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My last AAR was something that was beyond my level of tolerance. I will most likely return to that type of AAR in the future, but on a less grand scale and not in an In Nomine game. The AAR before that is one near and dear to my heart, at least something that I've invested countless hours in. The Genghisid Imperial Family was a dynastic AAR, something that's not really seen in the EU3 forums. It was a remake of a previous AAR that was discontinued after a savegame corruption. The newer version is stuck in limbo as I cannot actually play EU3DW on my computer do to technical issues not related to the game itself. Both of these two AARs are my best inside of this forum. The only one that comes close is my Victoria II AAR. Together all of these show off what I am as a writer.

As for this AAR I'm just going to tell you right now it will be unique. I'm not sure if it will be a success, but it will be unique. The country, as you can probably guess, is Denmark. I'll be adopting a neutral approach to this game. I will not start wars without a causus belli and I will not expand rapidly. I will most likely never expand into the New World. I will try to be true to the country of Denmark in each update and action. Each update will correspond to a war or a revolt. There are several diplomatic additions to the game, as well as some dynastic alterations. Lithuania was made a vassal to Poland to ensure the union and the commonwealth will last. Granada is a vassal of Castille, as it was historically. The Mongol Khanate is not a vassal of the Ming, but Korea and Dai Viet are. Taiwan, Sakhalin, and the Kurils are colonized with the former going to China and the later two going to Japan. This AAR will start in the year 1399 and will end in the year 1821.

Hopefully the updates won't be that dry! :p

The first update will be up tomorrow.
 
The Swedish Reconquest of Skane
December 13 1405 - May 11 1411

The Swedish Reconquest of Skane had its origins shortly after the development of the Danish alliance with Oldenburg and Pomerania. The Swedish people were vehemently opposed to any sort of alliance with the Germans for they feared the possibility of Denmark (and most undoubtedly Sweden) getting involved in German conflicts. After Eric VII refused Swedish council, the Swedes made it apparent that they would not allow Denmark to control Swedish affairs. In the months following the Swedish diplomats would constantly berate their sovereign's decisions and his court in Copenhagen. This game to a head in 1402 where the Swedes broke off all ties to the Danish state. There was a great deal of confusion regarding this decision on both sides. Whether or not Sweden agreed with Eric's objectives and his council should have been irrelevant to the fact that Eric is Sweden's King. Even though it wasn't the Swedish noblemen are decidedly torn between whether or not they should sever all ties with Eric, Denmark, and Norway. A little over 50% of the Swedish noblemen supported the separation of Sweden from the Kalmar union. These noblemen would be responsible for taking over Stockholm and ending the alliance between Denmark and Sweden.

The question of the union then came into question. Most noblemen were opposed to seeking a new monarch until after Eric VII died. He was, after all, their sovereign even if they didn't want to treat him that way. Some even believed that ties could be reestablished should Eric make it clear that he has no intentions of getting involved in the affairs of the Germans and he severs relations with Oldenburg. Some noblemen disagreed with this assessment vehemently and in the early months of 1405 declared an open revolt just outside of Stockholm. A pretender claiming to be the rightful heir to the Swedish throne laid siege to the capital. He would succeed in capturing it in June. Many Swedish noblemen would resist but by December 13th Karl, styling himself Karl VIII, had successfully taken control of the country. Before news of his "deposition" ever reached Eric's ears, Karl would declare war under the pretext of recapturing Swedish lands under Danish control (particularly Skane).

SwedishReconquestofSkane14052.png


Eric VII of Denmark by himself only had 6000 troops to his name of mixed infantry and cavalry. This would make him ill prepared to go up against Sweden alone. It is almost a certainty that Denmark would have lost the engagement with Sweden should the two countries have gone at each other alone. This, however, was not destined to occur. Norway, a very happy nation under Eric's rule, would immediately assist Denmark in the conflict. The Duchy of Holstein, a subordinate Kingdom that retained its own monarch, would come to assist as well. In a stroke of irony both Pomerania and Oldenburg would come to assist Denmark. Sweden had so feared that they would be dragged into German conflicts and their actions directly lead to German intervention in the affairs of Scandinavia. What was once an uneven conflict suddenly swung in favor of the Danes.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14051.png


The first armed conflict would occur just outside of Halmstad in December 26. There were reports of Swedish raiding parties throughout the borderlands with homes being razed to the ground. Eric VII would lead his 6000 man army to prevent any more of these raids, originally stationed in Skane when news came of a Swedish force attacking Halland Eric rushed to defend the province. Eric would arrive just outside of Halmstad a day before the conflict began. The raiding party, most likely suspecting no resistance, arrived at the city only to find an army six times their size waiting for them. The conflict would be brief ending with a total route of the Swedish unit just one day after the fighting began.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14053.png


