Dominions of Sweden: Encyclopedia II - Dominions of Sweden - Baltic Dominions

Dominions of Sweden - Baltic Dominions

Between 1561 and 1629 Sweden made conquests in the Eastern Baltic. All of them were lost in accordance with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, which concluded the Great Northern War.

Dominions of Sweden - Estonia

Estonia placed itself under Swedish rule in 1561 to receive protection from Russia and Poland as the Livonian Order lost their foothold in the Baltic provinces. Territorially it represented the northern part of present day Estonia.

Dominions of Sweden - Ingria

Russia ceded Ingria and southern Karelia to Sweden in the Treaty of Stolbova in 1617, following the Ingrian War. A century later Russia reconquered the area, providing an opportunity for Peter the Great to lay the foundations of his new capital, Saint Petersburg, in 1703. The area was then formally ceded in 1721 by the Treaty of Nystad.

Dominions of Sweden - Riga

The Hanseatic town of Riga fell under Swedish control in the late 1620s. During its bare century in the Swedish Realm it was the second largest town after Stockholm.

Dominions of Sweden - Livonia

Livonia was conquered from Poland by 1629 in the Polish War. By the Treaty of Oliva between Poland and Sweden in 1660 following the Northern Wars the Polish king renounced all claims to the Swedish throne and Livonia was formally ceded to Sweden. Livonia represents the southern part of present-day Estonia and the northern part of present-day Latvia.

Dominions of Sweden - Ösel

By the Treaty of Brömsebro (1645), following the Torstenson War, Denmark ceded Jemtia, Herdalia, Gotlandia, Hallandia and Ösel to Sweden. Ösel and Dagö, islands off the coast of Estonia, were ceded to Russia in 1721 by the Treaty of Nystad. The other territories remained part of Sweden.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Baltic Dominions", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki