In several wars in the16th century, Sweden defeated the armies of Denmark and Poland and became the land military overlord of northern Europe. During the Thirty Years' War, Sweden joined the Protestant camp and went deep into the hinterland of the Holy Roman Empire. 1632, King Gustav II Adolf was killed in the battle of Luzon Island. In the Battle of Nadlingen in 1634, the Swedish army was defeated and retreated to China. 1642, Sweden sent troops to Germany again. 1648, the allied forces of France and Sweden finally defeated the Holy Roman Emperor and signed the Peace Treaty of Westphalia, ending the war. Sweden acquired German territory in former Pomerania, Wisma, Ben Wilden and Bremen. After the Thirty Years' War, Sweden's power in the Baltic Sea reached its peak.
1625, Sweden took control of the territory of Livonia (a part of Estonia and Latvia). 1658, Sweden recovered the southern coastal province of Scanay from Denmark. 1700, Russia, Denmark and Poland formed an alliance to fight against Sweden, and the Northern War began. 1709, the army of King Carl XII of Sweden was defeated by Russian Tsar Peter I in present-day poltava, Ukraine, and fled to the Ottoman Empire. Russia began to replace Sweden as an emerging power in northern Europe and the Baltic region. 172 1 year, Sweden was defeated and lost its status as a subsidiary country of Europe and a military power. Livonia was incorporated into Russia.
1809, Russia sent troops to annex Finland under Swedish rule. Finland became the grand duchy of the Russian Empire, and Tsar Alexander I was also the Grand Duke of Finland.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Sweden formally joined the anti-French alliance in 18 13. According to the Kiel Treaty of 18 14, Sweden got Norway from Denmark, which had been in decline for a long time. However, Norway took the opportunity to declare independence and promulgated the Constitution. Sweden launched a short war, and Norway was forced to agree to surrender to the Swedish king as a country.
In the next 200 years, Sweden will avoid getting involved in any wars and conflicts. Lasting peace and stability have brought about the rapid development of domestic economy and science and technology. /kloc-At the end of 0/9, Sweden completed industrialization and developed into one of the most developed and wealthy countries in the world.
Colonial activities and overseas trade
After the opening of the new air route, the Swedes began to follow the example of western European countries, set up trading companies and sought to establish overseas colonies. With the support of Dutchman Peter Minuit, Swedish politician axel oxenstierna and naval fleet commander Crass Fleming, New Sweden Company was established on 1633. In order to develop trade with the East, especially with China, the Swedish East India Company was established in 173 1. From 17 to 18, Sweden established small-scale colonial strongholds on the east coast of North America, the Caribbean and West Africa. However, due to Sweden's weak national strength, it is difficult to compete with other countries, and these colonial activities all ended in failure.
Fredrich Dan Coe, the Dutch governor who surrendered to Zheng Chenggong in the first year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty (1662), was a Swedish aristocrat.
New Sweden
1637, the first Swedish expedition organized by New Sweden Company set out from Gothenburg, Sweden, for North America under the command of Peter Minuit. 1638 On March 29th, the New Sweden Company purchased a piece of land from the local Indians along the Delaware River in North America, and established the Christina Fortress here, which is now Wilmington, Delaware. This is Sweden's first overseas colony. New Sweden, including parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, is headed by Peter Minuit. Half the colonists who explored this area were Finns and Dutch. But before that, the Netherlands has claimed that this area is Dutch territory (under the jurisdiction of the new Netherlands). After a series of military conflicts, this place was merged into the Netherlands and New Holland on September 1655.
Sweden belongs to the West Indies.
1785, Sweden acquired Is. Saint Bartremy, an affiliated island of Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. In exchange, French merchant ships obtained the duty-free right in Gothenburg, Sweden. Subsequently, the Swedish West India Company was established in the autumn of 1786. Sweden established the port of Gustavia on this small island. During the reign of Sweden, the island was mainly used as a transit point for Swedish ships to traffic slaves from Africa. /kloc-In the middle of the 9th century, Sweden began to ban the slave trade, and Saint bartholomew lost its economic value and was returned to France in 1878.
As Sweden participated in the anti-French alliance in the Napoleonic Wars, in return, in 18 13, Sweden took over Guadeloupe Island in French West India from the British occupation forces. 18 14. According to the Paris Treaty, Sweden returned the island to France.
West African colonial stronghold
/kloc-In the 5th century, the Portuguese occupied Oguaa (in present-day Ghana, west of Accra165km) on the west coast of West Africa as a trading post, which was later called Cape Coast. 1637, the Dutch occupied the coast of the Cape of Good Hope and built castles. 1652, the area was once again occupied by Sweden. 1664, the Cape Coast was finally occupied by the British and became the main stronghold of the British Gold Coast. In addition, the Swedes set up a trading post in Accra.
According to the research of Swedish scholars, the Swedish East India Company was the first "East India Company" to smuggle opium to China in history. 1767, Jacob Hal of the Swedish East India Company sent 150 boxes of opium from India to Guangzhou, China, and sold them there. This precedent caused the East India companies in western European countries to follow suit. Since then, the amount of opium smuggled into Guangzhou has increased sharply.
Modern Times
1905, Norway held a referendum on the dispute over the consulate and decided to become independent from Sweden. Sweden declared neutrality in both world wars. But exported timber and minerals to Germany during World War II.