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Nils Dacke (died 1543) was a Swedishyeoman who was the leader of a mid-16th century peasant revolt in the historic province ofSmåland in southern Sweden.[1] The resultingDacke War (Swedish:Dackefejden) was fought againstKingGustav I of Sweden of theVasa family. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.[2][3]
KingGustav Vasa had come to power at the head of apeasant army in 1523. He had led Sweden out of the NordicKalmar Union and made Protestantism the national religion. Småland found itself on the border betweenSweden andDenmark and was hit hard by Vasa's ban on cross-border trade. In addition, the heavy handed way in which the church was reformed and the increasing tax burden led to much dissatisfaction among the poor peasants.
Already in 1536, Nils Dacke was tried at a local court for killing asheriff; according to court records he was fined 10oxen.The uprising started inSödra Möre during June 1542 with the assassination of more sheriffs and tax collectors. Gustav Vasa underestimated the military prowess of the peasants and sent his Germanmercenaries (Landsknecht) to quell the revolt. The landsknechts were, however, unsuited for battle in the rugged forests and suffered heavy losses. Dacke had devised defensive tactics that allowed the peasants to use their steelcrossbows with devastating effect. Dacke's successes helped spread the revolt over all the southern provinces of Sweden. The situation was so serious that the king was forced to sue for peace, and a one-yearceasefire was signed on 8 November. During the ceasefire, Dacke was the de facto ruler of most of southern Sweden and received offers of foreign support from theElector PalatineFrederick II (1482–1556), who was the son-in-law of KingChristian II of Denmark, andAlbrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg (1486–1547). He reinstated the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church and reopened the cross-border trade in the areas under his control. With Danish support, Gustav Vasa mounted an invasion ofMecklenburg which neutralised the German threat.[4]
In the autumn of 1542, the king had to agree to a truce with Dacke. The king broke the ceasefire in January 1543 and sent a new and larger army into the rebellious area. His forces moved in fromÖstergötland andVästergötland. Royal propaganda had been spread to win over the population and turn them against Dacke. Dacke himself had become overconfident after earlier successes and met the Swedish Royal Army in apitched battle in March. The trained soldiers fighting on their own terms shattered the peasant army, and Dacke was severely injured. After this defeat, the rebellion was effectively over and Dacke became anoutlaw.[citation needed]
Dacke was shot during the summer of 1543 in the forests of the parish of Virserum. According to contemporary sources, he had been injured in both legs by hits from the king's crossbows during the decisive battle a few months earlier, his forces had been routed, and he was likely trying to escape from the king's mercenaries. Dacke eventually fell in August 1543 at a farm in the parish of Gullabo in Södra Möre.
Dacke wasexecuted posthumously, quartered, and his limbs were sent for public display in larger communities that had supported him during the rebellion. Gustav Vasa ordered the annihilation of Dacke's entire family, but showed some leniency against those who had given themselves up. Dacke's wife, brother-in-law and other relatives were executed. His son was taken to prison in Stockholm where he either starved to death or died from the plague. Thus, the unity of the realm was restored.
As a result of the war, the king was henceforth more careful when dealing with his subjects. The reliance on foreign mercenaries in the army was reduced in favour of soldiers of Swedish extraction (many of which were recruited in Småland), and this laid the foundation for Sweden's military successes in later wars.
Nils Dacke is commonly perceived as a Småland freedom hero. His name is often linked to an independent streak in Småland. Statues in memory of him have been erected, including one inVirserum, where the final battle allegedly took place during 1543. TheNils Dacke party [sv] (Swedish:Nils Dacke-partiet) is a local political party in the township ofGnosjö.
M/S Nils Dacke [sv] is a vessel, owned byTT-Line serving theTrelleborg-Świnoujście route.[5]
Dacke, a made-for-television film, was released in 1961 by Swedish director and screenwriterBengt Lagerkvist [sv].[6][7]
The asteroid7217 Dacke is named after him.
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