_Frederick II. (1559-1588)_
Christian III. was succeeded by his oldest son, Frederick II., who was
then twenty-five years old. This vain and worthless monarch commenced
his reign with a successful war on the liberty-loving Ditmarshers.
Later he waged war on the Swedish king, Erik XIV. The causes of this
disastrous war, the so-called Northern Seven Years' War (1563-1570),
were apparently trivial. Both kings wanted to carry the three crowns
in their coats-of-arms, and some Swedish messengers, who were on their
way to Germany, had been arrested in Denmark; but the real reasons were
the jealousy between the two kings and the desire of the Danes to again
unite the three countries under a Danish king. At sea the Danes were
unsuccessful, although they had very able admirals in Herluf Trolle and
Otto Rud. On land they fared no better in the beginning; but, in 1565,
the hero, Daniel Rantzau, won a great victory over a much larger army
than his own in the battle of Svarteraa in Halland.
Norway, whose defences had been sadly neglected, suffered greatly,
during this war, from Swedish incursions. A Swedish army of 4,000 men,
under the command of the Frenchman, Claude Collart, conquered Jemteland
and Herjedalen and crossed the mountains to Throndhjem. The fortress
Stenviksholm was forced to surrender, and the people of Throndhjem
and the surrounding districts submitted without resistance and paid
homage to the Swedish king. Later, however, Claude Collart was defeated
by a fleet sent against him by the governor at Bergenhus, the rich
and highly-esteemed Erik Rosenkrands. Claude Collart took refuge in
the fortress Stenviksholm; but here he was besieged, and was finally
obliged to surrender. He was sent in irons to Copenhagen. Especially
hard for the Norwegians was the year 1567, when the Swedes harried
Hedemarken, Romerike and Soloer, and captured Hamar. The cathedral
of Hamar was burned, and the Swedes marched against Akershus, which
was bravely defended by the commander, Kristen Munk. The citizens of
Oslo burned their town in order to prevent the Swedes from obtaining
a foothold there. On this occasion the Swedes lay encamped on the
mountain side above the town, on a plain afterward called the "Swedish
plain." The Norwegians were hard pressed; but Erik Rosenkrands again
sent assistance from Bergen, and the Swedes were obliged to leave the
country with considerable loss. The incursions of the Swedes were,
however, repeated from time to time, and, during one of them, the town
of Sarpsborg was burned, January, 1570. Finally, in December, 1570,
peace was concluded at Stettin, and the terms were, on the whole,
favorable to Denmark. In return for relinquishing her claims to Sweden,
which could never have been established, she secured an acknowledgment
of her rights to Norway, Scania, Halland and Blekinge, while Sweden
returned the Norwegian provinces of Herjedalen and Jemteland, and paid
150,000 Rigsdalers for war expenses. Both countries retained the right
to carry the "three crowns" in their coats-of-arms.
The Seven Years' War was not the only cause of suffering in Norway
during the reign of Frederick II. From 1572 Norway was given its own
_Statholder_ or viceroy, always a Danish nobleman, who was to reside
at Akershus, the fortress near Oslo. But the viceroy did not not have
the power, if indeed he desired it, to prevent the prefects and other
officers from subjecting the people to cruelties and extortions. They
arbitrarily levied taxes, conducted illegal trading, and treated the
peasants in a shameful manner. For ten years Erik Munk continued his
violent rule in Nedenes. At last, on complaint of the people, he was
sentenced to return illegal taxes and indemnify a peasant, whose
property he had taken. Later he was deprived of his office and placed
in a prison, where he committed suicide. Ludvig Munk, prefect in
Throndhjem, even became viceroy, although his conduct as prefect had
been such as to cause a conspiracy, which cost the instigators their
lives.
The city of Fredericksstad, which was built to replace the ancient
Sarpsborg, was named after King Frederick.
During his reign of twenty-nine years, Frederick II. was only once
in Norway on a short visit, and knew little of the distress of the
country. He amused himself at the palace of Copenhagen, where he led a
dissolute life, shortened by drink. He died, April 4, 1588, at the age
of fifty-four years.