Chapter 3 - The Swan at Eventide 3.1 Newfoundland War The colony of Nyfunnenland experienced a period of relative peace and prosperity in the decade following the Swedish takeover in 1652. Constant supplies and new colonists arrived regularly from the Swedish mainland, and coupled with the high birth rate, caused a drastic increase in the Swedish population on the island in the 1650s. Authorities in Stockholm made sure that major vessels, carrying tens or even hundreds of ne

The sudden death of the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, on 3rd September, 1658, came as a shock for many within and outside Britain, as Cromwell was really the only reason why the Protectorate was largely stable despite the internal tensions. Before his death, Cromwell appointed his eldest surviving son, Richard, 31, as his successor. Yet, Richard Cromwell soon proved to be unable to deal with the complex political reality within the Protectorate, and the tension between the

Following the loss of control over Norway, King Frederik became more determined to expel Swedish occupation forces from mainland Denmark and consolidate his power throughout the kingdom. Throughout 1659 and the earlier part of 1660, Frederik spent much time on selling royal treasures, so to gather enough capital to pay the reparations in full. Heavy taxes were also placed on Norway, now headed by Prince Christian. The latter, unwilling to tax the already suffering Norwegians,

By October, the Swedish offensive from the north had largely lost their momentum. While the Swedes did manage to occupy most of Nordland, they failed to cross into Trøndelag, while suffering from guerilla attacks against their supply lines. Yet, King Gustav had travelled to Jämtland, about to direct a new offensive, that had been carefully planned by a General Staff in Stockholm, led by him personally. Over ten thousand soldiers, returning from Denmark and Scania, were made t

It was already mid-March when Prince Christian, in Bergen with his family, received the news about the peace signed and the Treaty of Roskilde. Needless to say, Prince Christian was less than amused about the fate that was to befall Norway per the Treaty. The city of Bergen also broke into chaos as the news about the peace arrived. Countless Norwegians, from all professions and locations, took their anger onto the streets, publicly branding King Frederik "a traitor of the nat