Encouraged by this success Eric would lead his army to Vastergotland. The Danish troops would encounter no resistance, but with this being the dead of winter Eric was faced with harsh weather that would provide a greater challenge than any raiding party ever could. News of various conflicts between the Norwegians and the Swedes became coming in to Eric's command. Because of his recent success in the siege of Skara he felt like he could not bring himself to abandon the siege of the city. In February, through a very strong winter storm, 2000 infantry (The "Armee von Holstein") would be led by Gerhard VI von Shauenburg to reinforce Eric's army. Eric contemplated leaving behind a some units to assist Gerhard while he went further north to relieve the Norwegians, but ultimately decided against it believing the siege could be accomplished far sooner now with Gerhard's aid. In March a group of 1000 volunteer infantry lead out a party break free of the seige of Halland. They would be crushed the very same day they left the city with the few survivors fleeing back into the safety of their crumbling walls.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14054.png


Just a few weeks after the defeat of the volunteers, a Swedish army under Karl VIII himself would lead a force of over 10,000 soldiers to defeat Eric and relieve the siege of Skara, freeing Vastergotland from the Danish army, at least for the moment. One April 7th the two armies would clash in the countryside. The snow still lightly dusted the ground making the battle a difficult one and giving the advantage to the Danish forces. The Danes, however, were outnumbered. The conflict would begin just after Karl VIII decided to cross the river Gota Alv. Attacking a fortified position just outside of winter by crossing the largest river in the region was a daring move to say the least. In the end, however, it would be a disastrous move for the Swedes. By the time the battle was called off completely and the Swedes retreated Smaland they had suffered tremendous casualties. Just under 3000 infantry and 1500 cavalry would be killed, captured, or scattered in every direction from Karl's army. Eric's on the other hand would have significantly less casualties. 700 cavalry and 500 infantry would be lost in the conflict. A mixture of luck, a divine hand, and Karl's daring, but foolish, attack had secured the day for the Danes.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14055.png

SwedishReconquestofSkane14056.png


The Battle, while devastating, would not be decisive. The Swedes would regroup in Smaland and with an even greater force would come to invade Skane, laying siege to the city for the first time since the war began. This, however, would only be a stepping stone for an even larger invasion force. The Danish navy prevented the Swedes from marching on to the Danish capital, but they could not prevent a force of over 12,000 from nearly destroying Eric's army of just over 7000. This time Karl would not come in the waning hours of winter and across the Gota Alv, this engagement would begin in the summer month of August and end on Thursday, September 15th. Eric would suffer almost complete casualties. Both he and Gerhard would lose the the majority of their infantry and all of their cavalry. The two forces, knowing that either one of them could be killed in one decisive move. Gerhard fled south into Danish territory (Halland) and Eric fled north into Norwegian territory.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14057.png


By a stroke of luck unlike anything seen before in history Eric avoided being completely destroyed. With just 300 infantry with him he fled deep into Norwegian territory. Down south 3000 new soldiers were being raised for the conflict, 2000 infantry and 1000 cavarly. The conflict from there on became a waiting game between the Swedes and the Danish. Sweden would be kept busy both with sieges and Norway. Gerhard's unit would be wiped out, but Gerhard himself would escape to Holstein. There he raised a new army and entered into the fray yet again. It would take almost a full year, but by the dawn of a new September in 1407 Eric was once again ready to sally forth into Swedish territory. The Norwegians had done a fairly good job of beating back the Swedes. While Karl had been dealing with Eric, the Norwegians were busily besieging the northern borderlands. After Gerhard entered into the fray, Karl could only race back and forth to deal with these armies and these sieges. Without any time to lay siege to cities himself the conflict once again began to turn in favor of the allies. Battle with the Swedes would occur almost immediately outside of Danish territory. Gerhard's forces besieging Smaland were attacked by Karl. The battle had been going on for roughly two days by now, Eric did not wish to see Gerhard's forces wiped out and instantly made the decision to lead his host of 9000 to assist his vassal. The battle began on September 24th, Gerhard already fighting in the engagement was given complete control of the battle without any disagreement from Eric. Gerhard was, arguably, the better general anyways. October 14th would be the day where both Gerhard and Eric would have their revenge on Karl, scoring a victory.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14058.png


This victory would be a decisive one as it would be a turning point. Just about 8000 Swedish soldiers were killed, captured, injured, or scattered as a result of the engagement. Gerhard's martial skill had won the day with just over 2000 causalities. Following this defeat Karl made it known that he desired peace with Eric. He would send a diplomat to discuss a "White Peace" with the Danes. With Norwegians laying siege to half of Karl's lands and Denmark and Holstein just began their siege the answer to this was a resounding "No.". The diplomat would be dismissed immediately afterward with no further comments being allowed. In December Karl would come back with a slightly reinforced army to do battle in Smaland. For reasons unknown to history Eric and Gerhard were not in their respective units. The Danish and Holstein armies were left helpless without a general to aid them. The Danish forces fled with the help of a nameless left tenant, who died in the retreat to Copenhagen. A statue would later be made in Skane for his deeds. The engagement would not be all that devastating for the Danes nor the Holsteins. As the Danish fled they suffered 2500 casualties in the form of cavalry that guarded the retreat. Karl would lose an equal number of infantry in the actual battle.

SwedishReconquestofSkane14059.png


Upon arrival in Skane they would find a Swedish regiment of 2000 cavalry laying siege to the city. Unable to avoid conflict the Danes did battle in a very disorganized fashion. Karl would quickly arrive on the wind of victory. The Danish army, with support the nameless Left Tenant and the Danish Navy, were able to retreat to Copehagen. The Danes would lose another thousand cavalry, but the Swedes would lose just under a thousand men. Most of these casualties, however, would be before Karl's arrival.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140510.png


Once back in Copenhagen Eric appointed Rudolf Pil to lead the Danish armies. He was a competent general, but not of the caliber of either Eric, Gerhard, or, more importantly, Karl VIII of Sweden. Rudolf would allow the army several months rest inside of Copehagen before leading the army to Smaland where the Danes had witnessed their previous defeat. The Swedes were unable to provide resistance as Karl was busy waging war against the Norwegians in Finland. Smaland would be captured in October after one hundred and thirty-two days of siege. This would be the first province successfully captured by the Danes inside this conflict with Sweden.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140511.png


Encouraged by this success Rudolf would lead the army to Ostergotland and begin siege of the province in October 31st. All Hallows Eve was given notice by the Danish troops, as would the following holiday, with a silent prayer. In November Karl would send another envoy to Eric requesting a peace between their two forces with him renouncing all claims on Skane in perpetuity. Eric once again rejected the Envoy and gave an encouraging letter to Rudolf stating that the war was nearing its end. In December, nearing the 20th, Karl had finally arrived back in Sweden proper and immediately attacked Rudolf Pil. Rudolf may not have been the better general to Karl, but Karl had been waging this war on his own for years. Inflation was severely damaging Sweden's economy and Swedish manpower had not yet recovered from Gerhard's devastating success in Smaland. January 22 would see Karl fleeing Ostergotland with another defeat, a defeat that cost him men and resources he could no longer replace without significant hardship. Both generals would see the loss of most of their force, but unlike Karl, Denmark could replace their men. Denmark had not yet begun war taxes and with Eric enjoying a comfortable income with subsidies from both Norway and the Teutonic Order he never did leaving the Danish economy intact in the every growing waste of war.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140512.png


In desperation Karl would spend only a month regrouping before setting out to defeat Rudolf Pil and the Danish army. Their armies, after all, were still of similar power (with a slight advantage towards Karl) and Karl was indeed a better general. When the two forces met a late snow in April would spell doom for Karl's attempt to break the Danish siege. After just twelve days of conflict on April 20th Karl once again fled from Ostergotland, not wishing to completely destroy his own forces. He would lose over twice as much soldiers as Rudolf would in the conflict and now Sweden would be on completely even ground with Rudolf.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140513.png


Karl would once again make a plea for peace, this time ensuring the hefty sum of 30 ducats as well as the renouncing of claims on all Danish territory. Those 30 ducats represented the entire Swedish treasury, exposing just how desperate Karl was for peace. Shortly after yet another rejection by Eric a peasant revolt occurred just outside of Stockholm and began to lay siege to the capital. Karl, clinging to his last vestige of martial authority, lead his battered army to relieve the siege of Stockholm. Even though he was successful it was rapidly becoming apparent even to Karl that he would lose this conflict in its entirety. Even if he won Sweden would be left bankrupt and broken for decades to come. Even so he refused to allow Sweden to once again fall victim to Eric VII's command. History recognizes Karl as a misguided patriot, but Eric would only berate the man as a fool for not coming to terms sooner. Rudolf would successfully capture Ostergotland just before the September 1, making it captured in August after 306 days of siege.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140514.png


Rudolf would go on to lay siege to Stockholm with the assistance of both the Norwegians and the Holsteins. Command of the siege would ultimately fall to the time tested Holstein general Heinrich Philip. Heinrich would constantly attack Stockholm in an unending struggle to rush the fall of the city. Karl would spend his time facing off against Norwegians battling in the borderlands. Karl had little hope for victory, but as each battle provided a success against the Norwegians he began to believe it was possible to defeat the powerful alliance lead by Denmark. Heinrich Philip, on the other hand, would capture Stockholm in just over 200 days. Even at this moment Sweden refused to rejoin the union with Denmark, and with this Eric encouraged Rudolf to lay siege to even more territory. Rudolf would head off to Bergslagen to lay siege there, Rudolf was originally heading off to Sweden in order to capture many unoccupied territories there. He would, however, be stopped by the still intact Swedish navy on three occasions, forcing Rudolf to seek another avenue to expand against the Swedes. Bergslagen would seem like the perfect opportunity as it was the last unoccupied province within reach of Rudolf's army. Heinrich Philip once again led the siege of this province. Karl, in an act tantamount to nothing more than desperation, marched his forces to defeat the joint Holstein-Denmark siege of his last territories. The engagement would last only four days and it would end with Karl's retreat. Karl, now used to hit and run tactics, knew better than to fight for long engagements and ended up losing less troops than the Danes in the conflict.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140515.png


