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The siege of Älvsborg (), also known as the siege of Elfsborg (), was a
After three days of shooting, the besiegers had made a hole in the fortification, and thereby the fortress could be assaulted. Commander,
siege
A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
of the Swedish fortress of Älfsborg by the Danish army under King Frederick II at the start of the Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War,'' the ''Seven Years' War of the North'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden (1523–1611), K ...
. The siege ended in a quick Danish victory, and the Swedish commander would surrender the fort before any direct assault would be initiated.
Background
In August 1563, theNorthern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the ''Nordic Seven Years' War'', the ''First Northern War,'' the ''Seven Years' War of the North'' or the ''Seven Years War in Scandinavia'') was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden (1523–1611), K ...
began. Frederick II of Denmark was stationed in Scania
Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
with 28,000 men and began marching up to Älvsborg Fortress
Älvsborg Fortress (), with its main facility Oscar II's Fort () built 1899–1907, is a now-defunct Swedish fortification located at the mouth of the Göta River in the Älvsborg district of Gothenburg, Sweden.
History
Construction of the fo ...
, supported by 27 large warships which left Copenhagen on 5 August with a further 4,600 men.
Älvsborg Fortress was one of Sweden's most important fortifications, and from here you could control shipping from places further inland, like Lödöse
Lödöse (), also known as Gamla Lödöse is a locality situated in Lilla Edet Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It is situated 40 kilometers northeast of Gothenburg and is considered the precursor to modern-day Gothenburg.
Gaml ...
. Therefore, it was of strategic importance to control the fortress, and if Frederick were to take the castle it would be a big blow to Sweden.
On 22 August, the Danish army reached Älvsborg, made camp, and surrounded the fortress.
Siege
On 22 August, the Danish army made camp at Älvsborg and surrounded the fortress. The Swedes awaited the attack, yet supplies and reinforcements could not be sent to the besieged Swedes. On 1 September, the Danes were ready and the siege began. Under Erik Kagge, the Swedish garrison stood at 700 men and 32 cannons of various sizes. The garrison was keen on defending the castle from the Danishartillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
, and Frederick II describes an incident from the siege:
After three days of shooting, the besiegers had made a hole in the fortification, and thereby the fortress could be assaulted. Commander, Daniel Rantzau
Daniel Rantzau (1529 – 11 November 1569) was a Danish-German field marshal. 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 Dithm ...
, got the task of assaulting the fortification, however before he would do that, Erik Kagge had already surrendered.
Aftermath
After this, the Danes took muchbooty
Booty most commonly refers to:
*Booty (loot), goods or treasure seized by force
*"Booty", a slang term for the buttocks
Booty may also refer to:
Music
* Booty music (also known as Miami bass or booty bass), a subgenre of hip hop
* "Booty" (Jenn ...
, including the 32 cannons in the fortress and two warships which would be incorporated into the Danish fleet. Frederick II installed Jørgen Rantzau Jørgen Rantzau (1652–1713) was a Danish Major general who fought several campaigns under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Biography
Jørgen Rantzau came from a military family. He was the son of Colonel Frantz Rantzau of Estvadgård (c ...
as commander of the conquered fortress, with a garrison of four companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
, later reduced to two. The Danish army would later march south to Halland
Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...
where it would confront Eric XIV
Erik XIV or Eric XIV (13 December 153326 February 1577) became King of Sweden following the death of his father, Gustav I, on 29 September 1560. During a 1568 rebellion against him, Erik was incarcerated by his half-brother John III. He ...
's army.
See also
* * * *References
Works cited
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Älvsborg 1563 Sieges involving Sweden Sieges involving Denmark–Norway Battles of the Northern Seven Years' War Attacks on castles in Sweden History of Gothenburg Conflicts in 1563 1563 in Sweden 1563 in Denmark