dynasty for nearly three centuries, until it was transferred to Sweden in 1814. The ensuing union between Sweden and Norway lasted until 1905, when prince Carl of Denmark , a grandson of both the incumbent king of Denmark and the late king of Sweden ,
123-544: A large army. Subsequently, Christian II was crowned King of Sweden, and supporters of Sten Sture were executed en masse in the Stockholm Bloodbath . After the Stockholm Bloodbath, Gustav Vasa (whose father, Erik Johansson , was executed) travelled to Dalarna , where he organized a rebellion against Christian II. Vasa made an alliance with Lübeck and successfully conquered most of Sweden. He
164-521: A rebellion led Karl to become king of Sweden again. When Karl died in 1470, Christian tried to become king of Sweden again, but was defeated by Sten Sture the Elder in the 1471 battle of Brunkeberg outside Stockholm. After the death of Karl, Sweden was mostly ruled by a series of "protectors of the realm" ( riksföreståndare ), with the Danish kings attempting to assert control. First of these protectors
205-523: A short knife. The subjugation of Denmark's once free peasants was complete. In May 1442 Christopher traveled to Lödöse to meet with the nobles from all three kingdoms. He was elected King of Norway there and then went to Oslo where he was crowned on 2 July 1442. The next year he was proclaimed King of Denmark at the Urnehoved Assembly near Ribe . When his residence at Roskilde burned down, Christopher moved to Copenhagen and made it
246-517: A whole his rule, according to the politics of the nobility and his succession, might be called the start of the long period of balance between royal power and nobility which lasted until 1660. He was later elected king of Sweden in 1441, and Norway in June 1442. For himself Christopher used the otherwise unknown title of arch king ( archirex) , because in his opinion he ruled an empire, not simply three different countries, and thus ranked immediately under
287-664: Is an ex officio co-prince. This led to personal unions with: : After 1707, see Great Britain below. Note: The point at issue in the War of the Spanish Succession was the fear that the succession to the Spanish throne dictated by Spanish law, which would devolve on Louis, le Grand Dauphin — already heir to the throne of France — would create a personal union that would upset the European balance of power ; France had
328-562: The Danish-Hanseatic War (1361-1370) that allowed the League to become even more powerful. On the personal level, the union was achieved by Queen Margaret I of Denmark (1353–1412). She was a daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark and had married King Haakon VI of Norway and Sweden, who was the son of King Magnus IV of Sweden , Norway and Scania . Margaret succeeded in having her and Haakon's son Olaf recognized as heir to
369-567: The European emperor . At the start of his reign, he put down peasant rebellions in Funen and Jutland . Once the rebellion on Funen was suppressed, he turned his attention the uprising in Jutland. North Jutland, especially Vendsyssel , was so restive that a peasant army of 25,000 led by Henrik Tagesen Reventlow (executed 1441) posed a serious threat to Christopher's continued reign. Before
410-576: The Faroe Islands , and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland ). The union was not quite continuous; there were several short interruptions. Legally, the countries remained separate sovereign states . However, their domestic and foreign policies were directed by a common monarch. Gustav Vasa 's election as King of Sweden on 6 June 1523, and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later, marked Sweden's final secession from
451-694: The Holy Roman Empire , while Schleswig was a part of Denmark). The situation was complicated by the fact that for some time, the Duchies were divided among collateral branches of the House of Oldenburg (the ruling House in Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein). Besides the "main" Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Glückstadt, ruled by the Kings of Denmark, there were states encompassing territory in both Duchies. Notably
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#1732765307934492-490: The Swedish nobility 's dissatisfaction with the dominant role played by Denmark and Holstein ) gave rise to a conflict that hampered the union in several intervals starting in the 1430s. The Engelbrekt rebellion , which started in 1434, led to the overthrow of King Erik (in Denmark and Sweden in 1439, as well as Norway in 1442). The aristocracy sided with the rebels. King Erik's foreign policy, in particular his conflict with
533-554: The 15 Commonwealth realms , who share Charles III as their head of state, and one of the co-princes of Andorra being the President of France . King Chungseon reigned as King of Goryeo in 1298 and 1308–1313 and as King of Shenyang or King of Shen from 1307 (according to the History of Yuan ) or 1308 (according to Goryeosa ) to 1316. At that time, Goryeo had already become a vassal of Mongol Empire and Mongol imperial family and
574-478: The Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and the subordinate Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Beck, Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The duchies of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen were in personal union from 1909, when Prince Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt succeeded also to the throne of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, until 1918, when he (and all
615-733: The Goryeo royal family had close relationship by marriages of convenience. Because he was a very powerful man during Külüg Khan 's reign, he could become the King of Shenyang where many Korean people lived in Liaodong . However, he lost his power in the Mongol imperial court after the death of the Külüg Khan. Because the Mongol Empire made Chungseon abdicate the crown of the Goryeo in 1313,
