Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809
Encyclopedia
The Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809 was a war between Denmark–Norway
and Sweden
due to Denmark–Norway's alliance with France
and Sweden's alliance with the coalition during the Napoleonic Wars
. During the war, Denmark's goal was to regain Skåne, while the Swedish wanted to secure Norway as part of their domain.
the Danes decided to declare war against Sweden with the aim of conquering the territory which they had lost after the Treaty of Brömsebro and Roskilde
. And since Sweden's attention was on Finland and the Finnish War
, Denmark saw it as easier to take back the territories. On 14 March 1808 the Danish Minister in Stockholm
presented the declaration of war to the Swedish government, and the Swedish king, Gustav IV Adolf replied with planning an invasion of Själland, in order to force Denmark to seek peace. This plan, however, stayed only on the paper and the Swedish troops were instead placed in a defensive position.
, 14,000 towards the Norwegian border under the leadership of Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
, and 2,000 in Norrland
under Johan Bergenstråhle
.
The Swedish army was fairly well equipped and the soldiers were well trained, but under the pressure from two fronts the Swedes had been forced to retain the ability to send troops wherever they were needed the most. The main theater of war was in the east, where the Russian invasion threatened the Swedish rule in Finland, but the threat from Denmark–Norway and France was taken seriously. The Swedish western army was divided into two wings, the right wing was led by Armfeldt himself, and the left wing were led by Major General Vegesack.
The army's right wing furthermore consisted of Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn's
"Flying Corps" of approximately 650 men in Dalby
, Colonel Leyonstedt's 1st Brigade of approximately 1,600 men in Eda
, Colonel Schwerig's 2nd Brigade of about 2,500 men in Töcksmark, Colonel Bror Cederström's
3rd Brigade of approximately 1,750 men in Holmedal, and Colonel Johan Adam Cronstedt's
4th Brigade of approximately 1,700 men in the area east of the Marker
. The army's left wing consisted mainly of one brigade at Strömstad
, one at Töftedal and one in the area between Gothenburg
and Uddevalla
.
The Danish-Norwegian army combined consisted of 36,000 men. The Danish army could muster 14,650 men, but only 5,000 of them could be used for attacks against the Swedish. The Norwegian army had been prepared for a future war with Sweden since the fall of 1807, but since they were forced to organize coastal protection along the long Norwegian coast against attacks from the British warships who tried to close the connecting lines between Norway and Denmark, the army was in a poor state in late February 1808. The army ended up with a lack of weapons, lead, clothes, food and many soldiers had equipment that was close to 20 years old.
The Norwegian army was put under the leadership of Prince Christian August of Augustenburg
who at that time was viceroy
(stattholder) in Norway
Stattholder Christian August had only 8,000 men available at the beginning of the war along the border from Svinesund
to Trøndelag
, and they had to take in many untrained recruits in order to fill up the ranks.
After the stationing of the troops at the border was completed in late March 1808, Christian August divided the southern forces along the border in southeastern
Norway from south to north:
The Norwegian troops in the southern defense amounted to about 9,000 men, in addition, there were 3,300 men stationed in Trøndelag for the defense in the north:
It was also stationed 2,000 men in Trondheim
and Kristiansand
, and 6,200 men in Frederiksvern and Bergen
, Spain
and the Netherlands
under the leadership of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (a total of about 45,000 men, 12,500 French, 14,000 Spaniards, 6,000 Dutch and a Danish reserve squad of 12,500 men), which meant that the Danish-French force consisted of approximately 81,000 men. The French made it a condition for their participation in the war against Sweden that the coalition army was to be under French command.
and the other Hanseatic cities
, started his march towards Denmark with the coalition army of 32,000 men. But it seems likely that Napoleon at the time was not willing to let their troops go into direct action, because after Bernadotte had camped with large parts of the coalition army on Själland he was not ordered to continue his advance against the Danish shipping ports.
The ice also started breaking up in mid-March, and to everyone's surprise, the first British warships started to show up even as ice floes still lay densely packed. Admiral Hyde Parker had wintered in Gothenburg
the winter of 1807-08 with his squadron and came down very early in the straits between the Kattegat
and Baltic Sea
. Bernadotte, who had lost valuable time while lying ice-bound, also lost the ability to secure passage before the arrival of the British warships.
The troops presence in Själland, Fyn
and Jutland
was more a burden than help to the Danish population. Another problem arose after the news that Spain had revolted
against Napoleon was known in Denmark, and the Spanish troops had to be disarmed and interned
. In mid-April 1808 the Danish-French plan for an invasion of Sweden was called off and attention was directed towards the Norwegian border.
marched with his 2,000 men into Norway from Jämtland
, but his army was forced to retreat back to Sundsvall
without engaging in battle. At the time two companies of 235 men under Major Gyllenskrepp went across the border from Herjedalen to Røros
and engaged in a minor skirmish with a Norwegian field guard of 40 men from Colonel Bang's brigade in Aursund
. After the field guards had withdrawn, the Swedes began with unusually extensive looting in the border area, and especially in the town of Brekken
. The Norwegian outposts of 140 men, of which the field guard was a part, retreated to Røros without controversy. Those of Colonel Bang's forces who were closest in the area, a Musketeer battalion of 600 men under major Sommerschild, counterattacked and forced the Swedes back across the border shortly afterwards.
In retaliation for the sacking of Brekken a force of 558 men from Colonel Bangs's Brigade marched on 8 April from Malmagen to Ljusnedal. The royal properties in Funnesdalen in Herjedalen were sacked and devastated in a purely predatory expedition. All loot that had been taken from Brekken, including 22 guns, was recaptured in Ljusnedal after a brief skirmish with the Swedish defenders.
After the uneventful spring on the northern Norwegian front, several units were sent back to the south of Røros, while the rest were placed between Roverud
and Kongsvinger
. It was not until August 1808 that 644 Norwegian troops from Trøndelag advanced with artillery and mounted dragoons across the border from Verdal
and Meråker
into Jemtland in the Jemtland Campaign of 1808. This Norwegian offensive into Jemtland was stopped at the entrenchment of Jerpen on 15 August and, after two days, General Coldevin chose to cancel the offensive because the Swedish troops had reinforced the stronghold at Jerpen. The campaign ended on 19 August.
. Christian August, who had moved his headquarters to Rakkestad
, was notified of the Swedes' advances and marched a brigade to meet the threat from the east by Haneborg on 17 April. His choice of interior lines of operation proved suitable for a defensive posision, so he could concentrate his forces against the front section where they were needed the most. Fighting in Høland and Aurskog ended with a Norwegian victory, and the Swedish commander, Colonel Schwerin
felt so threatened by the Norwegian counterattacks that he ordered a retreat after the defeat at the battle of Toverud, where the Swedish commander Count Axel Otto Mörner and his troops had been forced to surrender. Schwerin saved himself from a decisive battle against the Norwegian army because Christian August had decided to move his forces back to Kongsvinger and from there try to mount a major attack.
, Gustaf Mauritz Armfeldt began this attack with about 1,600 men from across the border at Eda
towards Kongsvinger on the evening of 15 April. He drove out the weak border guard and continued advancing towards the Lier entrenchment
in the course of several days of spread skirmishes. The Norwegian defenders was forced to retreat in order to avoid being outflanked by the Swedes.
On 18 April, a battle took place at Lier, about one mile south of Kongsvinger. In the battle 1,000 Swedish soldiers defeated a Norwegian army consisting of 800-900 men under the command of Major Bernt Peter Kreutz. After this victory the Swedish troops entrenched themselves at Lier and advanced all the way to the river Glomma
, but they did not risk an attack on Kongsvinger Fortress
. This put an end to the offensive, and its main objective Christiana
was out of reach.
