Battle of Brunkeberg

"Saint George and the Dragon" by Bernt Notke, in 's Storkyrkan, commemorating Sture's victory

Date	10 October 1471
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Result	Sture victory

Belligerents

Swedish supporters of the Sture party

Danish and Swedish unionist troops

Commanders and leaders

Sten Sture the Elder

Christian I of Denmark

Strength

8,700 including peasants and some regulars
1,300 mounted knights

Total:
10,000 men

3,000 Danish regulars
3,000 German mercenaries

Total:
6,000 men

Casualties and losses

Unknown

1,370 killed
630 captured

8,700 including peasants and some regulars
1,300 mounted knights

3,000 Danish regulars
3,000 German mercenaries

The Battle of Brunkeberg was fought on 10 October 1471 between the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder and forces led by Danish king Christian I.

In May 1471, Sten Sture the Elder had been elected as Lord Protector (riksföreståndare) of Sweden by the Riksmöte in Arboga. Advocating Swedish secession from the Kalmar Union, Herr Sten as he was known, had garnered large support. In particular his followers were to be found among the peasantry, in and in the Bergslagen mining region. The latter region's trading with German cities such as Lübeck often found themselves in conflict with Union's Danish foreign policy. In later times the battle was often recast for propaganda reasons as a national war of liberation against Danish oppressors. In reality, most combatants on both sides were Swedish and the roots of the conflict were primarily economic and political interests.

In response to the election of Sture, Christian I sailed to Sweden with a military force, intending to unseat him as Lord Protector. Mooring his ships off Skeppsholmen in Stockholm, he set up camp on Brunkebergsåsen, a ridge a short distance north of Stockholm (at the time Stockholm was confined to the island containing the Old Town).

On Thursday 10 October, Sten Sture and Nils Bosson Sture led their troops north to the area which is Hötorget in Stockholm today, near Brunkeberg after which the battle was named. Sten Sture's battle plan was to catch Christian's troops in a vice: Sten would attack from the west, Nils from the east, and Knut Posse would strike out from the city itself.

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Wikipedia