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The Stockholm Bloodbath was a consequence of the conflict between pro-unionists and patriotic anti-unionists in Sweden, and between the latter and the Danish aristocracy which in other aspects was highly critical of King Christian. The patriotic party, headed by Sten Sture the younger, stood face to face with the pro-Danish party under Archbishop Gustavus Trolle .
Christian, who had already taken measures to isolate Sweden politically, hastened to the relief of the archbishop, who was beleaguered in his fortress of Stake ( Stäket ), but was defeated by Sture and his peasant levies at Vedila and forced to return to Denmark. A second attempt to subdue Sweden in 1518 was also frustrated by Sture's victory at Brännkyrka. A third attempt made in 1520 with a large army of French, German and Scottish mercenaries proved successful.
Sture was mortally wounded at the battle of Börgerund , on January 19, and the Danish army, unopposed, was approaching Uppsala, where the members of the Swedish Riksdag had already assembled. The senators consented to render homage to Christian on condition that he gave a full indemnity for the past and a guarantee that Sweden should be ruled according to Swedish laws and custom; and a convention to this effect was confirmed by the king and the Danish Privy CouncilThis article concerns the British Sovereign's Privy Council. See also Privy Council (disambiguation). Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Formerly, the Council was a powerful institution, but is now on March 31March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years). There are 275 days remaining. Events 307 After divorcing his wife Minerva, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian. 1774 American R.
Sture's widow, Dame Christina Gyllenstjerna , still held out stoutly at Stockholm, and the peasantry of central Sweden, roused by her patriotism, flew to arms, defeated the Danish invaders at Balundsås on March 19March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). There are 287 days remaining. Events 1279 Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. 1687 The men under explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, and were only with the utmost difficulty finally defeated at the bloody battle of Upsala (Good Friday, April 6April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). There are 269 days remaining. Events 648 BC Earliest solar eclipse recorded by the Ancient Greeks. 402 Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollent).
In May the Danish fleet arrived, and Stockholm was invested by land and sea; but Dame Christina resisted valiantly for four months longer, and took care, when she surrendered on September 7September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). There are 115 days remaining. Events 1191 Third Crusade: Battle of Arsuf Richard I of England defeats Saladin at Arsuf. 1539 Guru Angad Dev ji became the second Guru of the Sikhs 1776 World's, to exact beforehand an amnesty of the most explicit and absolute character. On November 1November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. Events 1512 The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is exhibited to the public for the first time. 1521 The Strait of Mage the representatives of the nation swore fealty to Christian as hereditary kingA hereditary monarchy is the most common style of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the world's existing monarchies. Under a hereditary monarchy, all the monarchs come from the same family, and the crown is passed down from one genera of Sweden, though the law of the land distinctly provided that the Swedish crown should be elective.
On November 4, he was anointed by Gustavus Trolle in the Storkyrkan Church in Stockholm, and took the usual oath to rule the realm through native-born Swedes alone, according to prescription. The next three days were given up to banqueting, but on November 7 "an entertainment of another sort began." On the evening of that day Christian summoned his captains to a private conference at the palace, the result of which was quickly apparent, for at dusk a band of Danish soldiers, with lanterns and torches, broke into the great hail and carried off several carefully selected persons.
By 10 o'clock the same evening the remainder of the king's guests were safely under lock and key. All these persons had previously been marked down on Archbishop Trolle's proscription list. On the following day a council, presided over by Trolle, solemnly pronounced judgment of death on the proscribed, as manifest heretics.
At 12 o'clock that night the patriotic bishops of Skara and Strängnäs were led out into the great square and beheaded. Fourteen noblemen, three burgomasters, fourteen town councillors and about twenty common citizens of Stockholm were then drowned or decapitated. The executions continued throughout the following day; in all, about eighty-two people are said to have been thus murdered.
Moreover, Christian revenged himself upon the dead as well as upon the living, for Sten Sture's body was dug up and burnt, as well as the body of his little child. Dame Christina and many other noble Swedish ladies were sent as prisoners to Denmark. It has well been said that the manner of this atrocious deed (the Stockholm Massacre as it is generally called) was even more detestable than the deed itself.
Christian suppressed his political opponents under the pretense of defending an ecclesiastical system which in his heart he despised. Even when it became necessary to make excuses for his crime, we see the same double-standard. Thus, while in a proclamation to the Swedish people he represented the massacre as a measure necessary to avoid a papal interdict, in his apology to the Pope for the decapitation of the innocent bishops he described it as an unauthorized act of vengeance on the part of his own people.