Christian August reacted severely to the news of the defeat at the Lier and that the Swedish troops had reached the river Glomma. He now had to move the main forces to Blaker
to stop a possible attack from the Swedish positions on the south-west side of Kongsvinger in the north or from Høland
in the south. But fortunately for the Norwegians the outcome of the battle of Toverud and engagement at Lund stabilized the situation in the south. Armfeldt therefor wanted to besiege and then attack Kongsvinger and thereby secure the strategically important city. Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn
with his "Flying Corps" was with this ordered to make his way to Glomma and from there west towards Kongsvinger, Armfeldt would thereby make a pincer movement to besiege the city. The order given to Colonel Gahn about such a bold and perilous advance has always been controversial, as superior Norwegian forces of approximately 800 men were stationed by the Flisa river
which he had to pass. Gahn marched from the Swedish camp at Midtskogen on the evening of 24 April with about 500 men along the snowy road to Flisa river and along the river down towards Trangen to the southwest of Nyen in Åsnes
. From Nyen, major Norwegian forces advanced down to attack the Swedes from the rear, and together with Colonel Staffeldt brigade of about 1,050 men, the approximately 800 Norwegian troops stationed in the area participated in the attack. The battle of Trangen
was a serious defeat for the Swedes. The whole corps was annihilated and about 440 men were captured at Trangen, and another 65 on 25 April at Midtskogen. After the battles, Colonel Staffeldt was ordered to move his brigade west to Kongsvinger to reinforce the defense of the fortress.
When Armfeldt was notified of the defeat in the north, he immediately feared a Norwegian attack on this flank as long as there was ice on Glomma. The Swedish commander had lost his right flank to the north, and strong Norwegian forces had gathered along the Glomma at Kongsvinger and Blaker. Because of this Armfeldt found it necessary to wait for Colonel Vegesack and his forces, who had not yet begun their advance, before he carried out some further operations and thereby chose to go into a defensive position. After the regrouping of the defense around Kongsvinger under the command of Colonel Staffeldt, Christian August traveled south to get the Swedes forestalled by an offensive in the area around Ørje
.
. But the conditions for the Swedish troops were so bad that the advance was stopped at the Norwegian defensive line between Halleröd, Gjeddeludd, Enningdalen and Berby church.
Meanwhile further north, a Swedish force of about 1,000 men advanced out of Nössemark across the border towards Bjørkebekk and Skotsund in Aremark
, but this advance were also stopped. During the month of May the Swedish troops entrenched themselves along a line from the southeast of Kongsvinger, behind Haldenvassdraget from Kroksund
and along the new line from Aremark to Iddefjorden.
The Norwegian offensive that had been planned, was abandoned in favor of the realignment of the standing forces, including Colonel Holst's brigade that had been lying northeast of Rødnessjøen and had moved back to Mysen. A limited offensive against the Swedish brigade at Ørje with about 1,000 men were directed over Mjerma under the command of Major Andreas Samuel Krebs
on 4 May 1808. The fighting around Aremark, on 5 May was tough, but the Swedish troops eventually fled their positions back to the well-developed positions outside of Ørje, where they managed to hold out. The Norwegians had 10 wounded after the battle, while the Swedes had 10 dead and 16 wounded, and Krebs with his exhausted troops were recalled, while Major Friederich Fischer with his (approximately) 500 men went on from Mysen
and came as a surprise to the Swedish field guards at Ysterud and Li
, west of Ørje, on 7 May. But despite of the loss of only 9 wounded, Fischer was unable to continue because Ørje bridge was destroyed by the Swedes.
It was also inserted several other local attacks against the Swedish positions, and on the night of 8 May, Major Peter Krefting advanced with three divisions against Skotsberg to break the link between the Swedish forces in Aremark and Ørje. But the Norwegian attack was beaten back under the first action at Skotsberg, where a strait separated the Swedes and Norwegians from each other. Krefting tried again to cross the strait during the second encounter at Skotsberg on 13 May with artillery and four mortars, but was stopped again. From Fredriksten Fortress
, Lt. Johan Spørck, advanced with 120 men against the Swedish position at Gjeddelund on 9 May, but were beaten back by a company from Holtet
who recaptured the position. A new, small offensive, took place on 12 May west of Strømsfoss
, were, with his modest forces, Capt. Hans Harboe Grøn began his attack on the Swedish field guards. The battle lasted until 28 May and only after the Swedes had been reinforced with a battalion, Grøn chose to retreat.
The skirmish at Mobekk did not begin well for the Norwegian soldiers. The Swedes managed to destroy the vital bridge over the river at Overud, and the Norwegian troops were standing on their side against the Swedish defenders who fought doggedly in the barricade. After four hours, the battle of Mobekk came to an end, and the Norwegian troops returned to Kongsvinger.
In order to restore his dignity after the battle of Mobekk, Staffeldt was forced to make a new attack. It had been discovered that a Swedish jäger
company had been moved to Jerpset in Vestmarka in order to connect the Swedish 2nd Brigade who was stationed closer to the border. On the 23 May, troops from Captain Wilhelm Jørgensen's
light company, along with 65 skiers
crossed Glomma approximately 10 km west of Kongsvinger. The Norwegians attacked Jerpset farm in the evening of the 24 May and discovered that the Swedes had sent out several patrols, and that only 29 Swedish soldiers were stationed at the farm. 25 of the 29 Swedish soldiers were taken prisoner. Swedish troops who were quartered at nearby farms were unable to obtain the Norwegians who after the fighting retreated into the woods under cover of darkness. Colonel Staffeldt had planned future attacks, but the events on Jerpset frightened Armfeldt so much that he ordered the withdrawal from the positions closest to Kongsvinger. Besides, he had already on the 19 May received an order from King Gustav IV Adolf of a general retreat.
An English fleet had arrived in Gothenburg with 10,000 men on 18 May 1808, and Gustav IV Adolf now wanted to make a Swedish-English attack against the Danish island Själland, and therefore ordered Armfeldt to withdrawn back into Sweden. All plans of attack against the Norwegian military was now abandoned and Armfeldt, with the 1st and 2nd Brigade, retreated to secure positions behind the border in order to reorganize the troops and secure border crossings. The Swedish retreat came as a surprise to the Norwegians. Staffeldt advanced on the day after the Swedes' withdrawal all the way to Eidskog with his troops, and on the evening of 31 May his main force arrived at Matrand. Smaller patrols were also sent to Flisa
to secure the area.
. In mid-June there were only two Swedish positions left on Norwegian territory, something that came as a surprise to the Norwegians. Christian August had, because of this, planned a general offensive against the south to Rødenes
/Ørjebro and Enningdalen to push the last Swedish troops across the border, but the plan was instead changed into a small offensive. This plan, which had been worked out by the commander on Fredriksten
fortress, Lieutenant Colonel Juel, was that one should insert many small attacks against the Swedes to drive them back across the border.
The Swedish troops, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Lars von Knorring, had stationed themselves at their fortified positions at Prestebakke with strongholds in both the east and west, and with larger forces misplaced by Ende, Berby and Enningdalen. Juel, who was seriously ill, gave the mission to Captain Arild Huitfeldt, who began advancing on the evening on 9 June with a force totalling 710 men. The thrust to the south was successful. During the battle of Prestebakke on 10 June, Huitfeldt managed to confuse the Swedish officers with a maneuver that surprised and routed the Swedish forces at Prestebakke. The Swedish casualties totaled 60 dead and severely wounded, and 395 captured (of which 34 were wounded), and two guns. The Swedish force of approximately 420 men were wiped out and a smaller force of about 150 men surrendered at Berby. The Norwegian losses were low with only around 12 casualties. In Sweden, there was a severe reaction to this surprising defeat, and the Swedish commander, Lieutenant Colonel von Knorring, was court-martialed.
After the Swedes had received reinforcements, they counter-attacked against the positions at Prestebakke on 14 June to reconcile their former positions. The main Norwegian force had moved back to Fredriksten fortress with a large number of Swedish prisoners of war, so the outnumbered Norwegian outposts at Prestebakke, Ende and Gjeddelund were driven back after a short battle. But the Swedes left their positions and went back across the border between the 20 and 24 June, and the Norwegian forces were quick to secure the border areas and to set up border guards. This ment that there were no longer any Swedish troops on Norwegian soil.
