ABSTRACT
As the seventeenth century drew to a close, Sweden’s age of greatness seemed to have passed its zenith. The martial reputation of Swedish troops was dealt several fearful blows during the war against Denmark and Brandenburg–Prussia in the 1670s, a war which revealed how woefully subordinate to French interests Sweden had become. The German provinces had proved to be expensive acquisitions, costly and difficult to defend against the designs of neighbouring states, and membership of the Empire brought little benefit to the northern kingdom. The legacy of Gustav Adolf and his chancellor was to weigh heavily on their successors, compelled to uphold Sweden’s sagging reputation and committed to the defence of the terms of the Westphalian settlement. To maintain the defences of the overseas territories, the regency government during the minority of Karl XI was obliged to seek French subsidies, and this carried the risk of involvement in Germany. The disastrous consequences of de la Gardie’s French alliance helped bring about the downfall of the chancellor and the establishment of absolutism when the king attained his majority. Karl XI’s military reorganisation and the restoration of financial solvency through the reduktion and taxation measures helped Sweden break away from excessive dependency on foreign subsidies. From 1680 onwards, a policy of cautious neutrality was observed by the king and his president of chancery, Bengt Oxcnstierna. In this, Sweden was undoubtedly assisted by the fact that her neighbours were also exhausted by incessant and ruinous warfare. Poland and Muscovy were embroiled in conflict with the Turks, whilst the aggressive foreign policy of Louis XIV occupied the attention of the German states and the maritime powers, England and the Dutch Republic.
