{{For|the first Battle of Haraker in 1437|Battle of Hällaskogen}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Battle of Haraker | partof = the 1463–1464 Swedish uprising against Christian I | image = | caption = | date = 17 April 1464 | place = Haraker, Västmanland, Sweden | coordinates = {{coord|59|47|11|N|16|25|55|E|type:event|display=inline,title}} | map_type = Sweden South | map_caption = Location of Haraker in Sweden with present-day administrative borders. | map_mark = Battle icon (crossed swords).svg | map_marksize = 16 | map_label = Battle of Haraker | result = Swedish separatist victory | combatant1 = {{flagicon|Medieval Sweden}} Swedish separatists | combatant2 = {{flagicon|Medieval Denmark}} Denmark<br /> Swedish unionists | commander1 = {{flagicon|Medieval Sweden}} Kettil Karlsson<br /> {{flagicon|Medieval Sweden}} Sten Sture the Elder | commander2 = {{flagicon|Medieval Denmark}} Christian I | strength1 = Unknown | strength2 = Unknown | casualties1 = Unknown | casualties2 = 1,200–1,400 killed (Swedish estimate) | campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Dano-Swedish Wars}} | territory = Unionists retreat to Stockholm Castle. }} The '''Battle of Haraker''' was fought on 17 April 1464 at the village of Haraker, Västmanland, approximately 20 kilometers north of the city of Västerås in Sweden. The Swedish separatist army, under the command of the Bishop of Linköping, Kettil Karlsson, defeated King Christian I's Danish army.
== Background == thumbnail|left|Denmark and southern Sweden in the late 15th century. [[File:Christian I of Denmark, Norway & Sweden 1440s.jpg|thumbnail|King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Contemporary portrait at Frederiksborg Castle.]] The battle was part of a long series of conflicts and civil wars between unionists and separatists during the Kalmar Union era in the 15th century. The Danish King Christian I of the house of Oldenburg had ruled Sweden supported by the unionist party since 1457, with the deposed Swedish rival King Charles Canutesson, of the house of Bonde, living in exile in Danzig. However, there was widespread opposition to Christian's rule, and Christian travelled to Sweden to act against the rumours of Charles's imminent return. When the Archbishop of Uppsala, Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna, acting as viceroy on behalf of King Christian during the King's stay in the Swedish province of Finland, gave in to tax protestors and postponed the collection of a ship tax from the peasantry of Mälardalen, King Christian had Jöns Bengtsson imprisoned and brought to Copenhagen on his return in August 1463.<ref name="KumlienSBL">Kumlien, Kjell, [http://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=11767 Kristian I], Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, Band 21 (1975–1977), p. 562, retrieved on 2015-06-15.</ref>
The news of the Archbishop's imprisonment caused an uprising among the peasantry of Mälardalen, led by the Archbishop's Oxenstierna and Vasa relatives in the high nobility. Peasant militia from Uppland marched on Stockholm, but were crushed by the unionist troops under the command of Lord High Constable Ture Turesson Bielke on Helgeandsholmen outside the northern gates of Stockholm, in the massacre at Helgeandsholmen on 21 August 1463.<ref name="KumlienSBL"/>
[[File:Västerås-slott-nordöst.jpg|thumbnail|Västerås Castle]] The young Bishop of Linköping, Kettil Karlsson of the Vasa family, took up arms and organised the uprising in Östergötland in the winter of 1463/1464, briefly laying siege to Stockholm before retreating in the face of Christian's army approaching from the south. He then travelled to Dalecarlia and Västmanland, where he gathered an army largely made up of peasant militia and Swedish separatist nobles, among them the future Regent of Sweden, Sten Sture the Elder.<ref name="ugglan"/> In February Kettil Karlsson was named Captain-General and commander-in-chief by the separatists. King Christian marched west from Stockholm and laid siege to Västerås Castle, which was held by Bishop Kettil's uncle, Nils Kristiernsson Vasa. With Kettil Karlsson's army gathering north of Västerås, Christian then marched north to meet the rebels.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}
The ''Diarium Vadstenense's'' account of the events was likely recorded around the time of the death of Charles Canutesson in 1470, with the unknown author taking a strong stance for King Charles, while portraying the Danish King Christian as a greedy coward and the bishops, Kettil Karlsson and Jöns Bengsson, as traitorous schemers.<ref>Gejrot, Claes (2015) ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10138/153795 Diarium Vadstenense: A Late Medieval Memorial Book and Political Chronicle]'' In: '' COLLeGIUM: Studies across Disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences / Volume 17: Past and Present in Medieval Chronicles ''</ref>