In the period up to December there were several minor offensives from both the Norwegian and the Swedish side, but these were of little significance to the campaign. Colonel Staffeldt, who had been promoted to major general on 30 June, had kept his troops on the border in Eidskog until early in July, when they were ordered to advance across the border and carry out minor attacks in several places. A column of four companies was sent forward to Morast, another column of two companies to Magnor
and a third column of three companies with Major Frederik Wilhelm Stabell
to the area south to Vestmarka. Stabell's group continued on from there to Sweden on 18 July, and advanced to the Swedish positions at Adolfsfors. The troops stayed on the Swedish side of the border for two days, before they retreated across the border and back to Matrand. In August, Staffeldt wanted to send troops to Falun
in order to support the Norwegian troops at Jemtland and sent a force of 200 men to Midtskogen on 10 August. These troops marched from there to Dalby
in Sweden, and returned to Baltebøl on 20 August since they could not find any Swedish troops in the area, apart from the border guard at Midtskogen. For the Norwegian troops stationed in the north of Kongsvinger and at Matrand there was a prolonged period of constant surveillance, in addition to boredom and poor conditions in the sparsely populated Eidskog with minimal settlement and little food. Many of the soldiers had to live in huts made of pine needles and bark for the rest of the summer and into the autumn.
Norwegian raids against civilians on the Swedish side of the border were prohibited. If a Norwegian soldier brought back stolen goods from an attack, they were returned. Officers on both sides were very concerned that their soldiers should behave well towards the civilian population, but the border was sparsely populated and the sparse food supply was quickly used by the military. Poor accommodation, lack of supplies and a scarcity of food began to have a demoralising and debilitating effect on the troops on both sides of the border.
had also taken over the command of the border army from Armfeldt, who had left in August.
During the autumn it came to negotiations between Christian August and the Swedes, but since it took a while to get contact with King Frederick in Denmark, Christian August had to act largely without the king's approval. He meant that he could not continue hostilities against Sweden because of the distress and lack of supplies among both the population and the soldiers in the country. So in defiance of the king's will he entered into an agreement for the armistice to the southern Norwegian front on 22 November and the Armistice Agreement came into force on 7 December 1808. It could be terminated on 48 hours notice, but was applicable for the rest of the war.
Unfortunately the casefire agreement came too late for both the Norwegian and the Swedish army, who were both badly affected by diseases that spread from the east and into the border area, where thousands had lived in appalling conditions for several months. The southern Norwegian army, consisting of around 17,000 men, should during the fall and winter of 1808 experience that half of the soldiers would suffer from disease, and that only between April and September 700 died. In March 1809, approx. 8,700 were admitted to field hospitals, of which 1,200 died. In the Swedish army, the conditions were even worse because diseases such as typhoid and dysentery had spread from the east. The Swedish sources do not have precise information about the total number of sick people, only pieces from the various reports and records of the officers in the army. Morbidity rates had risen from 22% among the troops in September to 25% in November, and 403 Swedish soldiers died that month.
and King Gustav IV Adolf's plans for a Swedish-English attack on Zealand had been cancelled after the British fleet had returned to England on 3 July. At the same time dissatisfaction with the absolutist Swedish king had evolved, and there was a desire for a constitution.
, under Lieutenant Colonel Georg Adlersparre
marched to Stockholm
to depose King Gustav IV. Most of the Norwegians supported the coup, and especially Christian August since he was a candidate to the Swedish throne.Christian August was also appointed Crown Prince of Sweden, but since that he died in 1810, the throne went to the French Marschal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
and starting to march upon Stockholm. To prevent the king from joining loyal troops in Scania
, on 13 March 1809 seven of the conspirators led by Carl Johan Adlercreutz
broke into the royal apartments in the palace, seized the king, and imprisoned him and his family in Gripsholm castle.
Gustav IV Adolf's uncle, the old, weak and childless Charles XIII, was elected King of Sweden on 5 June, and the next day an assembly of nobles, clergy, bourgeoisie and peasants, passed a constitution.
, and on 10 July a force of 1,800 men, under the leadership of Major General Georg Frederik von Krogh, marched across the border to Jemtland.
To stop the Norwegian advance, Georg Carl von Döbeln
was sent out with a battalion of the Hälsinge Regiment
to Jemtland, at the same time an additional battalion from Gävle
was sent off against Härjedalen and reinforcements later arrived from the Life Grenadier Regiment
and the Kalmar Regiment
. However, on July 16 the advancing Norwegian army captured the Hjärpe entrenchment which just had been abandoned by a Swedish force of 200 men under Colonel Theodore Nordenadler. Soon afterwards the Norwegians also captured the villages of Mörsil
and Mattmar. But when a rumor that Sweden and Russia
had started peace negotiations reached the Norwegian army, von Krogh chose to retreat and instead direct his attack against Härjedalen
. On July 24, the Swedish force of 900 men under von Döbeln and the 1,800 Norwegian soldiers met at Härjedalen, the Norwegians force was defeated and had to retreat. An armistice was written the following day at Bleckåsen in Alsens. One condition was that all the Norwegian troops would leave Sweden by 3 August, which also happened.
to sign the peace treaty between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, which ended the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809. Treaty implied the following:
But Denmark–Norway were still at war with the United Kingdom, and even if Sweden were to make peace with Napoleon in 1810, they were still going to be on the side of the Coalition during the War of the Sixth Coalition
. This would further lead to the fact that Norway was given to Sweden after the Treaty of Kiel
in 1814.
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
due to Denmark–Norway's alliance with France
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and Sweden's alliance with the coalition during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. During the war, Denmark's goal was to regain Skåne, while the Swedish wanted to secure Norway as part of their domain.
Background
Since Sweden was at war against Napoleon, and Denmark–Norway had been dragged in to the war on Napoleon's side after the battle of CopenhagenBattle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
the Danes decided to declare war against Sweden with the aim of conquering the territory which they had lost after the Treaty of Brömsebro and Roskilde
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
. And since Sweden's attention was on Finland and the Finnish War
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
, Denmark saw it as easier to take back the territories. On 14 March 1808 the Danish Minister in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
presented the declaration of war to the Swedish government, and the Swedish king, Gustav IV Adolf replied with planning an invasion of Själland, in order to force Denmark to seek peace. This plan, however, stayed only on the paper and the Swedish troops were instead placed in a defensive position.
The Swedish army
The Swedish army stationed in Sweden counted a total of 23,000 men, 7,000 in southern Sweden under the command of Count Johan Christopher TollJohan Christopher Toll
Count Johan Christopher Toll , Swedish statesman and soldier, was born at Mölleröd in Scania Count Johan Christopher Toll (1 February 1743 – 21 May 1817), Swedish statesman and soldier, was born at Mölleröd in Scania Count Johan Christopher Toll (1 February 1743 – 21 May 1817), Swedish...
, 14,000 towards the Norwegian border under the leadership of Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt was a Finnish and Swedish courtier and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of the great Finnish statesmen. Born in Tarvasjoki, Finland, he was the great grandson of Charles XII of Sweden's general, Carl Gustaf Armfeldt...
, and 2,000 in Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
under Johan Bergenstråhle
Johan Bergenstråhle
Johan Bergenstråhle was a Swedish military officer who participated in Russo-Swedish War , and the Finnish War. In June 1808 he was sent as a colonel of the Swedish Army, with 1,000 men and four cannon to Vasa in order to retake the city from the Russians...
.
The Swedish army was fairly well equipped and the soldiers were well trained, but under the pressure from two fronts the Swedes had been forced to retain the ability to send troops wherever they were needed the most. The main theater of war was in the east, where the Russian invasion threatened the Swedish rule in Finland, but the threat from Denmark–Norway and France was taken seriously. The Swedish western army was divided into two wings, the right wing was led by Armfeldt himself, and the left wing were led by Major General Vegesack.
