Harald Hardrada (4-2-2)
During the terrible Sweden-Poland war (1508-1518), Sweden was left completely empty of troops. Every man old enough to carry a sword, ride a horse or fire a musket was conscripted and sent on the cold and swampy Prussian front. Taking advantage of this situation, rebel movements sprang up from Lappland to Skane, from Vastergottland to Savolaks. King Fnuco made a desperate call to his friend and ally, Czar Dr Bob, to send an army to deal with the rebels. The Swedish council quickly granted military access to Russia and in a matter of days Russian forces were entering the kingdom of Sweden, bringing hope and salvation. The cossacks stormed from the Finnish border down to the tip of Skane, making a clean sweep for the glory of their ruler and the eternal gratitude of the Swedish monarch.
Colonel Piotr Alekseevici Vorobianinov, the leader of the Russian cavalry regiment stationed near Sotckholm was also a quite famous ladies' man. A handsome young man, with a good social status, he was fancied by a lot of high class Swedish women. He got married in Sweden to Lady Erika Anderssen, daughter of the Count of Smaland. Colonel Vorobianinov died in a battle against rebels in Nyland, before the messenger could bring him the happy news: his wife gave birth to a baby boy.
Young Erika had to raise the child alone, and king Fnuco himself saw to it that the woman had everything she needed to educate young Harald. However, it was very hard for a single mother toraise her child. Young Harald , with no father figure to relate to, grew up to be a very difficult boy. With a short temper and a passion for order and discipline, young Harald was probably the bossiest child in Stockholm. When he turned 16, his mother signed him up for the Military academy, and thanks to the King's intervention, his future as general was certain as soon as he would reach the legal age of 18. Harald then became the youngest Swedish general in history.
Gunter Allback (4-2-3)
The Polish was was indeed a time of troubles for the Swedish people. A time of poverty, of rebellions, but also a time where a man's deeds talked for himself, a time when a soldier's bavery could get him from underdog to top dog in a matterof weeks. This is the case of Gunter, born a serf in Hinterpommern, he was conscripted when his home land was liberated by the victorious armies of Charles Gustavus. First he was a trainer for the RRs, then his heroic actions in battle promoted him to batallion leader in 1516, and by 1517, when general Gustavus died, he hoped to become general. But the RRs were losing the weight they had in the Swedish armies, specially because of the terrain type in Poland. It seemed the rats were not as effective in open plains as they were in forests or, even better, in swamps. Gunter asked for a position with the cavalry, and as major of the 2nd Bremen brigade, distinguished himself in the looting of Krakow, and later Masovia. By the time the war was over in 1518, his brigade general proposed him as batallion leader in the cavalry, and 10 years later, when his general died, Gunter was ready to assume his position.
