Count's Feud

The Count's Feud (Danish: Grevens Fejde), sometimes referred to as the Count's War, was a Danish war of succession occurring from 1534 to 1536, which gave rise to the Reformation in Denmark. In the broader international context, it was a part of the European wars of religion. The Count's Feud derives its name from the Protestant count, Christopher of Oldenburg, who championed the claim to the throne of the deposed Catholic king, Christian II (who was forced from power in 1523), rejecting Christian III's election. Christian III was a devoted protestant who had already established Lutheranism as the state religion in Schleswig and Holstein by 1528.