== Battle == thumbnail|Haraker Church Kettil Karlsson's army was heavily fortified in the terrain of Hälla Forest north of Haraker Church, making good use of the forest terrain. King Christian's professional army had superior numbers of trained knights and made camp south of the forest, resting briefly before the King ordered the attack on the rebel positions. While initially successful against the militia, the Danish troops were drawn further into the forest, losing their cavalry advantage and forcing the knights to fight on foot. The Danish troops suffered heavy losses fighting their way through a series of fortified positions. The rebel defenders then opened fire from a hidden position in the forest, catching the Danish troops by surprise and forcing them to retreat through flanking Swedish fire. Once back in the open field, a decisive charge by Kettil Karlsson's heavy cavalry reserve broke the Danish lines, forcing the Danish army to retreat to a defensive position at Haraker Church before returning to Västerås under the cover of darkness. The ''Diarium Vadstenense'' mentions the battle, describing the royal army's losses as significant. Swedish sources estimate the Danish losses at around 1,200–1,400 men, although King Christian later in a letter to the Hanseatic City of Lübeck described his losses as considerably smaller.<ref name="Harrison2013">Harrison, 2013</ref>
== Aftermath == Christian was forced to break the siege of Västerås Castle and returned to Stockholm Castle, which subsequently was besieged by the separatists.<ref name="Harrison2013" /> An attempt by unionists under Ture Turesson Bielke to land an army in Västmanland was defeated by Kettil Karlsson's separatists at Kvicksund. Christian left Stockholm Castle under Ture Turesson's command and returned to Denmark. He was eventually forced to release Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson due to political pressure from the Church and abroad, reconciling with the Archbishop.
The battle significantly strengthened the separatist cause, making Kettil Karlsson effective ruler of most of central Sweden and prompting the return of King Charles Canutesson, who was hailed as king by the separatists. However, a conflict between Charles and the bishops, Jöns Bengtsson and Kettil Karlsson, soon arose after Jöns Bengtsson's arrival in Stockholm, with the bishops getting the upper hand, excommunicating and again deposing the King. Kettil Karlsson ruled as Regent of Sweden for half a year in 1465 before dying from bubonic plague.<ref name="ugglan">Nordisk Familjebok: ''[https://runeberg.org/nfck/0404.html Vasaätten. Kettil Karlsson.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617122740/http://runeberg.org/nfck/0404.html |date=2015-06-17 }}'', Uggleupplagan, Band 31, 1921, pp. 767–768</ref> Jöns Bengtsson became Regent upon Kettil Karlsson's death but was driven to retire by the Privy Council, replacing him as Regent with Charles' follower Erik Axelsson Tott. Charles Canutesson would eventually return to rule Sweden a third time in 1467 until his death in 1470. The Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471, where the separatists were commanded by Regent Sten Sture the Elder, one of the separatist leaders at the Battle of Haraker, would eventually give the separatists the upper hand in Swedish politics during most of the final decades of the 15th century.
== Notes == <references/>
== Literature == * Harakers hembygdsförening (1998), ''Harakersbygden'', Harakers hbf, Haraker. * Harrison, Dick (2002), ''Karl Knutsson – en biografi'', Historiska media, Lund, {{ISBN|91-89442-58-X}}. * Harrison, Dick (2013), ''[https://blog.svd.se/historia/2013/08/24/slaget-vid-haraker/ Historiebloggen: Slaget vid Haraker]''. ''Svenska Dagbladet'' online edition, 24 August 2013. * Kumlien, Kjell (1940), ''Karl Knutsson i Preussen 1457–1464 – ett inslag i Östersjöområdets historia under det 13-åriga krigets tid, Kungl. Vitterhets- Historie och Antikvitetsakademiens handlingar del 46:2'', Stockholm. * Tuneld, Erik (1828), ''Geografi öfver konungariket Sverige, 8:e uppl andra bandet (Nerike Westmanland Dalarne)'', Ecksteinska tryckeriet, Stockholm.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haraker 1464}} Category:Battles involving the Kalmar Union Category:Conflicts in 1464 Category:1464 in Europe Category:15th century in Sweden Category:Battles involving Sweden Category:Battles involving Denmark Category:Västerås Category:1460s in Denmark Category:Rebellions in Sweden Category:Christian I of Denmark Category:Guerrilla warfare