Nils Dacke

Nils Dacke was a Swedish yeoman who was the leader of a mid-16th century peasant revolt in Småland, southern Sweden, called the Dacke War (Swedish: Dackefejden), fought against the Swedish king Gustav I Vasa. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.

Gustav Vasa had come to power at the head of a peasant army in 1523. He had established Sweden's independence from Denmark and made Protestantism the national religion. Småland found itself on the border between Sweden and Denmark and was hard hit by Vasa's ban on cross-border trade. In addition, the heavyhanded way in which the church was reformed and the increasing tax burden led to much dissatisfaction among the poor peasants. Already in 1536, Nils Dacke was tried at a local court for killing a sheriff; according to court records he was fined 10 oxen.

The uprising started in June 1542 with the assassination of more sheriffs and tax collectors. Gustav Vasa underestimated the military prowess of the peasants and sent his German mercenaries to quell the revolt. The landsknechts were, however, unsuited for battle in the rugged forests and suffered heavy losses. Dacke had devised defensive tactics that allowed the peasants to use their steel crossbows with devastating effect. Dacke's successes helped spread the revolt over all the southern provinces of Sweden. The situation was so serious that the king was forced to sue for peace, and a one-year ceasefire was signed on 8 November. During the ceasefire, Dacke was the de facto ruler of most of southern Sweden and received offers of foreign support from the Elector Palatine Frederick II (who was the son-in-law of Christian II and claimed the Swedish throne) and Duke Albrecht of Mecklenburg. He reinstated the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church and reopened the cross-border trade in the areas under his control. With Danish support Gustav Vasa mounted an invasion of Mecklenburg which neutralised the German threat.

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