Key Facts
- Duration
- 30 January – 15 February 1658 (16 days)
- Treaty signed
- Treaty of Roskilde, 26 February 1658
- Distance from Copenhagen
- 22 km when Denmark capitulated
- Territories ceded by Denmark
- Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bohuslän, Bornholm, Trøndelag
- Ice crossing began
- 5 February 1658, southern Funen to Langeland
Strategic Narrative Overview
Swedish forces stormed the fortress of Frederiksodde on 27 October 1657, securing Jutland. Blocked from reaching Zealand by the Danish straits and navy, Charles X Gustav waited for winter to freeze the water. On 30 January 1658 his army marched across the Little Belt to Funen, defeating Danish defenders at Tybrind Vig and Iversnæs. Crossing the Great Belt via Langeland, Lolland, and Falster, Swedish troops reached Zealand on 11 February.
01 / The Origins
On 5 June 1657, Denmark seized on Sweden's entanglement in the Second Northern War against Poland and Russia to declare war. Charles X Gustav, despite being heavily committed against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, redirected his army to Jutland to strike back. The Danish move was opportunistic, but Sweden's swift response caught Denmark off guard, forcing Danish forces to retreat and ultimately shelter in fortified positions.
03 / The Outcome
With Swedish forces just 22 kilometres from Copenhagen, Frederick III of Denmark sued for unconditional peace on 15 February 1658. The Treaty of Roskilde (26 February 1658) ceded Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bohuslän, Bornholm, and Trøndelag to Sweden. Bornholm and Trøndelag were later returned in 1660 after a failed second Swedish war, but the remaining territories established what historians regard as Sweden's current natural borders.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Charles X Gustav, Erik Dahlbergh.
Side B
1 belligerent
Frederick III of Denmark.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.