Dano-Swedish War (1657–1658)

Dano-Swedish War (1657–58)
Part of the Second Northern War
March across the Belts
Date 1657–58 Location Denmark, Sweden, Bremen-Verden Result Swedish victory Territorial changes Treaty of Roskilde; Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bohuslän, Bornholm and Trøndelag becomes Swedish territories
Belligerents
Sweden	Denmark–Norway
Commanders and leaders
Charles X Gustav Carl Gustaf Wrangel Gustaf Otto Stenbock Per Brahe the Younger	Frederick III Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve Anders Bille † Iver Krabbe

The Dano-Swedish War of 1657–58 was a war between Sweden and Denmark. In 1657 Charles X of Sweden and his Swedish army was bogged down in Poland. Frederick III saw this as an opportunity to recover the territories lost in 1645 and attacked Sweden. The outbreak of war with Denmark provided Charles with an excuse to withdraw from the Polish campaign and move against Denmark.

Bremervörde in Swedish Bremen-Verden under Swedish attack in 1658.

A harsh winter had forced the Dano-Norwegian fleet in port, and frozen the Great Belt and Little Belt. After entering Jutland from the south, a Swedish army of 7,000 battle-hardened veterans marched across the icy Little Belt on January 30, 1658. It captured the island Funen within few days, and soon thereafter Langeland, Lolland-Falster. The Swedish army continued to Zealand, threatening the Danish capital Copenhagen. The rapid Swedish attack across the frozen Belts was completely unexpected; Frederick III was compelled to surrender and signed the Treaty of Roskilde on February 26, 1658.

Sweden had won its most prestigious victory, and Denmark had suffered its most costly defeat. Denmark was forced to yield the provinces of Scania, Halland, Blekinge and the island of Bornholm. Halland had already been under Swedish control since the signing of the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, but they now became Swedish territory indefinitely. Denmark also had to surrender the Norwegian provinces Bohuslän and Trøndelag to Sweden.

See also

• Swedish Empire
• Treaty of Roskilde