The history of
Above: Mark klippen from Christian II, 1532 |
When
Christian II, son of King Hans, came to power in
1513, he set three main goals for himself: uniting the three Nordic countries
under his reign, broadening the power and influence of the throne in society,
and straightening out relations with the Hanseatic League. All did not
go according to plan. He launched two failed attempts to gain control of
Sweden, after which an uprising led by Gustav Vasa cut Sweden loose from
Denmark for good. In Norway, Christian II curbed the privileges of the
church and the nobility, appointing Danish noblemen to key positions. In
order to finance his military activities he introduced new taxes. In several
places this provoked uprisings among the farmers.
In 1523 he was forced to flee the country. Staying primarily in the Netherlands, he bided his time until 1531 when he succeeded in assembling an army with which he returned to Norway. Although he enjoyed the support of Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson and large parts of the Norwegian populace, he finally surrendered to Mogens Gyldenstierne at Akershus Fort. Since his youth Christian II had taken an interest in the works of scientists
and artists. He has been described as a typical Renaissance Man, embodying
the struggle between medieval thought and the ideas of the new age.
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