The army's right wing furthermore consisted of Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn's
Carl Pontus Gahn
Carl Pontus Gahn was a Swedish military officer who participated in the Russo-Swedish War in Finland in 1788-1789, the Finnish War campaign in Norway in 1808 and the unsuccessful invasion of Norway at Eidskog in 1814 where he was imprisoned...
"Flying Corps" of approximately 650 men in Dalby
Dalby
Dalby is a Scandinavian place name meaning "valley settlement", during the Viking Age, the name was brought to England and it later also became an English surname...
, Colonel Leyonstedt's 1st Brigade of approximately 1,600 men in Eda
Eda
Eda is a Japanese surname that may refer to:* Satsuki Eda, president of the house of councilors in Japan* Ryoko Eda, Japanese marathon runner* Katsuya Eda, mathematician specializing in set theory and algebraic topology...
, Colonel Schwerig's 2nd Brigade of about 2,500 men in Töcksmark, Colonel Bror Cederström's
Bror Cederström
Bror Cederström was a Swedish baron and general and Minister of War.-Biography:From 1816 to 1822 he headed the Cederströmska husarregementet in Skåne...
3rd Brigade of approximately 1,750 men in Holmedal, and Colonel Johan Adam Cronstedt's
Johan Adam Cronstedt
Count Johan Adam Cronstedt was a Swedish Lieutenant General and governor of Östergötland County. He joined up aged 14 and first saw action in the Russo-Swedish War , but he is most notable for his part in the 1808-09 Finnish War and his command of the Savo Brigade....
4th Brigade of approximately 1,700 men in the area east of the Marker
Marker, Norway
Marker is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørje. Marker was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 after the merger of the two old municipalities of Rødenes and Øymark....
. The army's left wing consisted mainly of one brigade at Strömstad
Strömstad
Strömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,110 inhabitants in 2005.Strömstad is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city.- History :...
, one at Töftedal and one in the area between Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and Uddevalla
Uddevalla
Uddevalla is a city and the seat of Uddevalla Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 30,513 inhabitants in 2005.It is located at the bay Byfjorden, of the south-eastern part of the sea known as Skagerrak...
.
Swedish regiments
- Hälsinge RegimentHälsinge regementeHälsinge regemente , designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997...
- Skaraborg Regiment
- Kalmar RegimentKalmar regementeKalmar regemente , designations I 20, I 21 and Fo 18, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was merged with another unit to form a new regiment in 1928. It was later reraised and disbanded again in 1997...
- Life grenadier regimentLivgrenadjärregementetLivgrenadjärregementet , designations I 4 and I 4/Fo 41, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997...
- Bohuslän RegimentBohusläns regementeBohusläns regemente , designation I 17, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traces its origins back 1661. It was disbanded in 1992. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the provinces of Bohuslän, and it was later garrisoned there in the town Uddevalla....
The Danish-Norwegian army
The Norwegian army was put under the leadership of Prince Christian August of Augustenburg
Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden
Charles August was a German prince. He is best known for serving as Crown Prince of Sweden briefly in 1810, adopted by Charles XIII, before his sudden death from stroke. Earlier, he had been a general in the Royal Danish Army as well as the Danish Governor-general of Norway...
who at that time was viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
(stattholder) in Norway
The Norwegian battalions
- 24 dragoonDragoonThe word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
companies totalling about 1,800 riders - 14 musketeerMusketeerA musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
battalions(each with 4 divisions) for a total of about 8,400 men - 10 sharpshooterMarksmanA marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
companies totaling about 1,200 men - 10 depotRegimental depotThe regimental depot of a regiment is the regimental headquarters and normally also the place where recruits are assembled and trained. It is also where soldiers and officers awaiting discharge or postings are based, and where injured soldiers return to full fitness after discharge from hospital...
battalions(each with 3-4 divisions) for a total of about 5,000 men - 8 grenadier battalions(each with 4 divisions) for a total of about 4,800 men
- 6 fortress batteriesArtillery batteryIn military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
totaling about 300 men - 3 Field batteriesField artilleryField artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
(1 and 2 mounted marching batteries) totaling approximately 300 men - 2 skiSki warfareSki warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of light cavalry.-History:...
battalions(each with 3 companies) totaling about 600 men - 1 jägerJäger (military)Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
battalion (4 companies) of added 600, later 720 men - A light battalion (6 companies) of about 600 men
- A pioneer company of about 150 men
Stattholder Christian August had only 8,000 men available at the beginning of the war along the border from Svinesund
Svinesund
Svinesund is a sound separating the Swedish municipality of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän in the county of Västra Götaland from the Norwegian municipality of Halden in the county of Østfold....
to Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, and they had to take in many untrained recruits in order to fill up the ranks.
The Norwegian defence
Østlandet
Eastern Norway or Austlandet ) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Telemark, Vestfold, Østfold, Akershus, Oslo , Buskerud, Oppland and Hedmark....
Norway from south to north:
- Colonel Hans Gram Holst's right-wing brigade with approximately 3,400 men in the area from SvinesundSvinesundSvinesund is a sound separating the Swedish municipality of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän in the county of Västra Götaland from the Norwegian municipality of Halden in the county of Østfold....
-RødenesRødenesRødenes is a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway.The parish of Rødenæs was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . The district of Rømskog was separated from Rødenes as a municipality of its own January 1, 1902... - Colonel Werner de Seues's center brigade with about 1,900 men in the area from Rødenes-KongsvingerKongsvingeris a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
- Colonel Bernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt'sBernhard Ditlef von StaffeldtBernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt was born on 23 October 1753 in Kenz, Swedish Pomerania as the son of Lieutenant Bernt von Staffeldt, of Pomeranian nobility, and Catherine Eleonore von Platen...
left-wing brigade with roughly 1,300 men in the area from Kongsvinger-ElverumElverumis a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum... - Colonel Christopher Frederik Lowzow'sChristopher Frederik LowzowChristopher Frederik Peter Theodor Lowzow was a Danish-Norwegian army officer.-Early years:Christopher Lowzow was born on 29 June 1752 as the son of Eiler Ditlev Lowzow and Hedevig Ulrikke Pfuel...
1st reserve brigade with some 1,700 men in the area from VormsundVormsundVormsund is a village in the municipality of Nes, Akershus, Norway. Its population is 461....
-FetsundFetsundFetsund forms the center of the municipality Fet in the county of Akershus, Norway. The name comes from the way the area is, and Fet means "where water meets grass". As for the -sund part, it simply means 'strait, inlet'... - Colonel Johan Andreas Ohme'sJohan Andreas Cornelius OhmeJohan Andreas Cornelius Ohme , was a Danish-Norwegian army officer.-Early years:Johan Andreas Ohme started his military career as an artillery cadet in 1764. Nine years later he went to Denmark and was on the 4 February appointed Second Lieutenant...
2nd reserve brigade with approximately 650 men from GrønsundGrønsundGrønsund is a strait in Denmark separating the island Falster from the islands Møn and Bogø. Grønsund's maximum depth is at approx. 20 metres and the width is between 1 - 4 km. Storstrømmen channel is situated to the west and Stege Bugt lies to the north between Zealand and Møn. A ferry crosses the...
-Fetsund
The Norwegian troops in the southern defense amounted to about 9,000 men, in addition, there were 3,300 men stationed in Trøndelag for the defense in the north:
- Colonel Bang with a brigade of about 2,100 men in RørosRørosis a town and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Other villages include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen....
- Lieutenant General Carl von Schmettow with a brigade of about 1,200 men in Innherred
It was also stationed 2,000 men in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, and 6,200 men in Frederiksvern and Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
Fortress garrisons
- FredrikstadFredrikstadis a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
: about 2,350 men - FredrikstenFredriksten-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
: about 1,250 men - Kongsvinger FortressKongsvinger FortressKongsvinger Fortress is located in the city and municipality of Kongsvinger in the county of Hedmark, Norway. It is situated on a hill west and north of the Glomma river, standing astride the ancient Vinger Royal Road, which connected Norway and Värmland, Sweden as well as on the north-south...
