The Scanian War (1675–1679) unfolded as a part of the broader Northern Wars, involving Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg, and Sweden. It primarily took place on Scanian soil—territories that Denmark-Norway had previously ceded to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde—and in Northern Germany. While Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish historiography considers the German battles part of the Scanian War, German accounts often refer to these clashes as the separate Swedish-Brandenburgian War.
The war was triggered by Sweden's involvement in the Franco-Dutch War, in which Sweden had allied with France. Under pressure from France, Sweden faced enemies from several European countries. In response to France's attack on the United Provinces (Dutch Republic), Denmark-Norway decided to intervene, hoping to reclaim the Scanian territories lost in 1658. After some hesitation, King Christian V of Denmark-Norway launched an invasion of Scania in 1675, taking advantage of Sweden’s preoccupation with its war against Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire.
Simultaneously, Denmark-Norway opened a second front with an invasion from Norway, known as the Gyldenløve War, named after the Danish-Norwegian general Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve. This forced the Swedish forces to split their attention and fight on two fronts. Denmark-Norway initially experienced great success, reclaiming much of the territory in Scania.
However, Swedish King Charles XI, despite being only 19 years old, mounted a determined counter-offensive that reclaimed much of the lost ground in Scania. His leadership turned the tide against Denmark-Norway, nullifying many of their earlier gains. Meanwhile, in Northern Germany, the Brandenburg forces defeated the Swedish army, while at sea, the Danish navy emerged victorious over Sweden.
By the war's end, all sides had suffered heavy losses, and the conflict reached an uneasy stalemate. Peace negotiations were influenced by the larger Franco-Dutch War, as the United Provinces settled with France. Sweden’s King Charles XI married Danish princess Ulrike Eleonora, the sister of Christian V, further easing tensions between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. The war officially ended with the Treaties of Fontainebleau and Lund between Sweden and Denmark-Norway, and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye between Sweden and Brandenburg. These treaties restored most of the territories to Sweden, maintaining the status quo established by the earlier Treaty of Roskilde.