The siege of Bergslagen would finally end after almost a year of fighting, being captured in May of 1411. Heinrich Philip and Rudolf Pil would then begin their trek for Finland, but this time Karl would finally come to terms.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140516.png


Karl recognized now that he would never be able to win this war, he could flee to Finland and carry on the war from there, but it would be a hopeless war that would only cause the deaths of tens of thousands of more Swedish citizens. Karl had no desire to see his people suffer any longer and settled for a peace with Eric VII. He would renounce all claims to the Swedish throne, recognizing Eric VII as the rightful sovereign of Sweden. Sweden would cede the province of Vastergotland to Denmark as reparation for the conflict between the two forces. With both armies tired of the constant fighting and peace assurred the Swedish Reconquest of Skane came to an end on May 11, 1411.

SwedishReconquestofSkane140517.png

SwedishReconquestofSkane140518.png
 
The Danish-Swedish Unification War
July 16 1430 - October 4 1432

The Danish-Swedish Unification war began after the death of Eric VII. Many Swedes believed that Eric and his line were harsh foreign oppressors and readily made their sentiments on the Union with Denmark very clear. What had kept most of the Swedes at bay from leaving the union prematurely was the scars of the previous wars, which continue to haunt the Swedish lands. Sweden could not afford another war in such condition, and it most certainly could not afford another war with Eric! He was the man who crushed the very idea of an independent Sweden. This led many of the Swedish elite to take a slow approach to regaining Swedish sovereignty. This slow approach revolved around outlasting the King of Denmark himself. This objective, while not popular amongst all Swedes, stood the most chance of success. When it finally came time for Eric's demise most of Sweden was ready to appoint a new King in his place. A nobleman by the name of Johan would be crowned Johan II the day after Eric's demise in July. Eric's son and successor Maximilian would not be willing to let Sweden escape from Denmark's grasp and after nine days of debate and decision making declared war upon the Swedes to restore the crown of Sweden to its "rightful" owner.

Danish-SwedishUnificationWar1.png


Unlike the previous war, it quickly became apparent that a Denmark on the offensive was a less support worthy candidate than a Denmark being invaded by a hostile pretender. This would be evident by the number of allies that came to Maximilian's aid in restoring Danish sovereignty over the Kingdom. Oldenburg had long since abandoned the Danes after the treaty of Glere leaving them bereft of obligation to the Danish cause when the war began. The same could not be said the Republic of Hansa, nor the Kingdom of Pomerania. Both of these two powerful allies would reject Maximilian's request for help in securing victory over Sweden. Both sides had more to gain by a weaker Denmark, than by a stronger one. Heinrich IV von Shauenburg, duke of the every faithful Holstein, would rise to the Danish banner alongside the Kingdom of Norway. Together these three factions provide a substantial edge to the for the unionist faction.

Danish-SwedishUnificationWar2.png


First blood would not be drawn until the late October when the Danish general Hans Kaas would wipe out a Swedish regiment of over six thousand soldiers sent to relieve the siege of Smaland. After this success the Swedish army sought to avoid all contact with the Danish forces, instead opting to lay siege to the province of Vastergotland. This siege was made in the hope of restoring Swedish control to the region after the territory was taken by Eric nearly twenty years prior. This hope prove to be ill advised. In late December the siege of Smaland would come to an end with the unprecedented surrender of the regional capital in just over a hundred days. Hans Kaas, riding on this victory, would send his army directly into Vastergotland to relieve the siege of the city.

When the Danish arrived with over thirteen thousand men at their disposal the Swedish king Johan was outmatched with only seven thousand infantry. Johan would be criticized for not retreating immediately, but the Swedish king would give battle to Hans Kaas. Before Johan retreated over twenty-five hundred irreplaceable soldiers were lost. Hans Kaas, drunk off of his recent successes, would pursue the Swedish king to Varmland where the king would once again be defeated in battle. Only a freak winter storm allowed for Johan to retreat with his force relatively intact without further Danish pursuit. Without any ability to advance further into Swedish territory Hans Kaas laid siege to Orebro.

Even if the decision to lay siege to Orebro would be forced upon Kaas by the situation, it would later prove to be a vital point in Sweden for forces to regroup. While the Danish forces were avoided by the badly beaten Swedish armies, the same could not be said for the smaller Holstein and Norwegian armies. During the time of the siege a Norwegian regiment would flee to the Varmland after a disastrous defeat at the hands of Johan. Even Heinrich himself, a general just as talented as his father, would be forced to flee with his three thousand strong host to the Varmland after being defeated. Because of this it is arguable that well over four thousand soldiers were given a time to recover after tragic losses and march from the Varmland back into the fray without Swedish interference. Oresbro itself was not destined to last long and would surrender in August to the Danish legion.

