Paul Barron Watson examines the remarkable career of Gustavus Vasa, who led Sweden’s revolt against Danish domination, expelled the ruling Kalmar Union, and established the Vasa dynasty in 1523. He traces how Gustavus simultaneously broke with Rome, introduced the Lutheran Reformation, confiscated Church wealth to fund the state, and transformed Sweden from a minor Baltic kingdom into an emerging European power.
A compelling study of nation-building, religious revolution, and personal political genius, this book illuminates a pivotal episode in Scandinavian and European Reformation history that is often overshadowed by events in Germany and England.