: about 900 men - Akershus FortressAkershus FortressAkershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
: about 800 men
The French army
At the outbreak of war Napoleon had sent reinforcements to Denmark from FranceFirst French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, Spain
Kingdom of Spain (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Spain was a short-lived client state of the First French Empire that briefly existed during the Peninsular War, a contest between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
under the leadership of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (a total of about 45,000 men, 12,500 French, 14,000 Spaniards, 6,000 Dutch and a Danish reserve squad of 12,500 men), which meant that the Danish-French force consisted of approximately 81,000 men. The French made it a condition for their participation in the war against Sweden that the coalition army was to be under French command.
War preparations
On 5 March, several days before the Danish government had decided to declare war on Sweden, Marshal Bernadotte, who at that time was French governor of HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and the other Hanseatic cities
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
, started his march towards Denmark with the coalition army of 32,000 men. But it seems likely that Napoleon at the time was not willing to let their troops go into direct action, because after Bernadotte had camped with large parts of the coalition army on Själland he was not ordered to continue his advance against the Danish shipping ports.
The ice also started breaking up in mid-March, and to everyone's surprise, the first British warships started to show up even as ice floes still lay densely packed. Admiral Hyde Parker had wintered in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
the winter of 1807-08 with his squadron and came down very early in the straits between the Kattegat
Kattegat
The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...
and Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. Bernadotte, who had lost valuable time while lying ice-bound, also lost the ability to secure passage before the arrival of the British warships.
The troops presence in Själland, Fyn
FYN
Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the FYN gene.This gene is a member of the protein-tyrosine kinase oncogene family. It encodes a membrane-associated tyrosine kinase that has been implicated in the control of cell growth...
and Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
was more a burden than help to the Danish population. Another problem arose after the news that Spain had revolted
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
against Napoleon was known in Denmark, and the Spanish troops had to be disarmed and interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. In mid-April 1808 the Danish-French plan for an invasion of Sweden was called off and attention was directed towards the Norwegian border.
The northern Norwegian front
In the last days of March, the Norwegian and Swedish outposts along the border had been in contact with each other on several occasions, but the scattered battles had been fruitless. The first major action happened on 1 April 1808, when Johan BergenstråhleJohan Bergenstråhle
Johan Bergenstråhle was a Swedish military officer who participated in Russo-Swedish War , and the Finnish War. In June 1808 he was sent as a colonel of the Swedish Army, with 1,000 men and four cannon to Vasa in order to retake the city from the Russians...
marched with his 2,000 men into Norway from Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
, but his army was forced to retreat back to Sundsvall
Sundsvall
-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
without engaging in battle. At the time two companies of 235 men under Major Gyllenskrepp went across the border from Herjedalen to Røros
Røros
is a town and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Other villages include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen....
and engaged in a minor skirmish with a Norwegian field guard of 40 men from Colonel Bang's brigade in Aursund
Aursund
Aursunden is a lake in the municipality of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Brekken lies along the eastern shore and Glåmos lies along the western shore....
. After the field guards had withdrawn, the Swedes began with unusually extensive looting in the border area, and especially in the town of Brekken
Brekken
Brekken is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It was located in the northeastern part of the present-day municipality of Røros...
. The Norwegian outposts of 140 men, of which the field guard was a part, retreated to Røros without controversy. Those of Colonel Bang's forces who were closest in the area, a Musketeer battalion of 600 men under major Sommerschild, counterattacked and forced the Swedes back across the border shortly afterwards.
In retaliation for the sacking of Brekken a force of 558 men from Colonel Bangs's Brigade marched on 8 April from Malmagen to Ljusnedal. The royal properties in Funnesdalen in Herjedalen were sacked and devastated in a purely predatory expedition. All loot that had been taken from Brekken, including 22 guns, was recaptured in Ljusnedal after a brief skirmish with the Swedish defenders.
After the uneventful spring on the northern Norwegian front, several units were sent back to the south of Røros, while the rest were placed between Roverud
Roverud
Roverud is a village of 800 people in the municipality of Kongsvinger. It lies about 8 km north of the municipality center for Kongsvinger where Fylkesvei 205 meets Riksvei 20 on the east side of the river Glomma...
and Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
. It was not until August 1808 that 644 Norwegian troops from Trøndelag advanced with artillery and mounted dragoons across the border from Verdal
Verdal
Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra...
and Meråker
Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about west of Storlien in Sweden and east of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa,...
into Jemtland in the Jemtland Campaign of 1808. This Norwegian offensive into Jemtland was stopped at the entrenchment of Jerpen on 15 August and, after two days, General Coldevin chose to cancel the offensive because the Swedish troops had reinforced the stronghold at Jerpen. The campaign ended on 19 August.
The southern Norwegian front
The Swedish main attack to the south began the night of 14 April with the advance of the Swedish 2nd brigade in the area of Aurskog-HølandAurskog-Høland
Aurskog-Høland is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bjørkelangen.- Name :...
. Christian August, who had moved his headquarters to Rakkestad
Rakkestad
Rakkestad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, and Os. The municipality is the county's second largest by area and one of Norway's largest agricultural...
, was notified of the Swedes' advances and marched a brigade to meet the threat from the east by Haneborg on 17 April. His choice of interior lines of operation proved suitable for a defensive posision, so he could concentrate his forces against the front section where they were needed the most. Fighting in Høland and Aurskog ended with a Norwegian victory, and the Swedish commander, Colonel Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
felt so threatened by the Norwegian counterattacks that he ordered a retreat after the defeat at the battle of Toverud, where the Swedish commander Count Axel Otto Mörner and his troops had been forced to surrender. Schwerin saved himself from a decisive battle against the Norwegian army because Christian August had decided to move his forces back to Kongsvinger and from there try to mount a major attack.
Fighting in the Kongsvinger district
In the border district at EidskogEidskog
Eidskog is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Skotterud. Eidskog was separated from the municipality of Vinger in 1864....
, Gustaf Mauritz Armfeldt began this attack with about 1,600 men from across the border at Eda
Eda
Eda is a Japanese surname that may refer to:* Satsuki Eda, president of the house of councilors in Japan* Ryoko Eda, Japanese marathon runner* Katsuya Eda, mathematician specializing in set theory and algebraic topology...
towards Kongsvinger on the evening of 15 April. He drove out the weak border guard and continued advancing towards the Lier entrenchment
Lier entrenchment
The Lier entrenchment is south of Kongsvinger in Norway. It was the site of battles in 1808 and 1814....
in the course of several days of spread skirmishes. The Norwegian defenders was forced to retreat in order to avoid being outflanked by the Swedes.
On 18 April, a battle took place at Lier, about one mile south of Kongsvinger. In the battle 1,000 Swedish soldiers defeated a Norwegian army consisting of 800-900 men under the command of Major Bernt Peter Kreutz. After this victory the Swedish troops entrenched themselves at Lier and advanced all the way to the river Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
, but they did not risk an attack on Kongsvinger Fortress
Kongsvinger Fortress
Kongsvinger Fortress is located in the city and municipality of Kongsvinger in the county of Hedmark, Norway. It is situated on a hill west and north of the Glomma river, standing astride the ancient Vinger Royal Road, which connected Norway and Värmland, Sweden as well as on the north-south...
. This put an end to the offensive, and its main objective Christiana
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
was out of reach.