Hans Kaas would later go on to capture the province of Ostergotland before turning his attention towards several Swedish units attempting to lay siege land rightfully belonging to the Danish throne. What Hans Kaas did not expect was stiff resistance from a force far smaller than his own. The same King Johan that he had sent into flight after just two battles with seven thousand men, would be able to stiffly resist the same army and general with only three thousand men to his name. While Johan would eventually decide to retreat to another Swedish army, he would only lose a few hundred men in comparison to well over a thousand Danish troops. Hans would meet with similar "victories" in Vastergotland, Ostergotland, Stockholm, and Varmland. While Hans would pay for each victory with blood the Swedish army would slowly wear itself out with each retreat. At Bergslagen King Johan would finally be routed.

Danish-SwedishUnificationWar3.png


With Johan's final defeat, Hans saw fit to lay siege to many Swedish territories. With help from both the Norwegians and the Holsteins this war would come to an end far sooner than the previous conflict. By the beginning of autumn the war was all but at an end.

Danish-SwedishUnificationWar4.png


When Sweden was willing to rejoin the union there were many, including Maximilian, were content with the idea that Sweden would merely rejoin the crown with no further action required. The two men that fervently rejected this notion were Heinrich and Hans Kaas, arguably the two most influential men in bringing Sweden to its knees. They both pushed for harsher treatment to Sweden. The idea behind this harsh treatment would be that Sweden would no longer try to leave the union for fear of losing more territory when they do. Many inside of the court would find such an idea as appalling, the territories of Sweden belonged to the Swedish crown. Since it was Maximilian's crown such an action would be seen as plundering his own domain to enrich another. The two factions bitterly debated the issue, at times in front of the Swedish diplomat. Eventually a "compromise" was reached. Sweden would cede two provinces (instead of the original four) and accept Maximilian as her king in perpetuity. The very next day, October 4 1932, the peace of Kalmar was signed bringing an end to the war.

Danish-SwedishUnificationWar5.png
 
I'm glad you think so.

Though as much as i hate see my beloved country crushed by the awful Danes, it's an excellent AAR! keep it up! :)
Thanks!

Don't worry, I will. ;)

Well done, you're well on your way to Scandinavia!
Slowly but surely. I just wish Sweden would stay quiet instead of constantly trying to break free.

Very textbookish, which I believe was your aim. And all about war, which I rather enjoy. :)
It was.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

---

The next update will be up later on today. Thanks again everyone!
 
The Swedish Revolt of 1433
December 30 1432 - September 9 1433

Unlike the first war between Denmark and Sweden, the second war was over quickly and relatively painlessly. From the perspective of the men in charge of the campaign this was a good thing. Denmark suffered no catastrophic defeats. They never had to endure the shame of fleeing into the deepest regions of Norway to prevent being destroyed by the Swedish. The people of both countries did not have to endure years of unending torment as families would be forever torn apart. All of these are outwardly good things for all people involved so long as you don't look any deeper than that. Most Swedes in a bout of ignorance believed that the war ended so decisively in favor of the Danes because of incompetence on the part of the Swedish soldiers and their "King" Johan II. This would be no more true in Ostergotland, a territory that was acquired by the Danes at the end of the war. This feeling lead to hatred and the mistaken belief that they could do better. The influential nobleman Ulrik Anckarstrom capitalized on this hatred in a bid for power in the region. This would spark the Swedish Revolt of 1433.

SwedishRevoltsofUlrikAnckarstrom1.png


The Swedish Revolt of 1433 is a misnomer as the revolt began in late December of the previous year. Because there was no real engagement between the Danish forces and the rebels under Ulrik and the late start to the conflict, few would recognize the date in which the war began. Regardless of any misnomer, the revolt would be a brief conflict. Ulrik rose up in rebellion in Ostergotland with five thousand troops to his name. Within weeks the veteran general Hans Kaas would lead the main Danish army and completely rout the rebellion. Ulrik would flee south to Smaland and raise another three thousand troops to defend the Swedes from Danish oppression. This revolt, too, would be routed almost immediately. Ulrik would be captured in this engagement by Hans Kaas. After a brief trial of treason, and permission from Maximilian was granted, Ulrik would be executed by Hanging on the 9th of September.

SwedishRevoltsofUlrikAnckarstrom2.png


A number of historians and scholars would debate fiercely for years to come on the topic of how the revolt failed so spectacularly. A number of factors have been discussed in great detail over the past few years. The most glaring factor would be the proportionate size of the Danish army to that of the Swedish rebels, in both engagements the rebels were outnumbered 3:1. Other factors would include the lack of any professional military officers as the rebel armies were comprised almost entirely out of peasant auxiliaries and the complete lack of cavalry. Regardless of the reasons why Ulrik failed, the lasting ramifications of the revolt would be long lasting and far reaching leading to future revolts in the region.
 
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The Danish Reconquest of Gotland
January 12 1438 - September 22 1438

The Danish Reconquest of Gotland was born from four factors:

The first factor would be the independence of Gotland. Gotland was previously an integral part of the Teutonic Order, and thus any attempt to capture the territory would lead to a massive amount of bloodshed and cost. After the Pomeranian-Teutonic wars Gotland managed to gain independence as a state aligned to Pomerania.

