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Gustav II Adolf of Sweden

«the Lion of the North»

King of Sweden and a major military reformer. His intervention in the Thirty Years’ War made Sweden one of the Baltic’s leading powers.

1594 – 1632King of SwedenVasa
Explore this family · Spanish AtlasBack to people
Portrait of Gustav II Adolf of Sweden
Historical portraitGustav II Adolf, King of SwedenAttributed to Jacob Hoefnagel · 1624Public domain · PD-Art / PDM 1.0 · Source
Biography

Life of Gustav II Adolf of Sweden

A king at seventeen

The son of Charles IX and Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, he was born in Stockholm in 1594 and inherited a kingdom at war with Denmark, Russia and Poland in 1611. With his chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, he reached an agreement with the nobility and reorganised government, finance and justice.

References: Deutsche Biographie · Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Baltic

The Peace of Knäred (1613) ended the war with Denmark at a high price, while the Treaty of Stolbovo (1617) cut Russia off from the Baltic. Fighting his cousin Sigismund III of Poland, who claimed the Swedish throne, he conquered Riga (1621) and Livonia. There he reformed the army through national recruitment, light artillery and smaller, more mobile units.

References: Deutsche Biographie · Encyclopaedia Britannica

Germany

In 1630 he landed in Pomerania to halt the imperial advance and defend the Protestants, supported by French subsidies. He defeated Tilly at Breitenfeld (1631), crossed Germany into Bavaria and occupied Munich. He died at the Battle of Lützen in November 1632, which his troops won against Wallenstein. His five-year-old daughter Christina succeeded him.

References: Deutsche Biographie · Encyclopaedia Britannica

This complete profile is available in English. Bibliographic titles retain their original language. Links marked ES open the Spanish edition.

Historical profile

Key details

Birth: 19 December 1594 Documented

Death: 16 November 1632 Documented

Role: King of Sweden

Other recorded names: Gustavus Adolphus · Gustavus II Adolphus

Dynasty: Vasa

Territories: Sweden (ES)

Recorded governments and reigns
King · Sweden · Reign Pending review1611–1632Effective rule
Family network

Recorded relationships

Parents
Partners
Children
Documentation

Sources for this profile

Biographical and contextual references in their original language. Sources and methodology.

Evidence for this profile

6 recorded claims · 1 without a claim-specific source. Context references do not by themselves verify every fact.

Dates (2/2 with a precise source)
Family and relationships (3/3 with a precise source)
Governments (0/1 with a precise source)
  • GovernmentPending review

    King · Sweden · 1611–1632

    A precise source has not yet been added.
    No individual review recorded ·
Biographical and contextual references (2)
Editorial history
  • 2026-10-12 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.
  • 2026-10-08 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.
  • 2026-10-04 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.
  • 2026-10-04 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.
  • 2026-10-03 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.
  • 2026-09-30 · The duchy is limited to Dijon and Autun; each other fief now enters the map only under its dated ruler. John III of Namur and the Nevers/Rethel branch were added. The previous shape combined later counties and unrelated lands as if all belonged to the duchy from 1363.
  • 2026-09-28 · Claim registry added; existing historical data kept. Specific sourcing remains to be reviewed.

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