656-472: The Hanseatic League, necessitated greater taxation and complicated exports of iron, which in turn may have precipitated the rebellion. Discontent with the nature of King Erik's regime has also been cited as a motivating factor for the rebellion. King Erik also lacked a standing army and had limited tax revenues. The death of Christopher of Bavaria (who had no heirs) in 1448 ended a period in which
697-648: The Kalmar Union. Formally, the Danish king acknowledged Sweden's independence in 1524 at the Treaty of Malmö . The union was the work of Scandinavian aristocracy who sought to counter the influence of the Hanseatic League , a northern German trade league centered around the Baltic and North Seas. Denmark in particular was in a power struggle with the League and had recently suffered a humiliating defeat in
738-527: The Swedish and Danish nobility, which did not. The Union lost territory when Orkney and Shetland were pledged by Christian I , in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret , betrothed to James III of Scotland in 1468. The money was never paid, so in 1472 the islands were annexed by the Kingdom of Scotland . Diverging interests (especially
779-399: The attack on the rebel camp on 8 June 1441 and despite fighting ferociously the rebels could not overcome the heavily armed knights. Thousands of rebels were killed, those who survived were fined heavily. The more severe consequence was that rebels lost their free status and became serfs on the farms where they worked. The king made it a capital crime for peasants to carry weapons longer than
820-475: The battle strengthened Christopher's determination to put down the peasants. With his own army Christopher rode north to the rebel camp at Husby Hole near St Jorgen's Hill in northern Jutland. Because the rebels outnumbered his troops, Christopher sent word that anyone who left the camp and went home would not be punished for rebellion. The men from the island of Mors and Thisted left, for which they were called cowards and traitors ever after. Christopher ordered
861-460: The camp, and were quickly mired down in the bog. The peasants moved in for the kill. Brock was killed in the Battle of St Jorgen's Hill ( Slaget ved Skt. Jørgensbjerg ) and dismembered and the pieces sent to the towns in the area as a warning. The peasants then raided Aalborghus (the area's most important manor) forcing the noble Niels Guldenstierne to flee. The treatment of the captives after
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#1732765307934902-419: The capital of Denmark. The Swedish nobles were not happy to relinquish any power and thus didn't like him, claiming he was too German for them and that he allowed his uncle (ex-King Eric) to plunder shipping from his castle on Gotland without any attempt to stop him. They blamed a series of bad harvests on him. People were so hungry they mixed ground tree bark with the little flour they could find. Christopher
943-634: The constituent states being to some extent interlinked, such as by sharing some limited governmental institutions. Unlike a personal union, in a federation or a unitary state , a central (federal) government spanning all member states exists, with the degree of self-governance distinguishing the two. The ruler in a personal union does not need to be a hereditary monarch. The term was coined by German jurist Johann Stephan Pütter , introducing it into Elementa iuris publici germanici (Elements of German Public Law) of 1760. Personal unions can arise for several reasons, such as: They can also be codified (i.e.,
984-408: The constitutions of the states clearly express that they shall share the same person as head of state) or non-codified, in which case they can easily be broken (e.g., by the death of the monarch when the two states have different succession laws ). The concept of a personal union has only very rarely crossed over from monarchies into republics . There are currently two personal unions in the world:
1025-463: The dissatisfaction within both Sweden and the Hanseatic League . The Kalmar Union Treaty was changed so that the aristocracy had most of the policy-making powers, and the king lost many of the powers monarchs had acquired since Viking times. The results of this policy of balance were still not reached when he suddenly died as the last descendant of Valdemar IV of Denmark. In 1448, Christopher died suddenly at Helsingborg at age 31. King Christopher
1066-518: The duchies failed. The duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach were in personal union from 1741, when the ruling house of Saxe-Eisenach died out, until 1809, when they were merged into the single duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Duchies with peculiar rules for succession . See the Schleswig-Holstein Question . The kings of Denmark at the same time being dukes of Schleswig and Holstein 1460–1864. (Holstein being part of
1107-550: The king could act, Jutland's noble families raised their own army and marched west of Aalborg to meet Reventlow's forces. The peasants had created a gigantic wagon fortress three layers deep to protect themselves from the mounted knights they knew would come against them. They also placed tree branches across the bog in front of the camp and then cast earth on top to make it look like solid ground. The overconfident army of nobles led by Eske Jensen Brock appeared at St Jorgen's Hill ( St. Jørgensbjerg ) on 3 May 1441. The knights charged
1148-504: The most powerful military in Europe at the time, and Spain the largest empire. Before 1707, see England and Scotland . After 1801, see United Kingdom below. In 1826, the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was initially a double duchy, ruled by Duke Ernest I in a personal union. In 1852, the duchies were bound in a political and real union. They were then a quasi-federal unitary state, even though later attempts to merge
