Dacke War

The Dackegrottan Uprising ( Swedish Dackefejden ) was a peasant uprising in the Swedish province of Småland in the historical years 1542 and 1543. He was the greatest genuine peasant uprising in Scandinavia and threatened at its peak, to overthrow the reigning king Gustav Wasa.

Causes of the revolt were the harsh centralization policy of King Gustav Vasa, not only the relative independence of Småland farming communities threatened, but had also led to a proliferation of taxes, and the introduction of Protestantism. In addition, the crown forbade the hunting of big game, the felling of beech and oak and disabled border crossings with Denmark.

The rebellion broke out under the leadership of the peasant Nils Dackegrottan around the midsummer of 1542 south of Kalmar and was directed against the royal governors and the nobility. It spread rapidly in the southern part of the country and was sent as a larger unit of Västergötland troops to quell the uprising to Småland, to other areas joined the uprising. Several attempts royal troops put down the rebellion, were beaten back, and in November 1542 ruled the insurgents Småland, Öland and southern Östergötland. The rebels and the king agreed to enter into a one-year truce, during which negotiations for the peaceful settlement of the conflict should be managed.

Nils Dackegrottan seems to have sought a peaceful solution to the conflict, but Gustav Vasa was not interested, but used the time to recruit new troops. When the preparations were complete, Gustav Vasa broke the ceasefire in January 1543, and commanded the newly established army, which consisted of 5,000 mostly German mercenaries to advance to Kalmar and crush the rebellion.

The following battles were hard, and the royal troops were stopped at Målilla. But Nils Dackegrottan was severely wounded in combat on March 25, and the rebellion collapsed afterwards. End of April, the rebellious areas were again under royal control. Although Nils Dackegrottan tried to midsummer 1543 a new uprising, but this was quickly stifled, and the leading insurgents were executed.