Civil Wars in Scandinavia against an European background (c. 1130-1260)

In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, protracted 'civil wars' began in the 1130s. Many studies have been devoted to these conflicts and their causes, but few in a Scandinavian perspective, and too little attention has been given to the fact that they broke out all at the same time in the three countries.
Early accounts of this period treat the wars as personal struggles for power between rivals and their adherents. In the twentieth century, few historians were satisfied with these simple and personal explanations and therefore began to look for more fundamental causes - ideological, constitutional, economic, or regional. It cannot be denied that such factors had a role, but here it is argued that rivalry for royal power was much more important, and attention is drawn to the individuals involved and the strategies planned by and for them. Throughout Scandinavia, these involved the creation of power networks, in which women were not only pawns but also important agent. Finally, the description of these conflicts as 'civil wars' is questioned, and a plea is made for trying to escape the limitations of national 'strait-jackets' and of retrospective interpretations.

Finally, the description of these conflicts as 'civil wars' is questioned, and a plea is made for trying to escape the limitations of national 'strait-jackets' and of retrospective interpretations.