The siege of Varberg was a Danish siege of the Swedish-occupied castle of Varberg in Halland, present-day

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

(then part of Denmark-Norway) by Danish forces under the Danish-German general

Daniel Rantzau Daniel Rantzau (1529 – 11 November 1569) was a Danish-German general. He was known for his leadership during the Northern Seven Years' War. For some years, he fought in Germany and Italy, and also took part in the Danish conquest of Dithmarschen ...

. Rantzau was killed by a Swedish cannonball on 11 November. Danish commander Franz Brockenhuus and Swedish commander Bo Birgersson Grip were also killed in the battle.

Background

After Swedish king Eric XIV was deposed in 1568, his brother became king as John III. John sent a delegation to Denmark to negotiate for an end of the Northern Seven Years' War.Roberts (1968), p. 251. Frederik II of Denmark was unable to exploit the inner-Swedish conflict, as his treasures were emptied by the costs of his German mercenary armies, on whom he had relied throughout the war,Roberts (1968), p. 250. and the rebuilding of the Danish navy. The Swedish delegation in Roskilde consented to all Danish demands. The Dano-Swedish treaty thus included the restoration of the pre-war borders between the kingdoms, except for the Swedish dominion in Estonia, established in 1561 during the Livonian War, which was to be ceded to Frederick's brother,

Magnus of Holstein Magnus of Denmark or Magnus of Holstein ( – ) was a Prince of Denmark, Duke of Holstein, and a member of the House of Oldenburg. As a vassal of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, he was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578. Early life Duke Magnu ...

. Furthermore, the Swedish crown was obliged to pay for the Danish war costs from 1563 to 1568. The draft was signed on 18 November 1568 by the Swedish envoys Jören Ericksson Gyllensterne (Jörgen Gyldenstiern of Fouglevig), Ture Bielke (Thure Bielcke of Salestad) and Niels Jensson (secretary), and for the Danish side by Peer Oxsse (Per or Peder Oxe of Gisselfeld, hofmester),

Johan Friis Johan Friis (20 February 1494 – 5 December 1570) was a Danish statesman. He served as Chancellor under King Christian III of Denmark. Biography He was born at Lundbygård manor as the son of Jesper Friis til Lundbygård and Anne Johansdat ...

(Frijs of Hesselagger,

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

), Holger Rossenkrantzs (Holger Ottesen Rosenkrantz of Boller, governor in North Jutland), Peder Billde (Bilde of Svanholm, commander of Callundborg) and Nils Kaass (Kaas of Taarupgaard, secretary).Odhner et al. (1897), p. 105; Regesta diplomatica ... (1870), p. 288.

References

Bibliography

* * * Conflicts in 1569 Varberg Varberg {{denmark-battle-stub