Christian August reacted severely to the news of the defeat at the Lier and that the Swedish troops had reached the river Glomma. He now had to move the main forces to Blaker
Blaker
Blaker is a village and a former municipality of Akershus county, Norway.-History:The municipality was established on 1 July 1919, when Aurskog was split in two. At the time of establishment, Blaker had a population of 2,533...
to stop a possible attack from the Swedish positions on the south-west side of Kongsvinger in the north or from Høland
Høland
-History:Høland was created in 1837 as a formannskapsdistrikt, a Norwegian local self-government district. The district Setskog was separated from Høland to form a separate municipality January 1, 1905. The split left Høland with 4,928 inhabitants. Høland municipality existed until 1 July 1924,...
in the south. But fortunately for the Norwegians the outcome of the battle of Toverud and engagement at Lund stabilized the situation in the south. Armfeldt therefor wanted to besiege and then attack Kongsvinger and thereby secure the strategically important city. Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn
Carl Pontus Gahn
Carl Pontus Gahn was a Swedish military officer who participated in the Russo-Swedish War in Finland in 1788-1789, the Finnish War campaign in Norway in 1808 and the unsuccessful invasion of Norway at Eidskog in 1814 where he was imprisoned...
with his "Flying Corps" was with this ordered to make his way to Glomma and from there west towards Kongsvinger, Armfeldt would thereby make a pincer movement to besiege the city. The order given to Colonel Gahn about such a bold and perilous advance has always been controversial, as superior Norwegian forces of approximately 800 men were stationed by the Flisa river
Flisa (river)
Flisa is a river in Hedmark, Norway, a side river to Glomma, with a length of 55 kilometers. It flows through the municipalities Åsnes, Våler and Elverum. Flisa starts at the junction of the rivers Ulvåa and Holåa. Side rivers are Vermundelv and Kynna.-References:...
which he had to pass. Gahn marched from the Swedish camp at Midtskogen on the evening of 24 April with about 500 men along the snowy road to Flisa river and along the river down towards Trangen to the southwest of Nyen in Åsnes
Åsnes
Åsnes is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flisa, which is also the largest town in the municipality with around 2,100 people.-Name:...
. From Nyen, major Norwegian forces advanced down to attack the Swedes from the rear, and together with Colonel Staffeldt brigade of about 1,050 men, the approximately 800 Norwegian troops stationed in the area participated in the attack. The battle of Trangen
Battle of Trangen
The Battle of Trangen took place on 25 April 1808 at Trangen in Flisa, Hedemarkens Amt, between Swedish and Norwegian troops as a part of the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809. The invading Swedish troops, led by colonel Carl Pontus Gahn, were surrounded and forced to surrender by the Norwegian troops...
was a serious defeat for the Swedes. The whole corps was annihilated and about 440 men were captured at Trangen, and another 65 on 25 April at Midtskogen. After the battles, Colonel Staffeldt was ordered to move his brigade west to Kongsvinger to reinforce the defense of the fortress.
When Armfeldt was notified of the defeat in the north, he immediately feared a Norwegian attack on this flank as long as there was ice on Glomma. The Swedish commander had lost his right flank to the north, and strong Norwegian forces had gathered along the Glomma at Kongsvinger and Blaker. Because of this Armfeldt found it necessary to wait for Colonel Vegesack and his forces, who had not yet begun their advance, before he carried out some further operations and thereby chose to go into a defensive position. After the regrouping of the defense around Kongsvinger under the command of Colonel Staffeldt, Christian August traveled south to get the Swedes forestalled by an offensive in the area around Ørje
Ørje
Ørje is the administrative centre of Marker municipality, Norway, not far from the Swedish border. Its population is 1,763.Ørje is known for its canal museum and steamboat club. Engebret Soot made the first Norwegian canal locks at Ørje in about 1857-1860 . The total lift of the locks are 10...
.
Battles in the South
Prince Christian August had initially planned to attack from Blaker against the Swedish 3rd Brigade at Ørje, but got messages that indicated that a Swedish attack across the border to the south would come in the near future. Because from 2–3 May, about 2,000 Swedish soldiers from two Swedish brigades under Colonel Vegesack advanced forward in three columns between Holmgil and Prestebakke east of HaldenHalden
is a both a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The seat of the municipality, Halden is a border town located at the Tista river delta on the Iddefjord, the southernmost border crossing between Norway and Sweden.-History:...
. But the conditions for the Swedish troops were so bad that the advance was stopped at the Norwegian defensive line between Halleröd, Gjeddeludd, Enningdalen and Berby church.
Meanwhile further north, a Swedish force of about 1,000 men advanced out of Nössemark across the border towards Bjørkebekk and Skotsund in Aremark
Aremark
Aremark is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fosby.Aremark was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The new municipality of Øymark was separated from Aremark on 1 July 1903.- Name :The Norse form of the name was...
, but this advance were also stopped. During the month of May the Swedish troops entrenched themselves along a line from the southeast of Kongsvinger, behind Haldenvassdraget from Kroksund
Kroksund
Kroksund is a village in the municipality of Hole, Norway. Its population is 286 ....
and along the new line from Aremark to Iddefjorden.
The Norwegian offensive that had been planned, was abandoned in favor of the realignment of the standing forces, including Colonel Holst's brigade that had been lying northeast of Rødnessjøen and had moved back to Mysen. A limited offensive against the Swedish brigade at Ørje with about 1,000 men were directed over Mjerma under the command of Major Andreas Samuel Krebs
Andreas Samuel Krebs
Andreas Samuel Krebs was a Danish-Norwegian army officer.-Early years:Born on 10 March 1766 at Tønder in Sønderjylland, Krebs was the son of vicar Peter Ditlev Krebs and Birgitte Marie Lutz...
on 4 May 1808. The fighting around Aremark, on 5 May was tough, but the Swedish troops eventually fled their positions back to the well-developed positions outside of Ørje, where they managed to hold out. The Norwegians had 10 wounded after the battle, while the Swedes had 10 dead and 16 wounded, and Krebs with his exhausted troops were recalled, while Major Friederich Fischer with his (approximately) 500 men went on from Mysen
Mysen
Mysen is the administrative center of the municipality of Eidsberg in the county of Østfold in Norway.Between 1920 and 1961, it was a separate municipality. Mysen became an independent municipality on 1 July 1920 when it was spun off from Eidsberg. On 1 January 1961 Mysen was merged again with...
and came as a surprise to the Swedish field guards at Ysterud and Li
Li, Norway
Li is a village in Sokndal municipality, Norway. It is located by the Jøssingfjord, south of the municipality centre Hauge....
, west of Ørje, on 7 May. But despite of the loss of only 9 wounded, Fischer was unable to continue because Ørje bridge was destroyed by the Swedes.
It was also inserted several other local attacks against the Swedish positions, and on the night of 8 May, Major Peter Krefting advanced with three divisions against Skotsberg to break the link between the Swedish forces in Aremark and Ørje. But the Norwegian attack was beaten back under the first action at Skotsberg, where a strait separated the Swedes and Norwegians from each other. Krefting tried again to cross the strait during the second encounter at Skotsberg on 13 May with artillery and four mortars, but was stopped again. From Fredriksten Fortress
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
, Lt. Johan Spørck, advanced with 120 men against the Swedish position at Gjeddelund on 9 May, but were beaten back by a company from Holtet
Holtet
-Places:Norway* Holtet, Østfold, a village in Halden municipality, Østfold county* Holtet, Oslo, a village in Oslo municipality**Holtet , a rail station in Oslo* Holtet, Troms, a village in Harstad municipality, Troms countyDenmark...
who recaptured the position. A new, small offensive, took place on 12 May west of Strømsfoss
Strømsfoss
Strømsfoss is a village in Aremark municipality, Norway. Here, the Øymarksjøen-Rødenessjøen-Ara-Aspern-Femsjøen watershed meets the national road between Aremark and Rakkestad as well as the county road between Aremark and Ørje. Strømsfoss has a watermill museum, housed in an old mill built in...
, were, with his modest forces, Capt. Hans Harboe Grøn began his attack on the Swedish field guards. The battle lasted until 28 May and only after the Swedes had been reinforced with a battalion, Grøn chose to retreat.
