The Dalecarlian rebellions (1524–1533) were a series of uprisings by the peasants of Dalarna against King Gustav Vasa, following his rise to power after the Swedish War of Liberation. These rebellions were driven by economic hardship, increased royal authority, and discontent over the Swedish Reformation, which shifted Sweden away from Catholicism. The war had freed Sweden from Danish rule and the Kalmar Union, but the consequences of Vasa's policies soon sparked unrest, particularly in Dalarna, a region that had played a crucial role in supporting Gustav Vasa during the liberation struggle.
After the war, Sweden faced an economic crisis. To repay Lübeck for its support during the war, Gustav granted the Hanseatic city a trade monopoly, which hurt Swedish merchants and contributed to growing dissatisfaction, especially among the peasantry. Additionally, Gustav's moves toward the Protestant Reformation, which began around 1524, further alienated the Catholic peasantry and clergy in regions like Dalarna, where the populace had supported the Sture family, who represented resistance to centralized royal power.
First Dalecarlian Rebellion (1524–1525)
The first rebellion erupted when economic difficulties, foreign bailiffs, and Gustav's imprisonment of Christina Gyllenstierna, the widow of Sten Sture the Younger, fueled discontent. Two Catholic priests, Peder Jakobsson and Knut Mickelsson, led the uprising. They capitalized on the people's anger toward the new Lutheran tendencies and loyalty to the Sture family. The rebellion was subdued when Gustav promised to address the rebels' demands. However, the leaders were later captured and executed.
Second Dalecarlian Rebellion (1527–1528)
Discontent persisted, particularly over economic issues, taxes, and the continuing Reformation. This time, the rebellion centered around the "Daljunkern," a man claiming to be Nils Stensson Sture, the son of Sten Sture the Younger. The uprising created divisions within Dalarna, with some supporting the king and others remaining loyal to the Stures. Gustav Vasa managed to suppress the rebellion by declaring the rebels outlaws and executing several of their leaders after a tense standoff in 1528.
Third Dalecarlian Rebellion (1531–1533)
By 1531, Gustav Vasa’s enforcement of the Reformation intensified with the Reduction, which took church wealth and imposed a new tax requiring each parish to donate one of its church bells. This sparked the third and final rebellion when peasants resisted the tax by killing royal bell collectors. Although the king initially accepted payment in money, he later returned with military force in 1533. Gustav imposed fines, forcibly collected the bells, and executed several of the rebellion’s leaders, ending the series of uprisings.
These rebellions reflect the tension between the peasantry and the new centralized power of Gustav Vasa, who was transforming Sweden into a strong, independent state. While the Swedish War of Liberation had earned him popular support as a liberator from Danish rule, his subsequent policies of economic control and religious reform led to growing resistance, particularly in rural regions like Dalarna, which had once been his stronghold.