Axel Oxenstierna

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Axel Oxenstierna : biography

16 June 1583 – 28 August 1654

1636–1654: Back in Sweden

Oxenstierna more directly claimed his place within the regency of Queen Christina and became the young queen’s teacher in statesmanship. His presence at home dominated all opposition, and such was the general confidence for Oxentierna, that for the next nine years his voice, especially as regarded foreign affairs, remained omnipotent in the Privy Council.

The Torstenson War

In May 1643, the Swedish Privy Council decided to attack Denmark. The Torstenson War was at large parts the work of Oxenstierna. The purpose was to gain territories from Denmark and be released from the Danish Sound Dues. Other factors might have been a will to revenge the tough peace treaty of Knäred in 1613. Whatever the reason, Oxenstierna regarded the time was right to finally settle the score with Denmark. Swedish troops led by Field Marshal Lennart Torstensson attacked Danish Jutland from Germany, while Field Marshal Gustav Horn was in charge of the troops that attacked Scania. The outcome of the war was decided in the naval battle of Fehmarn Belt in 1644 where the Royal Swedish Navy decisively defeated the Danish Navy. The defeat of the Danish Navy left the Danish isles open to a Swedish invasion, and Denmark sued for peace. Oxenstierna was personally involved in the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Brömsebro, with which Sweden gained Gotland, Saaremaa (Ösel), Jämtland, Härjedalen and for thirty years Halland. Shortly after the peace treaty, Oxenstierna was created Count of Södermöre.

Queen Christina and her abdication

When Christina came of age, she tried to push Oxenstierna, her old mentor, aside. The relations between the two were not good and Oxenstierna always attributed the exiguousness of Sweden’s gains by the Peace of Westphalia following the conference in Osnabrück to Christina’s undue interference, which merely gave Sweden Pomerania, Usedom, Wollin, Wismar and Bremen-Verden. When the queen a few years later wanted to abdicate, Oxenstierna at first opposed this because he feared mischief to Sweden from the unruly and adventurous disposition of her appointed successor, Charles X Gustav. The chancellor changed his mind about Charles Gustav, and decided to give Christina the help she needed to go through with her abdication. A couple of months after the ascent of the new king, Oxenstierna died.