Swedish withdrawal
After Colonel Staffeldt had regrouped his forces in Kongsvinger, the front against the city was quiet until the beginning of May, apart from some minor skirmishes that was set in to constantly disrupted the Swedes. These minor skirmishes worked to the benefit of the Norwegian troops because as early as 5 May a Swedish vanguard was wiped out and 10 Swedes were captured. It was much to the chagrin of the Swedish commander that he suffered the loss of patrols and small outposts because of the Norwegian troops' scattered warfare. This led to more concentration of the Swedish troops and the Swedish 2nd Brigade was moved closer to the 1st Brigade in order to prevent the Norwegians from attacking them in small groups. Siege artillery was also transferred to the Kongsvinger front for a new planned attack at Kongsvinger Fortress. The Swedes had also initiated the development of new positions at the Lier entrenchment, with evident facing west, and the so-called "Skinnarbøl line" along the river east of Skinnarbøl and Vinger Sea facing north. The Norwegians kept close attention to what was going on at the Swedish positions by continually sending reconnaissance patrols that went out aggressively against the Swedes. Major troop movements were not possible before mid-May because of the huge snowfall that winter, and it was not until 15 May, Staffeldt ordered to make a larger attack on the Swedish right flank. But the conditions were still not good enough, and the roads had only just begun to dry up, so the attack was postponed until 18 May 1808.The skirmish at Mobekk did not begin well for the Norwegian soldiers. The Swedes managed to destroy the vital bridge over the river at Overud, and the Norwegian troops were standing on their side against the Swedish defenders who fought doggedly in the barricade. After four hours, the battle of Mobekk came to an end, and the Norwegian troops returned to Kongsvinger.
In order to restore his dignity after the battle of Mobekk, Staffeldt was forced to make a new attack. It had been discovered that a Swedish jäger
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
company had been moved to Jerpset in Vestmarka in order to connect the Swedish 2nd Brigade who was stationed closer to the border. On the 23 May, troops from Captain Wilhelm Jørgensen's
Wilhelm Jürgensen
Wilhelm Jürgensen was a Norwegian military officer. He had the rank of Captain from 1802, and the rank of Major from 1814. He commanded the Lærdalske lette infanterikompani from its establishment in 1802. He was decorated Knight of the Order of Dannebrog for his war merits.-References:...
light company, along with 65 skiers
Ski warfare
Ski warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of light cavalry.-History:...
crossed Glomma approximately 10 km west of Kongsvinger. The Norwegians attacked Jerpset farm in the evening of the 24 May and discovered that the Swedes had sent out several patrols, and that only 29 Swedish soldiers were stationed at the farm. 25 of the 29 Swedish soldiers were taken prisoner. Swedish troops who were quartered at nearby farms were unable to obtain the Norwegians who after the fighting retreated into the woods under cover of darkness. Colonel Staffeldt had planned future attacks, but the events on Jerpset frightened Armfeldt so much that he ordered the withdrawal from the positions closest to Kongsvinger. Besides, he had already on the 19 May received an order from King Gustav IV Adolf of a general retreat.
An English fleet had arrived in Gothenburg with 10,000 men on 18 May 1808, and Gustav IV Adolf now wanted to make a Swedish-English attack against the Danish island Själland, and therefore ordered Armfeldt to withdrawn back into Sweden. All plans of attack against the Norwegian military was now abandoned and Armfeldt, with the 1st and 2nd Brigade, retreated to secure positions behind the border in order to reorganize the troops and secure border crossings. The Swedish retreat came as a surprise to the Norwegians. Staffeldt advanced on the day after the Swedes' withdrawal all the way to Eidskog with his troops, and on the evening of 31 May his main force arrived at Matrand. Smaller patrols were also sent to Flisa
Flisa
Flisa is a small town in south-eastern Norway, and the administrative centre of Åsnes municipality. Its population as of 1 January 2009 is 1,561....
to secure the area.
The Norwegians on the offensive
The other two Swedish brigades that had been stationed at Halden went on 8–9 June back across the border together with the parts of the left wing brigade which had reached SkotfossSkotfoss
Skotfoss is a village in Skien municipality, Norway. It is located near the outlet of the lake Norsjø.From 1837 Skotfoss was administratively a part of Solum municipality. Solum became a part of Skien municipality on 1 January 1964. The village have a population of 1,800 people. The sports team...
. In mid-June there were only two Swedish positions left on Norwegian territory, something that came as a surprise to the Norwegians. Christian August had, because of this, planned a general offensive against the south to Rødenes
Rødenes
Rødenes is a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway.The parish of Rødenæs was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . The district of Rømskog was separated from Rødenes as a municipality of its own January 1, 1902...
/Ørjebro and Enningdalen to push the last Swedish troops across the border, but the plan was instead changed into a small offensive. This plan, which had been worked out by the commander on Fredriksten
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
fortress, Lieutenant Colonel Juel, was that one should insert many small attacks against the Swedes to drive them back across the border.
The Swedish troops, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Lars von Knorring, had stationed themselves at their fortified positions at Prestebakke with strongholds in both the east and west, and with larger forces misplaced by Ende, Berby and Enningdalen. Juel, who was seriously ill, gave the mission to Captain Arild Huitfeldt, who began advancing on the evening on 9 June with a force totalling 710 men. The thrust to the south was successful. During the battle of Prestebakke on 10 June, Huitfeldt managed to confuse the Swedish officers with a maneuver that surprised and routed the Swedish forces at Prestebakke. The Swedish casualties totaled 60 dead and severely wounded, and 395 captured (of which 34 were wounded), and two guns. The Swedish force of approximately 420 men were wiped out and a smaller force of about 150 men surrendered at Berby. The Norwegian losses were low with only around 12 casualties. In Sweden, there was a severe reaction to this surprising defeat, and the Swedish commander, Lieutenant Colonel von Knorring, was court-martialed.
After the Swedes had received reinforcements, they counter-attacked against the positions at Prestebakke on 14 June to reconcile their former positions. The main Norwegian force had moved back to Fredriksten fortress with a large number of Swedish prisoners of war, so the outnumbered Norwegian outposts at Prestebakke, Ende and Gjeddelund were driven back after a short battle. But the Swedes left their positions and went back across the border between the 20 and 24 June, and the Norwegian forces were quick to secure the border areas and to set up border guards. This ment that there were no longer any Swedish troops on Norwegian soil.
In the period up to December there were several minor offensives from both the Norwegian and the Swedish side, but these were of little significance to the campaign. Colonel Staffeldt, who had been promoted to major general on 30 June, had kept his troops on the border in Eidskog until early in July, when they were ordered to advance across the border and carry out minor attacks in several places. A column of four companies was sent forward to Morast, another column of two companies to Magnor
Magnor
Magnor is a village in the municipality of Eidskog, Norway, not far from the Swedish border. Its population is 961. It is known as a production site for glass, made at Magnor Glassverk and aluminium, made at Hydro Aluminium....
and a third column of three companies with Major Frederik Wilhelm Stabell
Frederik Wilhelm Stabell
Frederik Wilhelm Stabell was a Norwegian military officer and politician. He was a member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly in 1814, and ended his military career with the rank of General.-Personal life:...
to the area south to Vestmarka. Stabell's group continued on from there to Sweden on 18 July, and advanced to the Swedish positions at Adolfsfors. The troops stayed on the Swedish side of the border for two days, before they retreated across the border and back to Matrand. In August, Staffeldt wanted to send troops to Falun
Falun
Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...
in order to support the Norwegian troops at Jemtland and sent a force of 200 men to Midtskogen on 10 August. These troops marched from there to Dalby
Dalby
Dalby is a Scandinavian place name meaning "valley settlement", during the Viking Age, the name was brought to England and it later also became an English surname...
in Sweden, and returned to Baltebøl on 20 August since they could not find any Swedish troops in the area, apart from the border guard at Midtskogen. For the Norwegian troops stationed in the north of Kongsvinger and at Matrand there was a prolonged period of constant surveillance, in addition to boredom and poor conditions in the sparsely populated Eidskog with minimal settlement and little food. Many of the soldiers had to live in huts made of pine needles and bark for the rest of the summer and into the autumn.
