Rebellion
The rebellion was ignited by the tax situation, where Eric of Pomerania, King of the Kalmar Union, showed arrogance by not negotiating with the four Estates of the Swedish realm at a Diet.
In the summer of 1434, enraged miners and peasants burned the castle of Borganäs near Borlänge. The tension spread, causing several assaults on castles across the country. Nobleman Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson stood out as the rebel leader, commanding a peasant army. Negotiations with king Eric took place in Vadstena in August 1434, but this was unsuccessful.
In January 1435 Engelbrekt summoned representatives from the four Estates to a Diet in Arboga, which later has been called the first Riksdag of the Estates (although it is uncertain whether the peasants really participated). Engelbrekt was elected Captain (Rikshövitsman) of the Swedish realm. The antagonism abated when king Eric promised changes for the better. However, as before, people felt these promises were not being fulfilled, hence the rebels picked up their axes once more. On April 27, 1436 a rebel army unit was sent marching towards Stockholm, where people still supported king Eric due to strong and influential Danish presence in the city.
A certain degree of inner tension among the rebelling forces occurred because the Nobility and Clergy decided to support Karl Knutsson Bonde, who in 1436 had risen to the position of Rikshövitsman. Neither dared remove Engelbrekt completely because of his strong support among the two lower Estates (Burghers and Peasants). However, Engelbrekt fell sick and came somewhat in the background. In a twist of fate highly beneficial to Knutsson, Engelbrekt was assassinated on May 4 by Måns Bengtsson (Natt och Dag), the cause being an unrelated, personal conflict. Consequently, Knutsson won the power struggle (and became king Charles VIII of Sweden in 1448). A man named Erik Puke attempted to rally Engelbrekt's old supporters, but it was too late. Puke was apprehended and executed in Stockholm.
Read more about this topic: Engelbrekt Rebellion
Famous quotes containing the word rebellion:
“The one point on which all women are in furious secret rebellion against the existing law is the saddling of the right to a child with the obligation to become the servant of a man.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Scholars planning a rebellion could never succeed even in three years.”
—Chinese proverb.