Chapter Six
Wherein the War against the Swedish Empire is Resolved
The matter of England’s northern neighbor had been settled. Now England’s military might could be singularly focused on the Swedish interlopers. The Fall season saw the Commonwealth’s first land victories against the Swede. First their Delaware colony was occupied, then their armies were swept from Ireland.
Sweden attempted a peculiar retaliation in the colonial theater at year’s end. They landed a single regiment in Abnaki. It was quickly dispatched by the New Model Army’s North American detachment.
This landing was nothing short of a curiosity to Braddock and his naval commanders. After the victory in the Irish Sea, Blake’s fleet had to retire to port. The Swedish fleet was thus able to escape, doubtlessly returning to port as well, having suffered more. Although the Commonwealth Navy was unable to account for the Swedish navy directly following the Battle of the Irish Sea, it was quite certain no enemy ships had passed through the Channel once they resumed patrol.
Wanting no further maritime mischief, Braddock ordered Blake to sail for the Baltic to conclude the Swedish navy. Blake found no resistance there, just a few newly built ships in port--no doubt replacements for the ships he had sunk. Therefore, Blake effected a blockade of the entire Baltic Seacoast. He positioned his main force at the Kattegat; if the Swedish navy was to liberate the Baltic Sea, which was practically a Swedish lake, they would need to meet him there.
The effect this had on the Swedish Empire cannot be understated. To administrate their non-peninsular territories, Sweden needed Baltic sea lines of communication. Land routes were circuitous, through harsh geography, and inefficient. Thus, Blake’s blockade cost the Swedish Empire dearly, not just in terms of external trade but internally also.
With a handle on the sea war, Braddock prepared for the land campaign. The Lord Protector sent word to the colonial governor of Madras to investigate the possibility of an expedition against Swedish Indochina to be taken at his own discretion with the resources he had on hand. The governor’s reply was an interesting, if strange, intelligence report.
Only a Knut Bagge could have devised this scheme!
“Adventure against the Swedes’ oriental holdings does not seem prudent action at this time,” read his report. “The forces there outnumber those under my command. I’ve spoken to a captain of La Royale, and it appears the remaining body of the Swedish fleet are embarking troops--one regiment at a time!--their destination unknown. If opportunity presents itself, I will take action, but at present it is unwise.”
Braddock was not too disturbed to have this avenue of action closed to him. He knew the central efforts had to be against Swedish soil, not the far periphery of their empire. He made entreaties to England’s ally the Dane, reasoning only a combined English-Danish march could hope to overcome Sweden’s 30,000 man army in a frontal attack, but was rebuffed. Denmark was glad to see their neighbor weakened, but for myriad reasons was unable to sustain even a joint war at this time. (They did, however, give their tacit support for England’s efforts: Blake’s boats found fond welcome in Danish ports.)
Thus denied his preferred straight fight, Braddock would have to content himself with “sneaking around”--Fabian tactics. As he was preparing to embark on this campaign, an envoy from Spain arrived with an unexpected message. King Felipe wished to resume the provisions of the Anglo-Portuguese treaty from the new seat of power over Portugal, Madrid. This was a transparent attempt to neutralize the danger the English-French alliance presented.
Lord Protector Daniel Braddock, like those members of parliament that elected him, viewed Spain as a rival to be replaced by the Commonwealth as the preeminent world power. He was therefore expected to reject, but didn’t. Instead, quite deviously, he accepted their hollow offer of alliance and immediately called upon the Spanish king to join England’s war. Naturally, Spain rejected. This was a considerable scandal in the international community. By refusing to honor a treaty they proposed, Spain was made to appear untrustworthy and cowardly. Braddock was no diplomat, but when he viewed a nation as an enemy, and the worldstage a battlefield, he was capable then of some truly splendid maneuvers. Just another move in the great game against the Spanish Empire.
That matter concluded, Braddock left for Sweden. He decided to campaign in the southern Baltic coast. The fortifications there were less developed and the Swedish army would have to march up the Swedish coast and down the Finnish coast to reach him.
While he occupied Swedish land, reports reached Braddock of the Swedish fleet. That same fleet that had been spotted off Indochina now sailed past Bermuda. Soon, Swedish soldiers were besieging English-occupied Delaware.
Braddock could only laugh. The Swedes had sailed from the orient to North America to deposit 1,000 men in a futile attempt to retake their colony. The Swedish navy was too timid to engage Blake at the Kattegat; the Baltic sea lines would remain closed to Sweden. Braddock knew the war was won, but Sweden was unwilling to accept it: Even the most favorable peace offers were rejected. After all, their main army was undefeated and their core territory was contiguous. Clearly, these facts blinded them to the fact of their defeat. Braddock would need to enlighten them.
The New Model Army was back at sea by the time the Swedish army reached occupied territory. Braddock ordered 9,000 more footmen embarked for the Baltic campaign. He had in mind the boldest maneuver of the war.
They met him in Stockholm for the
coup de grâce. The assault of Stockholm was a bloody affair. Perhaps the most well defended province in the world, Stockholm boasted highly developed fortifications and a garrison of 6,000 men; but Braddock would not relent--Stockholm’s walls would.
Braddock had arrayed 20+ thousand men for the assault, only these remained
The capture of his capital was finally enough to bring the Swedish king to the negotiating table. Before and during the Baltic campaign England had offered white peace, and Sweden rejected. With the spilling of so much English blood at Stockholm, Braddock's conscience would no longer allow him to settle for anything less than Swedish surrender. England demanded minor concessions, and Sweden accepted.
Finally, peace. Would it last?