The second factor would be Pomerania being an ally of Denmark. Eric VII had been unwilling to wage a war on Gotland if it meant drawing Pomerania into the conflict on the opposing side.

The third factor would be Pomerania betraying Maximilian by refusing to support him in his campaign to restore Danish control over Sweden.

The fourth, and final factor, would be the rise of Marcus Kilby. Marcus Kilby was a nobleman who disagreed vehemently with the more diplomatic King Christopher II. Marcus would rebel against Christopher, kill him, and install himself as King. Pomerania briefly debated whether or not to support Marcus and ultimately decided to sever all ties with the pretender. With Gotland alone and without allies Maximilian saw this as the perfect opportunity to take the island with the minimum effort required. Before war was even declared Maximilian had sent Admiral Rudolf to transport twelve thousand Danish soldiers under the command of Hans Kaas to take over the island.

Gotland would attempt to resist this incursion by sending out its navy to intercept the Danish naval armada. Rudolf was by no means an exceptionally talented commander, but with a force of twenty-four ships of the finest quality there was little the opposing commander could do. The two forces would engage one another with predictable results. What was not predictable was the choice of Pontus Skoglund after receiving news that his ship was sinking. The Gotlander admiral declared he would go down with his ship due to his failure to protect his country from harm. Rudolf may not have been a talented commander, but he was a respectable man. After Skoglund's ship sank Rudolf would make an appeal to Maximilian stating that he should be honored for his duty to his country.

DanishReconquestofGotland2.png


With the Gotlander navy no more than a collection of shipwrecks, there was nothing stopping the Danish forces from landing in Gotland. General Hans Kaas would instantly be confronted by Marcus Kilby. Marcus lead the entirety of the Gotlander professional army, which numbered roughly one thousand cavalry in number. The Danish forces numbered twelve times as much. The battle between Kaas and Kilby would last just one day ending in the complete destruction of the Gotlander military.

DanishReconquestofGotland1.png


Marcus Kilby would flee from Gotland on a merchant vessel bound for Novgorod leaving his Kingdom powerless in the face of overwhelming enemy forces. Even with Gotland's court decapitated, Statesman Stefan King would manage to keep the country running for over six months while under siege. It would become apparent in September that even Stefan King could not deal with the Danish host as Hans Kaas would break through the walls of Visby. With Visby lost the court surrendered unconditionally to the Danish forces, officially being annexed on the 22nd.

DanishReconquestofGotland3.png
 
The Swedish Revolt of 1451
September 6 1451 - September 29 1451

The Swedish Revolt of 1451 would have been a rather unremarkable event in the history of Denmark if not for the death of Hans Kaas, the veteran general who had seen Denmark to victory not only against other rebels and Gotland, but Sweden itself. The death of arguably one of the most successful Danish generals of the fifteenth century has lead this minor rebellion to capture the hearts and minds of later generations.

Christian Stenbock was a scion from one of the more influential noble families inside of Ostergotland. His family had gained its notability by assisting the Danes in running the province. In return for this aid, the Danes would give the Stenbock family a wide range of privileges, including the ability to send its men to join the Danish Military. Christian would be the fourth Stenbock to earn the rank of Left Tenant inside the military, and would have the distinct opportunity to work closely under Hans Kaas. Stenbock would play a minor role in the conquest of Gotland and would climb the ranks inside the military over the next few years.

In 1450 a close friend of Stenbock would be caught stealing from a Danish magistrate in Skane. His "friend" would state that it was all Stenbock's doing after several hours of interrogation. Stenbock would deny these accusations and appeal to the military leadership of the region. A group of high ranking officers would arrive to free Stenbock, but after they learned that Stenbock was a Swede in origin they would make a complaint of their own to military leadership. Though Stenbock would be freed and all charges against his person dropped, the military threw him out of service and put a black mark on his record. Furious Stenbock would return to his home province of Ostergotland where he would raise support amongst the populous to declare a rebellion in September of the following year.

With the province in revolt, Hans Kaas was given the task of defeating the rebellion. Kaas led a host of twelve thousand to engage the rebel forces. Stenbock was reluctant to engage the superior Danish forces without help, but once the Danes had arrived Stenbock was out of options. When the two armies met Christian Stenbock's army managed to hold its own for one week before succumbing to Kaas. Hans, on the cusp of victory, would be shot in the head by a stray bullet. News of his death would be kept quiet until the following day, after the rebels would completely defeated.

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Hessian - Hanseatic Excommunication War
July 8 1462 - September 21 1463

The justification for the Hessian-Hanseatic Excommunication War came about after Statthalter Erwin Kellinghusen von Holstein-Gottorp was excommunicated by Pope Urbanus VII. The Kingdom of Hesse had been rivals with the Republic of Hansa for decades, so when the Statthalter was excommunicated Hesse declared war immediately.

