During the 1600s Sweden was involved in many successful wars. During this time Sweden and the Swedish nobility built up great wealth.Between 1630 and 1648 Sweden was involved in the 30-Years' War in Europe. Initially it was a war between various Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire, it gradually developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers. Sweden, at the time a major military power, soon intervened in 1630 under King Gustav II Adolf’s command. Sweden played a major role in the war and the Swedish King had about 150,000 soldiers under his command. From 1630 to 1634, Swedish-led armies drove the Catholic forces back, regaining much of the lost Protestant territory. During his campaign, he managed to conquer half of the imperial kingdoms, making Sweden the continental leader of Protestantism.During the was as well as after the end of the war in 1648 a lot of properties and land (fiefs) owned by the Swedish Crown were carelessly granted to the Swedish nobility in gratitude for their efforts during the war.When King Karl XI was about to reform the Swedish armed forces in the 1680s he needed these properties in order to finance the Allotment System. On the advice of the King, the Riksdag (parliament) decreed that a lot of that land should be restored to the Crown. This recapture of land and properties, The Great Reduction, was a very complex issue and continued for many years. After the Reduction the Crown land (kronojord) had increased to 35.5% of the total cultivated land, farmers/freeholders (skattebönder) held 31.5% and the nobility (frälsejord) only 33%.Financially, the reduction during the reign of Karl XI resulted in a significant increase of the assets of the Swedish Crown. To a high degree, it contributed to the development of the strong and meticulous organization of the realm's finances and government. The nobility retained their ancestral estates and their privileged status. The farmers restored their independence and the Crown achieved stable finances.
During the 1600s Sweden was involved in many successful wars. During this time Sweden and the Swedish nobility built up great wealth.Between 1630 and 1648 Sweden was involved in the 30-Years' War in Europe. Initially it was a war between various Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire, it gradually developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers. Sweden, at the time a major military power, soon intervened in 1630 under King Gustav II Adolf’s command. Sweden played a major role in the war and the Swedish King had about 150,000 soldiers under his command. From 1630 to 1634, Swedish-led armies drove the Catholic forces back, regaining much of the lost Protestant territory. During his campaign, he managed to conquer half of the imperial kingdoms, making Sweden the continental leader of Protestantism.During the was as well as after the end of the war in 1648 a lot of properties and land (fiefs) owned by the Swedish Crown were carelessly granted to the Swedish nobility in gratitude for their efforts during the war.When King Karl XI was about to reform the Swedish armed forces in the 1680s he needed these properties in order to finance the Allotment System. On the advice of the King, the Riksdag (parliament) decreed that a lot of that land should be restored to the Crown. This recapture of land and properties, The Great Reduction, was a very complex issue and continued for many years. After the Reduction the Crown land (kronojord) had increased to 35.5% of the total cultivated land, farmers/freeholders (skattebönder) held 31.5% and the nobility (frälsejord) only 33%.Financially, the reduction during the reign of Karl XI resulted in a significant increase of the assets of the Swedish Crown. To a high degree, it contributed to the development of the strong and meticulous organization of the realm's finances and government. The nobility retained their ancestral estates and their privileged status. The farmers restored their independence and the Crown achieved stable finances.