Norwegian raids against civilians on the Swedish side of the border were prohibited. If a Norwegian soldier brought back stolen goods from an attack, they were returned. Officers on both sides were very concerned that their soldiers should behave well towards the civilian population, but the border was sparsely populated and the sparse food supply was quickly used by the military. Poor accommodation, lack of supplies and a scarcity of food began to have a demoralising and debilitating effect on the troops on both sides of the border.
Ceasefire and disease
The British blockade of Norway had gradually worsened the situation for the Norwegians, and the few supplies that arrived from Denmark and northern Russia were not enough. Everywhere there were food shortages, and it was impossible to replace the uniforms and other equipment that had been worn out and destroyed after several months in the field. Opportunities to carry out further offensives were also rare, and Christian August therefore decided to keep his troops at the border. Things were not much better for the Swedes in the sparsely populated border regions, since most of the supplies went to the troops fighting against the Russians in Finland. Lieutenant General Bror CederströmBror Cederström
Bror Cederström was a Swedish baron and general and Minister of War.-Biography:From 1816 to 1822 he headed the Cederströmska husarregementet in Skåne...
had also taken over the command of the border army from Armfeldt, who had left in August.
During the autumn it came to negotiations between Christian August and the Swedes, but since it took a while to get contact with King Frederick in Denmark, Christian August had to act largely without the king's approval. He meant that he could not continue hostilities against Sweden because of the distress and lack of supplies among both the population and the soldiers in the country. So in defiance of the king's will he entered into an agreement for the armistice to the southern Norwegian front on 22 November and the Armistice Agreement came into force on 7 December 1808. It could be terminated on 48 hours notice, but was applicable for the rest of the war.
Unfortunately the casefire agreement came too late for both the Norwegian and the Swedish army, who were both badly affected by diseases that spread from the east and into the border area, where thousands had lived in appalling conditions for several months. The southern Norwegian army, consisting of around 17,000 men, should during the fall and winter of 1808 experience that half of the soldiers would suffer from disease, and that only between April and September 700 died. In March 1809, approx. 8,700 were admitted to field hospitals, of which 1,200 died. In the Swedish army, the conditions were even worse because diseases such as typhoid and dysentery had spread from the east. The Swedish sources do not have precise information about the total number of sick people, only pieces from the various reports and records of the officers in the army. Morbidity rates had risen from 22% among the troops in September to 25% in November, and 403 Swedish soldiers died that month.
The Swedish front
In the winter of 1809, no major battles were fought. The Norwegians were lacking supplies, the Swedes were concentrated on the Finnish WarFinnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
and King Gustav IV Adolf's plans for a Swedish-English attack on Zealand had been cancelled after the British fleet had returned to England on 3 July. At the same time dissatisfaction with the absolutist Swedish king had evolved, and there was a desire for a constitution.
The Kongsvinger agreement
The Kongsvinger agreement in March 1809 was an oral agreement between the Swedish revolutionary forces and Christian August that the Norwegian troops should remain stationary at the border, while the Swedish forces in VärmlandVärmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
, under Lieutenant Colonel Georg Adlersparre
Georg Adlersparre
Count Georg Adlersparre was a Swedish army commander.Adlersparre was born in Hovermo . Having entered the army at the age of 15, he received from King Gustav III, in 1791, a secret commission to excite the Norwegians to rebellion...
marched to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to depose King Gustav IV. Most of the Norwegians supported the coup, and especially Christian August since he was a candidate to the Swedish throne.Christian August was also appointed Crown Prince of Sweden, but since that he died in 1810, the throne went to the French Marschal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...
The coup d'etat
On 7 March 1809, Lieutenant Colonel Adlersparre triggered the revolution by raising the flag of rebellion in KarlstadKarlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
and starting to march upon Stockholm. To prevent the king from joining loyal troops in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, on 13 March 1809 seven of the conspirators led by Carl Johan Adlercreutz
Carl Johan Adlercreutz
Carl Johan Adlercreutz was a Swedish and Finnish general of Finland Swedish birth, the chief promoter of the revolution of 1809. He told king Gustav IV to his face that Gustav ought to retire....
broke into the royal apartments in the palace, seized the king, and imprisoned him and his family in Gripsholm castle.
Gustav IV Adolf's uncle, the old, weak and childless Charles XIII, was elected King of Sweden on 5 June, and the next day an assembly of nobles, clergy, bourgeoisie and peasants, passed a constitution.
Fighting in Jemtland
Christian August was very reluctant in the spring and summer of 1809 to make any Norwegian attack against Sweden, but he was eventually pushed to it by King Frederik VI. On 2 July Christian August ordered an attack against Jemtland from TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, and on 10 July a force of 1,800 men, under the leadership of Major General Georg Frederik von Krogh, marched across the border to Jemtland.
To stop the Norwegian advance, Georg Carl von Döbeln
Georg Carl von Döbeln
Georg Carl von Döbeln was a Swedish friherre , Lieutenant General and war hero.-Early life:Georg Carl was born at the Stora Torpa manor in Segerstads parish in Västergötland to Johan Jakob von Döbeln and Anna Maria Lindgren...
was sent out with a battalion of the Hälsinge Regiment
Hälsinge regemente
Hälsinge regemente , designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997...
to Jemtland, at the same time an additional battalion from Gävle
Gävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
was sent off against Härjedalen and reinforcements later arrived from the Life Grenadier Regiment
Livgrenadjärregementet
Livgrenadjärregementet , designations I 4 and I 4/Fo 41, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997...
and the Kalmar Regiment
Kalmar regemente
Kalmar regemente , designations I 20, I 21 and Fo 18, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was merged with another unit to form a new regiment in 1928. It was later reraised and disbanded again in 1997...
. However, on July 16 the advancing Norwegian army captured the Hjärpe entrenchment which just had been abandoned by a Swedish force of 200 men under Colonel Theodore Nordenadler. Soon afterwards the Norwegians also captured the villages of Mörsil
Mörsil
Mörsil is a locality situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 674 inhabitants in 2005....
and Mattmar. But when a rumor that Sweden and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
had started peace negotiations reached the Norwegian army, von Krogh chose to retreat and instead direct his attack against Härjedalen
Härjedalen
' is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. It borders the country of Norway as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jämtland...
. On July 24, the Swedish force of 900 men under von Döbeln and the 1,800 Norwegian soldiers met at Härjedalen, the Norwegians force was defeated and had to retreat. An armistice was written the following day at Bleckåsen in Alsens. One condition was that all the Norwegian troops would leave Sweden by 3 August, which also happened.
Aftermath
In Norway, the situation steadily worsened due to the British blockade and since they no longer received supplies from northern Russia, after the Russians had made peace with the Swedes on September 17. Sweden's two-front war had also shown to be disastrous for the population and especially the soldiers stationed along the border, due to disease and lack of supplies. It was therefore a desire for peace from both sides, and negotiations began in November.Treaty of Jönköping
On December 10, 1809 Nils Rosenkrantz and the Swedish Minister Carl Gustaf Adlerberg met in JönköpingJönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
to sign the peace treaty between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, which ended the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809. Treaty implied the following:
- No country cedes any territory (status quo)
- Sweden tries to keep the British warships in the distance from the Swedish coast
- Renegades and criminals were to be extradited
But Denmark–Norway were still at war with the United Kingdom, and even if Sweden were to make peace with Napoleon in 1810, they were still going to be on the side of the Coalition during the War of the Sixth Coalition
War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition , a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and a number of German States finally defeated France and drove Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on Elba. After Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia, the continental powers...
. This would further lead to the fact that Norway was given to Sweden after the Treaty of Kiel
Treaty of Kiel
The Treaty of Kiel or Peace of Kiel was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on the other side on 14 January 1814 in Kiel...
in 1814.