Key Facts
- Date of attack
- 7 July 1289
- Fleet used
- Leidgang fleet
- Men drowned (accidental)
- 160
- Result at Copenhagen
- City withstood the attack
- Prior action same day
- Helsingør burned on 7 July 1289
Strategic Narrative Overview
Eric II of Norway launched his first war expedition with the exiled Danish outlaws in July 1289, sailing the Leidgang fleet into the Øresund on the night of 6 July. One ship was lost by accident, drowning 160 men. On 7 July the fleet burned Helsingør, then attacked Copenhagen, which successfully repelled the assault. The fleet continued to Amager, Ven, and Skanör, where further fighting occurred.
01 / The Origins
The murder of Eric V of Denmark at Finderup in 1286 triggered a political crisis among Danish nobles who had opposed the crown. Fearing reprisals, several fled to Norway, where Eric II granted them refuge. Norway also harboured territorial ambitions southward and had recently settled a costly dispute with German merchants, making a conflict with Denmark both politically and strategically appealing.
03 / The Outcome
Copenhagen withstood the Norwegian-outlaw assault, and the Leidgang fleet moved on without capturing the city. The broader war of the outlaws continued beyond this single engagement, but the outcome of the wider conflict and any formal settlement remain unclear from available sources. The number of combatants killed during the siege is unknown.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Eric II of Norway.
Side B
1 belligerent
Eric VI of Denmark.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.