Jean Ier of Denmark

Jean Ier of Denmark (February 2nd 1455 - July 22nd 1513) was king of Denmark (1481-1513), of Norway (1483-1513), of Sweden (1497-1501) during the Union of Kalmar, like duke of Schleswig and Holstein.

It was born on February 2nd 1455 and is the son of Christian Ier, whom it succeeded, and of Dorothée de Brandebourg, the girl of the Margrave of Brandebourg. Its name, Jean , come from his grandfather, Jean IV of Brandebourg-Külmbach. In 1478, it married Christine of Saxony (1461 - 1521), girl of Ernest of Saxony and Elisabeth of Bavaria. They will have several children:

  • Christian II,

  • Franciscus of Denmark

  • Knud of Denmark

It was rather large, broad of shoulders, with a face round and equipped rather simply in the life with the every day.

Accession with the throne

Under the terms of an old agreement, it was to be elected by the states of the Kingdom, which was made in May 1482. It still remained to him to be appointed king de Norvège and of Sweden, it with what the Union of Kalmar gave him right. The Norwegian Private Council recognized it as king in 1483 and it could be crowned. The Private Council of Sweden made in the same way later in the year, but Sten Sture, the regent, managed to push back his crowning. Sten Sture controlled Sweden de facto, but he always abstained from being made crown in order not to violate the rights of the king openly.

Jean also had to be made crown with the head of his vassal, the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. According to the Treated of Ribe, the diets of the duchies were free to elect their duke among wire of the preceding duke. The queen mother, Dorothée de Brandebourg, made any possible sound so that it is his/her younger brother, Frederic, which is elected. Jean managed all the same to be made elect like Co-duke at the sides of his brother, in 1482. Although it was agreed that they were to control the duchies together, the duchies were divided in the majority of Frederic, in 1490. This success of Jean allowed however that the duchies are not completely separate crown.

During the years which followed, Frederic and his mother, Dorothée de Brandebourg, asked on several occasions that Norway and Sweden be divided same manner as the two duchies. Jean Ier managed to be opposed to it and during the third meeting of the States of the Kingdom in 1494, with Kalundborg, the kingdom was declared indivisible.

Reign

The three political goals most important of king Jean seem to have been the re-creation of the unit, the fight against the Hanseatic League and the reinforcement of the royal capacity in Denmark. It tried to obtain these three things during its reign.

During the first years of its reign, it followed a balanced policy. It tested, by diplomatic means, to weaken the position of the regent of Sweden Sten Sture and to seek new allies. He is thus the first Danish king to have concluded a political cooperation agreement with the Russia. Following the treaty of 1493, the tsar Ivan III imprisoned all the merchants of Hanse established with Novgorod and caused the Russo-Swedish Guerre of 1495-1497. The cities of Hanse were also attacked by corsairs Danish. At that time, the position of Hanse declined gradually because of the changes of trade route, due to the new geographical discoveries, and the increasing opposition which it was to face among the States of Northern Europe.

The domestic policy of Jean Ier was marked by the economic support brought to the merchants and by employment growing commoners to the official stations - and even as advisers - in spite of the anger of the nobility. Its most important initiative was perhaps the beginning of the construction of a permanent Danish fleet, which will play besides a part during the last years of its reign.

In 1497, Jean conquered Sweden during short and effective military countryside after having undermined the position of Sten Sture by gaining with its cause the essence of the Swedish nobility. With the head of an army from 10 to 15 ' 000 men, it conquered initially Kalmar before embarking on a fleet and unloading with Stäket, in the north of Stockholm. Sten Sture, with the head of an army of peasants, had to give up the city and was overcome twice at the time of great battles. Jean was crowned king de Suède in November; he could be wise and forgive with his enemies after the conquest.

In 1500, it made the act which is connected the most still today to its name in Denmark: the fatal attempt to conquer the Dithmarschen, in Germany of north, which formed an independent country republic then. It led, with his brother Frederic, a campaign with large scales with an army primarily made up of German mercenaries, cash 12 to 15 ' 000 men on the whole. The majority of these soldiers were captured by the soldiers of Dithmarschen, who involved them in a trap after having opened the dams of the low-ground zones. This countryside was transformed into a military catastrophe.

The defeat shook the prestige of the king and in 1501 already, Sweden proclaimed its independence. The Christine queen had to be locked up in her castle in Stockholm with 1 ' 000 men. After a seven month old seat, the 70 survivors left the castle in exchange of the promise to be able to return to Denmark healthy and safe. The promise was not respected and the queen remained imprisoned until 1503.

During following years, Jean led a war increasingly harder against Sten Sture and his successor, Svante Nilsson Sture, during which it was shown unbalanced and prone to the acts of violence. The war led to frictions with the Danish nobility and the cities of the Hanseatic League, in particular with Lübeck. In 1509, the war finished and the treaty recognized Jean Ier as king de Suède, but left actually the capacity to the Swedes.

The Norwegian attempts at opposition, they, were muzzled by the son of Jean, Christian, which was viceroy of Norway. Between 1510 and 1512, the king carried out a war against Sweden and Lübeck, at the end from which it resulted a status quo for Sweden, but a real economic and political retreat for Lübeck. The latter saw certainly her privileges confirmed in the Scandinavian countries, but had to accept the arrival of the Dutch merchants in Danish water. He died on February 20th 1513.

During its reign, and partially after also, Jean seemed the king of the commoners. Under this appearance, it seems to have been a realistic king and a dedicated political calculator. Many parallels can be drawn with the kings Louis XI from France and Henri VII of England.

Genealogy

Jean Ier of Denmark belongs to the first branch of the Maison of Oldenbourg. This line gave kings to the Norway, the Sweden and the Denmark, it died out in 1814 with the death of Frederic VI of Denmark.

Internal bonds

See too

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