1189-522: The other German monarchs) abdicated. : After 1707, see Great Britain above. After 1801, see United Kingdom below. After 1542, see England above. Because heads of state and government of republics are ordinarily chosen from within the citizens of the state in question, sovereign republics very rarely share common leaders. A few examples are: Christopher of Bavaria Christopher of Bavaria ( Danish and Norwegian : Christoffer ; Swedish : Kristofer ; 26 February 1416 – 5/6 January 1448)
1230-717: The other was originally the Count of Foix . It is through this feudal co-prince that the Principality has entered partial personal union with: In 1607 the feudal co-prince was Henry IV of France , who issued an edict that his position should be held by the French Head of State. While during the French Revolution , the new government did not take up the title, all versions of France since 1806 regardless of their government form have accepted that their head of state
1271-588: The personal union was ended. King Chungsuk , Chungseon's eldest son, became the new King of Goryeo. In 1316, the Mongol Empire made Chungseon abdicate the crown of Shen in favour of Wang Ko , one of his nephews, resulting in him becoming the new King of Shen. Due to Andorra's special government form resulting from the Paréage of 1278 , it is a diarchy with co-princes . One of them is the Bishop of Urgell ,
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1312-428: The three Scandinavian kingdoms were uninterruptedly united for a lengthy period. Karl Knutsson Bonde ruled as king of Sweden (1448–1457, 1464–1465 and 1467–1470) and Norway (1449-1450). Christian of Oldenburg was king of Denmark (1448–1481), Norway (1450–1481) and Sweden (1457–1464). Karl and Christian fought over control of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, leading Christian to seize Sweden from him from 1457 to 1464 before
1353-516: The throne of Denmark. In 1376, Olaf inherited the crown of Denmark from his maternal grandfather as King Olaf II, with his mother as guardian; when Haakon VI died in 1380, Olaf also inherited the crown of Norway. Margaret became regent of Denmark and Norway when Olaf died in 1387, leaving her without an heir. She adopted her great-nephew Eric of Pomerania the same year. The following year, 1388, Swedish nobles called upon her help against King Albert . After Margaret defeated Albert in 1389, her heir Eric
1394-599: Was King of Denmark (1440–48, as Christopher III ), Sweden (1441–48) and Norway (1442–48) during the era of the Kalmar Union . He was the son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt (1383–1443) and Catherine of Pomerania (c. 1390–1426). Catherine was the daughter of Wartislaw VII , Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp , and sister of the Scandinavian king, Eric of Pomerania . Count Palatine John
1435-473: Was Sten Sture, who kept Sweden under his control until 1497 when the Swedish nobility deposed him. A peasant rebellion led Sture to become regent of Sweden again in 1501. After his death, Sweden was ruled by Svante Nilsson (1504–1512) and then Svante's son Sten Sture the Younger (1512–1520). Sten Sture the Younger was killed in the 1520 Battle of Bogesund when the Danish king Christian II invaded Sweden with
1476-590: Was a son of King Rupert of Germany (1352–1410). Christopher was probably born at Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz in Upper Palatinate, in Bavaria, Germany . In 1445, Christopher married Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430 – 25 November 1495) in Copenhagen . Eric of Pomerania was deposed as king of Denmark and Sweden in 1439. Eric's nephew, Christopher, who was rather unfamiliar with Scandinavian conditions,
1517-514: Was contemptuously nicknamed the "Bark King" in Sweden. On the other hand, he tried to support the cities and their merchants as far as the limits of nobility and Hanseatic cities allowed. During his reign Copenhagen was made permanently the capital of Denmark ( municipal charter of 1443). He carried on an ineffective policy of war and negotiations against Eric in Gotland which did little to help
1558-626: Was elected King of Sweden in 1523, effectively ending the Kalmar Union. After the Northern Seven Years' War , the Treaty of Stettin (1570) saw Frederick II renounce all claims to Sweden. One of the last structures of the Union remained until 1536/1537 when the Danish Privy Council , in the aftermath of the Count's Feud , unilaterally declared Norway to be a Danish province . This did not happen. Instead, Norway became
1599-593: Was elected by the Danish State Council as the successor to his uncle, first as regent from 1439, and then proclaimed King of Denmark at the Viborg Assembly (Danish landsting ) on 9 April 1440. He was meant to be a puppet, as evidenced by the saying: "Had the Council demanded the stars of heaven from him, he would have ordered it." However he succeeded in maintaining some personal control. As
1640-424: Was elected king of Norway. According to historian Sverre Bagge, the Kalmar Union was unstable for several reasons: The Kalmar Union monarchs were: Personal union Works List of forms of government A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union , by contrast, involves
1681-580: Was proclaimed King of Norway. Eric was subsequently elected King of Denmark and Sweden in 1396 under the banner of the House of Griffin . His coronation was held in Kalmar on 17 June 1397. One main impetus for its formation was to block German expansion northward into the Baltic region . The main reason for its failure to survive was the perpetual struggle between the monarch, who wanted a strong unified state, and