Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface 1
Introduction 3

1. First Kings of a United Sweden 5
2. The Kalmar Union 15
3. Gustav Vasa’s Rise to Power and Swedish Independence 22
4. King Gustav I 33
5. War Debt and the Reformation 44
6. Succession and Civil War 53
7. Erik XIV and the First Northern War 63
8. King Johan III and the End of the First Northern War 77
9. A Swedish Prince on the Polish Throne and the Second Northern War 87
10. Sigismund III and Wars in the North 99
11. Karl IX and the Second Polish War 108
12. Gustav Adolf ’s Rise to Power 116
13. Gustav Builds His Army 122
14. Gustav Extends Swedish Power in Livonia and Prussia 138
15. Gustav Enters Germany and the Thirty Years’ War 151
16. Gustav’s Court on the Rhine and the Battle of Lützen 166
17. Oxenstierna Takes Control and Prosecutes the War in Germany 174
18. War with Denmark as the Thirty Years’ War Winds Down 184
19. Queen Christina and the Athens of the North 188
20. Karl X—The Swedish Empire at Its Height 200
21. Sweden’s Colonies and New Sweden in America 213
22. Karl XI and the Scanian War 233
23. Karl XII and the Great Northern War 242
24. Karl XII and War in Poland 251
25. Karl XII’s Russian Campaign 262
26. The End of Empire 270

Epilogue 278
Notes 283
Bibliography 285
Index 289