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The Club War (also Cudgel War, Finnish Nuijasota) was 1596 an uprising in Swedish-occupied Finland against the occupation. The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the rebels had limited access to weaponry and were only able to use maces, iron cudgels and other blunt weapons against the the armored knights of the occupational government. The rebels took up residence in Nokia Manor and won several skirmishes against smaller cavalry forces, but were decisively defeated by Klaus Fleming's army on January 1-2, 1597. Their leader Jaakko Ilkka^[1] successfully escaped, but was captured and killed a few weeks later. A second wave of insurgents suffered a decisive loss at Ilmajoki in the Battle of Santavuori on February 24th. In total almost 3 000 native Finns were killed in the rebellion.

The insurgents were mostly Finnish peasants from Ostrobothnia, Northern Tavastia, and Savo. Finns, tired of the hardships and taxation imposed on them, particularly during the Russo-Swedish War of 1590–1595, they were disappointed to find out that they were still required to provide food, transport, and lodging for a sizable army to the occupying Swedish government, even after the Treaty of Tyavzino. The insurgents also complained that soldiers abused the system of taxation by taking by force more than to which they were legally entitled.

In his groundbreaking work Nuijasota, sen syyt ja tapaukset (1857-1859), historian and prominent fennoman Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen describes the peasants as fighting for freedom and justice. Albert Edelfelt's Poltettu kylä (1879) depicts a woman, a child, and an old man hiding behind a rock as a village burned by the Swedish army smolders in the background. The poet Kaarlo Kramsu praised the rebels and lamented their defeat in patriotic poems such as Ilkka, Hannu Krankka, and Santavuoren tappelu, published in Runoelmia (1887). After the Finnish Civil War, two alternative theories, namely Duke Charles's role in inciting the revolt, as found in Pentti Renvall's Kuninkaanmiehiä ja kapinoitsijoita Vaasa-kauden Suomessa (1949); and an explanation that stresses the roots of the rebellion in class conflict, as argued by Heikki Ylikangas in Nuijasota (1977) were put forward, but have since been largely dismissed by the historical community.

References

Nuijasota by Heikki Ylikangas, Otava, 1996 ISBN 951-1-14253-4

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-The '''Club War''' (also '''Cudgel War''', [[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''Nuijasota'', [[Swedish language|Swedish]] ''Klubbekriget'') was a [[1596]] peasant uprising in the kingdom of Sweden against exploitation by nobility and military in what is today [[Finland]]. The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the peasants could not afford [[Zweihander|Zweihander swords]], [[Working animal|mounts]] and [[lance]]s or [[musket]]s that could reliably penetrate the plate [[armor]] of the [[knight]]s, thus they armed themselves with [[Mace (club)|maces]], [[cudgel|iron cudgels]] and other blunt weapons. The peasants took up residence in [[Nokia, Finland|Nokia]] Manor and won several skirmishes against small cavalry forces, but were decisively defeated by [[Klaus Fleming|Clas Fleming]]<ref name="names">Names recorded in the conflict differ between history-writing in Sweden and in Finland. [[Klaus Fleming|Clas Eriksson Fleming]] is more often referred to, partly erroneously, by the [[Finnish language|Finnish]] version of his name "Klaus Fleming", this article uses his original [[Swedish language|Swedish]] name. Whereas Jaakko Ilkka is referred to in Swedish by Jacob Ilkka, or Jakob Bengtsson Ilkka.</small></ref> on [[January 1]]-2, [[1597]]. Their leader [[Jaakko Ilkka]]<ref name="names" /> fled, but was captured a few weeks later and executed. A second wave of insurgents suffered a decisive loss at [[Ilmajoki]] in the [[Battle of Santavuori]] on [[February 24th]]. In total almost 3 000 people died in the rebellion.
+The '''Club War''' (also '''Cudgel War''', [[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''Nuijasota'') was [[1596]] an uprising in Swedish-occupied [[Finland]] against the occupation. The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the rebels had limited access to weaponry and were only able to use [[Mace (club)|maces]], [[cudgel|iron cudgels]] and other blunt weapons against the the [[armor]]ed [[knight]]s of the occupational government. The rebels took up residence in [[Nokia, Finland|Nokia]] Manor and won several skirmishes against smaller cavalry forces, but were decisively defeated by [[Klaus Fleming]]'s army  on [[January 1]]-2, [[1597]]. Their leader [[Jaakko Ilkka]]<ref name="names" /> successfully escaped, but was captured and killed a few weeks later. A second wave of insurgents suffered a decisive loss at [[Ilmajoki]] in the [[Battle of Santavuori]] on [[February 24th]]. In total almost 3 000 native Finns were killed in the rebellion.
-The insurgents were mostly Finnish peasants from Ostrobothnia, Northern Tavastia, and Savo. Tired of the hardships of the [[Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595)|Russo-Swedish War of 1590–1595]], they were disappointed to find out that they were still required to provide food, transport, and lodging for a sizable army even after the [[Treaty of Tyavzino]]. The insurgents also complained that soldiers abused the system of taxation by taking by force more than to which they were legally entitled. The events can also be seen as a part of a larger power struggle between [[Sigismund III Wasa|King Sigismund]], whose powerful supporter Fleming was, and [[Charles IX of Sweden|Duke Charles]], who expressed sympathy for the peasants' cause but was unable to intervene militarily.
+The insurgents were mostly Finnish peasants from Ostrobothnia, Northern Tavastia, and Savo. Finns, tired of the hardships and taxation imposed on them, particularly during the [[Russo-Swedish War (1590–1595)|Russo-Swedish War of 1590–1595]], they were disappointed to find out that they were still required to provide food, transport, and lodging for a sizable army to the occupying Swedish government, even after the [[Treaty of Tyavzino]]. The insurgents also complained that soldiers abused the system of taxation by taking by force more than to which they were legally entitled.
-In his groundbreaking work ''Nuijasota, sen syyt ja tapaukset'' (1857-1859), historian and prominent [[fennoman]] [[Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen]] saw the peasants as fighting for freedom and justice. [[Albert Edelfelt]]'s ''Poltettu kylä'' (1879) depicts a woman, a child, and an old man hiding behind a rock as a village burns in the background. The poet [[Kaarlo Kramsu]] praised the insurgents and lamented their defeat in patriotic poems such as ''Ilkka'', ''Hannu Krankka'', and ''Santavuoren tappelu'', published in ''Runoelmia'' (1887). After the [[Finnish Civil War]], the debate has centered around an interpretation that emphasizes Duke Charles's role in inciting the revolt, as found in [[Pentti Renvall|Pentti Renvall's]] ''Kuninkaanmiehiä ja kapinoitsijoita Vaasa-kauden Suomessa'' (1949); and an explanation that stresses the roots of the rebellion in class conflict, as argued by [[Heikki Ylikangas]] in ''Nuijasota'' (1977).
+In his groundbreaking work ''Nuijasota, sen syyt ja tapaukset'' (1857-1859), historian and prominent [[fennoman]] [[Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen]] describes the peasants as fighting for freedom and justice. [[Albert Edelfelt]]'s ''Poltettu kylä'' (1879) depicts a woman, a child, and an old man hiding behind a rock as a village burned by the Swedish army smolders in the background. The poet [[Kaarlo Kramsu]] praised the rebels and lamented their defeat in patriotic poems such as ''Ilkka'', ''Hannu Krankka'', and ''Santavuoren tappelu'', published in ''Runoelmia'' (1887). After the [[Finnish Civil War]], two alternative theories, namely Duke Charles's role in inciting the revolt, as found in [[Pentti Renvall|Pentti Renvall's]] ''Kuninkaanmiehiä ja kapinoitsijoita Vaasa-kauden Suomessa'' (1949); and an explanation that stresses the roots of the rebellion in class conflict, as argued by [[Heikki Ylikangas]] in ''Nuijasota'' (1977) were put forward, but have since been largely dismissed by the historical community.
 {{seealso|War against Sigismund}}