Denmark was a prominent backer of Hansa and a member of the Hanseatic league. When Erwin requested Danish aid Maximilian was initially hesitant to support the republic. After all, every other member of the league had abandoned the republic to its fate, why should Maximilian put his country in unnecessary danger and risk the ire of the Pope? Maximilian would ultimately decide to support Hansa not out of loyalty, but to protect Danish interests in Lubeck. Lubeck was the sole center that Denmark had invested in over the past few decades, whatever hesitation Erwin's excommunication may have provided was overwritten by that simple fact. On July 8th Maximilian went to war in support of Erwin.

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Ironically just days after the war began Urbanus forgave the Statthalter and lifted his excommunication. This didn't end the fact that Hesse, Poland, and two Roman Electors (Mainz and Cologne) were at war with the republic, but it would damage the justification for the war.

As the Danish forces marched down into Hansa territory to assist in the war effort. Instead of fighting Hessian soldiers or Polish generals, the Danish army assisted the Hansa army in putting down the rebellion of a prominent merchant named Florian Smidt, who was already being engaged by the Statthalter.

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After forcing Florian to retreat the Danish entered into Hessian territory. The Hessian army under the command of King Wilhelm von Hessen would largely ignore the Danish army. Unknown to Maximilian the Statthalter had already begun negotiating peace with the Hesse. In November the Hansa paid Wilhelm a minor sum of money leaving Denmark alone in the conflict.

Maximilian would fly into a fury upon receiving the news and immediately wanted to go to war with the Hanseatic League for their duplicity. He wouldn't have the opportunity, dying just days after war could be declared. His son, Adolf, was only six. A minor rebellion would begin following Maximilian's death stating that Adolf was an illegitimate child. This rebellion would be crushed by the Norwegians, but the message was clear. Denmark should end the war as soon as possible.

The Hesse, however, were pig headed and refused to accept the status quo. The militant orientated regency council would never accept defeat, especially in a war that they were now winning. The province of Westfalen would be captured by the Danish legion before finally laying siege to Hesse itself. It was at this point that the Hesse would accept a reasonable peace.

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The Sitting Wars
March 14 1464 - May 24 1493

The Sitting Wars refers to a period where the Kingdom of Denmark was in a state of perpetual warfare with other nations but did not engage the enemy. These wars were fought between Denmark's allies, most commonly the Kingdom of Great Britain, and their enemies, most commonly the Kingdom of France. A total of six wars would go on during this period:

The first war would be the Munster-Hansa wars in which the Archbishop of Munster, along side the Kingdom of Holland and Bishopric of Utrecht, would engage against the Republic of Hansa. Denmark, still having a vested interest inside of Lubeck, would join the war between on the side of the Hansa. Four months into this first war Utrecht would request a peace returning to the status quo, which was accepted by the ambivalent regency council. Munster, making no headway against Hansa, would do the same just one month later.

The second war would be between the Kingdom of Great Britain, under King George Gryf, and the Kingdom of France. France was already engaged in a war with Austria at the time leaving France relatively defenseless. The British sortied from Brenton and captured Paris in the space of three months. Shortly following this France would come to terms with Britain. Many wonder if France even knew Denmark had declared war against the kingdom.

The third war was the annexation of Bremen. Hansa declared war on the small city state and requested Danish support. King Adolf, now ruling in hi own right, wondered why the Hansa would need him in this war. In spite of this confusion Denmark would throw her weight behind the Hansa. Bremen would be annexed just four months later.

The fourth war would be between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of France. This time there was no Austrian involvement, but there was Iberian involvement. The three kingdoms of Castille, Aragon, and Portugal would declare war against the Kingdom of France during the same time. The Kingdom of France, aware of Danish involvement in the war, requested a peace with Adolf. Adolf would accept the peace, though he would die later on in that year.

The fifth war was once again between the British and French, but this time the two Kingdoms would go to war against each other on their own. France would negotiate peace with Adolf's younger brother, Hans. A return to the status quo would be finalized just one month after the war began. In this war France was able to successfully beat back the British and occupy all of Brenton, but in the peace treaty they were unable to get a single province in the peace treaty.

The sixth war would be between the Lithuanians and the Russians. Hans' son, Frederick, would vehemently support the Lithuanians inside this conflict and, unique amongst the "sitting wars", lead an army of 12,000 troops to lay siege to the Ryazan forces. Lithuania would make peace with Ryazan before Frederick could begin the siege.

It is, perhaps, noteworthy to note that the succession of Hans Gryf would lead to the complete integration of the Kingdom of Norway. The succession of Frederick would lead to the integration of Sweden and the annexation of Holstein. King Frederick, shortly after the war with Ryazan was finished, would create the "Empire of Scandinavia", with himself as its first Emperor.
 
