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Gustavus
Vasa
 The
Swedish Revolution Under Gustavus Vasa
No name in history lies deeper in Swedish hearts than the name
Gustavus Vasa. Liberator of Sweden from the yoke of Denmark,
and founder of one of the foremost dynasties of Europe, his
people during more than three centuries have looked back fondly
to the figure of their great ruler, and cherished with tender
reverence every incident in his romantic history. This enthusiasm
for Gustavus Vasa is more than sentiment; it belongs to him
as leader in a vast political upheaval. When Gustavus came upon
the stage, the Swedish people had long been groaning under a
foreign despotism. During more than a century their political
existence had been ignored, their rights as freemen trampled
in the dust. They had at last been goaded into a spirit of rebellion,
and were already struggling to be free. What they most needed
was a leader with courage to summon them to arms, and with perseverance
to keep them in the field. Possessing these traits beyond all
others, Gustavus called his people forth to war, and finally
brought them through the war to victory. This revolution extended
over a period of seven years,-from the uprising of the Dalesmen
in 1521 to the coronation of Gustavus in 1528. It is a period
that should be of interest, not only to the student of history,
but also to the lover of romance. In order to render the exact
nature of the struggle clear, I have begun the narrative at
a time considerably before the revolution, though I have not
entered deeply into details till the beginning of the war in
1521. By the middle of the year 1523, when Gustavus was elected
king, actual warfare had nearly ceased, and the scenes of the
drama change from the battle-field to the legislative chamber.
In this period occurred the crowning act of the revolution;
namely, the banishment of the Romish Church and clergy. The
history of the Swedish Revolution has never before been written
in the English language. Even Gustavus Vasa is but little known
outside his native land.
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