The Treaty of Copenhagen ended this war and established Denmark-Sweden-Norway borders that have persisted to the present day.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1658–1660
- Peace treaty with Allies
- Treaty of Oliva
- Concluding treaty
- Treaty of Copenhagen, signed 1660-05-26
- Territory returned to Denmark
- Bornholm
- Territory returned to Norway
- Trøndelag
- Swedish king's death
- Charles X Gustav died February 1660
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the Peace of Roskilde in 1658, Sweden's Charles X Gustav used Danish delays in fulfilling treaty provisions as a pretext to attack Denmark. His ultimate aim was to eliminate Denmark as a sovereign state and secure freedom to wage war elsewhere in Europe without Danish interference, while his ambitions in Royal Prussia had been blocked by Brandenburg and Austria.
Sweden besieged Copenhagen intending to starve it into submission, but the Dutch Republic intervened, breaking through Swedish naval forces in Øresund. A Swedish assault on Copenhagen also failed. Brandenburg, Poland, and Austria subsequently joined against Sweden. After Charles X Gustav died in February 1660, negotiations accelerated, with Danish statesman Hannibal Sehested ultimately concluding peace bilaterally through the Treaty of Copenhagen.
The Treaty of Copenhagen forced Sweden to return Bornholm to Denmark and Trøndelag to Norway, while the Treaty of Oliva resolved Swedish disputes with Poland, Austria, and Brandenburg. The resulting borders between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway proved lasting, remaining essentially unchanged to the present day.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Charles X Gustav.
Side B
5 belligerents
Hannibal Sehested.