Mercenary Swedes : French subsidies to Sweden 1631-1796

Four hundred years ago, France persuaded Sweden to fight on its side against Germany in the war between Protestant and Catholic states. Rather than some lofty purpose, what convinced Sweden was money. Under the 1631 agreement, Sweden received French subsidies to the tune of 400,000 riksdaler a year for five years. This was only the first in a long line of subsidy agreements between the countries. Sweden enjoyed French largesse for no fewer than 166 years. In this wide-ranging international study, Svante Norrhem traces the patterns of cooperation between the two countries. With his unique command of the archival material, he discusses the reasons for the agreements and the mutual dependency that resulted. Cover Contents Acknowledgements Early modern currency 1. Subsidies—an introduction Reaping what others sow Reaping the whirlwind Why subsidies? Argument Method 2. Treaties, context, and content The Treaty of Bärwalde The Peace of Westphalia Interlude—absolutism and the Great Reduction Liberty The return of the king The common thread 3. Subsidies, dependence, and independence Follow the money The 1630s and 1640s After 1648 The eighteenth century The mechanics of subsidies Great power and great freedom? 4. Subsidies and honour Whose honour? 5. French objectives and interests Vote-rigging Destabilization politics Dynastic politics Patrons, clients, and ‘protection’ Subsidies France’s interest in Sweden Shifting alliances 6. Rivalries, conflicts, and complications Conflicting objectives Casus belli New century, same old tensions Practical complications, complicated individuals Asymmetric friendship 7. Subsidies, history, and enduring friendship An uncomfortable past A special friendship 8. Subsidies, resistance, and criticism Swedish shame, French betrayal The pamphleteers The root of the problem 9. The impact of subsidies—migration, mobility, and mortality Princes and states The impact of subsidies on Sweden War, death, and suffering Women’s lives Infrastructure and infraknowledge Officers and officials Bankers and financiers Diplomats, politicians, and negotiators Soft power and luxury consumption Concluding remarks 10. The impact of subsidies—three case studies The Peace of Westphalia War, the Great Reduction, and autocracy The coup of 1772 Concluding comments Concluding discussion Notes References Index of names Index of treaties In the 1630s, France persuaded Sweden to fight on its side against the Holy Roman Emperor in the vicious, prolonged war between Protestant and Catholic states. Under the 1631 agreement, Sweden received French subsidies of about 400,000 Swedish riksdaler every year for five years a vast sum.