The Kasper Rebellion
January 16 1505 - April 8 1505

Separate from the Norway and Sweden, Holstein was not a nation that was inherited and integrated willingly. Heinrich VI von Shauenburg was heavily pressured by Frederik to join with the Empire of Scandinavia. Heinrich and the von Shauenburgs had always been loyal to the Danish crown and were never asked to forfeit their independence. Centuries of assisting the Danes was seen as the von Shauenburg's means of earning their keep amongst Denmark. Gerhard VI was instrumental in bringing Sweden into Danish control after it left the Kalmar Union. With all this history of loyalty they were not willing to simply give up on their Kingdom and the von Shauenburgs willing to give up on their birthright. After three failed attempts by Frederik to force Holstein to join the union, he lead a host of twelve thousand soldiers into the capital. The message was clear. The very next time Frederik's envoy arrived Heinrich reluctantly forfeited his birthright and Holstein sovereignty to the Danish crown.

After this surrender there was a rift between the former provinces of Holstein. Slesvig was rather happy under Scandinavian rule, while Holstein itself remained highly discontent. This is where Kasper Dellwigh enters center stage. Kasper was married to Heinrich's sister, as well as a devout patriot. After some years of organizing he lead the most massive rebellion in Danish history. Over fourteen thousand men came to arms under Kasper.

Frederik's reaction to this rebellion was to personally lead the main host of twelve thousand men to engage Kasper. The two would briefly engage one another in Holstein. While the rebel army was larger, and Kasper was a fine general, Frederik was a much more skilled making the two sides evenly matched. After two weeks of fighting Kasper retreated from Holstein to Slesvig, with both sides having taken similar casualties.

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Kasper believed that with Holstein in revolt, the reluctant Slesvig would rise up to support her Holstein comrades. Not only did Slesvig not rise up in rebellion, they actively took the side of Frederik in the conflict. Kasper, in unfriendly ground, suffered heavy casualties. Frederik had taken similar casualties, but as Kasper began retreating back to Holstein he was already being reinforced by Slesvig volunteers.

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The rebellion ended where it began. Kasper, without support or supplies from Slesvig, was leading a desperate and hungry force back to Holstein. Kasper hoped that once in Holstein he could regroup and win Holstein its independence. When Frederik arrived just one day after himself, Kasper realized his failure. After just one day of fighting, Kasper's left flank gave way and retreated. With the left flank gone the entire army scattered and fled.

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After Kasper witnessed his once great army wiped out by Frederik, opened a bottle of Burgundian wine and drank to Holstein. Frederik would capture Kasper the very same day. Kasper declared he regretted nothing but his failure and was later hanged for treason. His wife and sons were then transferred to Heinrich's household (now located just outside of Copenhagen).
 
The Protestant Rebellion
February 11 1508 - April 7 1510


The Protestant Rebellion began shortly after its new ideology became popular in several provinces in Scandinavia. The Catholic nobility and administration were appalled by the idea that Protestantism was becoming popular in a Catholic country and instantly pressured their Emperor to put a stop to the religion. Frederik's young son, Erik, was still under the care of a Regency Council. Opinion was divided on how to deal with the protestants, but eventually it was decided just to send missionaries into areas where protestantism had become popular to bring back the wayward Christians. The relatively tame response created outrage amongst the nobility, but this would be minor in comparison to the backlash inside the protestant provinces. They were enraged by the very presence of a catholic missionary in their midst. In February, in the northern reaches of Scandinavia, they rebelled.

A total of two thousand men lead by Stefan Elkins would declare open rebellion in Halogaland. The relatively isolated region of the revolt made putting down the rebellion less difficult than reaching it. An army of 12,000 Scandinavian soldiers under the command of Magnus Wrangel spent three months traveling to Halogaland. Once there the rebellion would be crushed in two days with the rebels scattered.

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The council, well aware that harsh measures against protestants only aid their cause, told Wrangel to leave everything to the priests and withdraw to Finland. A total of two more provinces would revolt, each with armies tantamount to the original Halogaland rebellion. The rebels most likely hoped that their act of defiance would lead others to their cause, to help spread the truth of protestantism throughout the Scandinavian Empire. Instead its popularity decreased during the course of the rebellions. A little over two years following the rebellion's beginning the rebellion came to an anti-climactic end.
 
The Lithuanian - Novgorod War
March 17 1511 - July 25 1511

For reasons that can only be speculated at, the Kingdom of Lithuania declared war on the Republic of Novgorod. The two states did not share a common border and neither had any navy to speak of. In fact, only one of them had access to the sea. Scandinavia was dragged into this nonsensical conflict by Lithuania, who requested aid from its northern ally. The war was accepted by the Council with less than five minutes of deliberation.

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The Regency council was bound by Danish, and therefore Scandinavian, Law to never take the first initiative in a conflict. They were, however, honor bound to come to the aid of allies in need. This meant that while the Regency Council may have desperately desired nearby Russian territories they could not act upon them until Lithuania gave them the perfect excuse to do so.

Magnus Wrangel, stationed in Finland, quickly overran the Russian provinces. Novgorod, the seat of Russian Republicanism, was conquered in just 76 days.

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The Regency Council, paranoid that Lithuania would cheat them in the peace treaty, signed a separate peace with Novgorod just days after the city fell, ending the conflict.

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