Copyright © Hans Högman 2017-10-27
The Many Swedish
Wars - 1600s
The Danish War of King Karl XI
1675-1679
The Swedish Peace Treaties of 1679
Due to an alliance with France Sweden was forced
into a war on continental Europe in 1672. Sweden
didn’t really enter the war until 1675.
The war ended in 1679 when a series of peace
treaties were signed between the participants of the
war.
A summary of the Swedish peace
treaties
The first peace treaty in Nijmegen on
January 26, 1679 with the Holy Roman
Empire
This was the first peace treaty in a number of peace
treaties the ended the war for Sweden. Both France
and the Netherlands wanted a peace in 1676 and
started preparations for a separate peace treaty.
However Spain and the Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire didn’t accept this.
Negotiations started in 1676 but there were no
agreements reached that year. The terms for
Sweden were tough. The Swedish provinces on the
continent were in danger. During 1677 nothing
much happened. On April 15, 1678 France
forwarded an ultimate where they demanded that
Sweden was to keep all of their provinces on
continental Europe.
•
On August 10, 1678 France and the Netherlands
signed a separate peace treaty. Sweden was not
part of this treaty. However there was a clause
in the treaty which forced the Netherlands to
take a neutral position towards Sweden until a
formal peace treaty was signed between the
two nations.
•
On September 17, 1678 France and Spain
signed a separate peace treaty.
The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was
then left alone and found himself in a difficult
position. At the end of 1678 he therefore started
negotiations with France.
•
On January 26, 1679 France and Sweden signed
the peace treaty with the Holy Roman Empire.
(This was two separate peace treaties, one for
France and one for Sweden).
This was a disaster for the Danes and Brandenburg,
who now were completely alone.
The result for Sweden was that the terms of the
peace treaty in Westfalen of 1648 was to be honored
and that all of Sweden’s provinces in Northern
Germany were to remain Swedish.
France and the Emperor agreed to mediate the
peace treaties for Sweden with the other enemies of
Sweden, foremost Denmark and Brandenburg. If
these nations were to refuse the terms, France was
allowed to use force to make them sign the treaty
with Sweden.
The peace treaty in Celle on January 26, 1679
– with Lüneburg
This treaty was signed with the princely house of
Lüneburg. In this peace treaty France didn’t quite
honor the agreement that Sweden wasn’t going to
loose any territory on the continent. In this treaty
Sweden lost Dörverden and the county of
Thedinghausen. However the area around Bremen
plus Karlsburg, Stade and Buxhöwden was to be
returned to Sweden.
The second peace treaty in Nijmegen on
March 19, 1679 – with Münster
This treaty was signed with the house of Münster.
Münster was to return Bremen and Verden to
Sweden. Münster got the county of Wildeshausen as
a guarantee for 100.000 riksdaler, which Sweden
was supposed to pay to them.
Also, the Münster soldiers in Danish service were to
be recalled.
The peace treaty in S:t Germain on June 19,
1679 – with Brandenburg
Brandenburg was not prepared to sign any peace
treaty unless they would get the Swedish Pommern
from Sweden. To put pressure on Brandenburg,
France had its army to march towards Brandenburg.
This had a good effect and Brandenburg changed
their mind. However the negotiations were
extremely difficult and Brandenburg didn’t approve
of anything unless they were forced to it.
Brandenburg was to return all Swedish land in
northern Germany according to the peace treaty of
Westfalen in 1648. However Brandenburg was to
keep a short piece of land on the east side of river
Oder, a piece of land Sweden got in Stettin in 1653
The peace treaty in Fontainbleu on August
23, 1679 – with Denmark
Negotiation started during the summer but the two
nations were far apart from each other.
The King of France demanded Denmark to accept
that land and terms of the 1660 peace treaty in
Copenhagen was to be reinstated. To put pressure
on Denmark, France occupied the Danish counties
Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.
This had effect on Denmark and they accepted the
terms. All Danish territorial gains were to be
returned to Sweden.
The third peace treaty in Nijmegen on
October 2, 1679 – with the Netherlands
The Netherlands declared war with Sweden on June
15, 1675. However there were no battles between
the two nation’s armies during the war.
The peace treaty was simple and the content was
three trade agreements. The Dutch was also to
receive 102.323 riksdaler for a number of Dutch
merchant ships that Sweden had captured during
the war.
This was the last peace treaty for Sweden during this
war. The territorial losses would have been a great
deal higher if Sweden hadn’t been “protected” by
France in the negotiations. On the other hand,
Sweden was an allied of France and forced into the
war.
There was no peace treaty between Sweden and
Spain. However a jointly declaration for peace
was ratified on August 6, 1679.
