Karl VIII Knutsson, << KNOOT suhn >> (1408?-1470), was a powerful Swedish nobleman who ruled Sweden as regent (temporary ruler) from 1438 to 1440 and then as king from 1448 to 1457, 1464 to 1465, and 1467 to 1470. Karl rose to power by taking advantage of the Swedes’ desire for greater independence from royal authority and taxes, yet he was ruthless in his own exercise of power. His greatest rival for control of Sweden was the king of Denmark, and Karl promoted resentment against the idea of a foreign ruler to boost his own position. In doing so, he helped develop Sweden’s desire for national independence. His name is sometimes spelled Carl or Charles.
In 1434, Karl became one of the leaders of a rebellion against the king of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The king was known as Erik of Pomerania because he had been born in the German duchy of Pomerania. Erik ruled the three countries as part of what became known as the Union of Kalmar, for the town in Sweden where the agreement was crafted. The union had been formed in 1397 to unite the three kingdoms under one monarch while preserving each country’s own laws and council. The Swedish rebels resented Erik for imposing high taxes and for appointing many Danish and German officials to powerful posts in Sweden. The Swedes made Karl regent of Sweden in 1438 and formally deposed Erik the next year.
In 1441, the Swedish council recognized Erik’s nephew, Christopher of Bavaria, as king of Sweden. The Danes made Christopher their king in 1440, and the Norwegians accepted him in 1442. The Union of Kalmar was restored.
When Christopher died childless in 1448, the Swedish nobles elected Karl as their king, and the Danes chose Christian of Oldenburg, a relative of the Danish royal family. The Norwegians were divided, but a settlement made Christian king of Norway in 1450. Neither Christian nor Karl liked the settlement, and Sweden and Denmark went to war in 1451. The war continued for several years.
As king, Karl increased taxes and took a number of other unpopular measures. In 1457, a revolt forced him into exile. Those nobles who still favored union invited Christian I of Denmark to become Sweden’s king. But the Swedes found Christian’s rule as restrictive as Karl’s and rebelled in 1464. Karl returned briefly from 1464 to 1465, but could not establish firm control. In 1467, the Swedish nobles made him king for the third time. Karl reigned until his death on May 15, 1470, but the noble families limited his power.
See also Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson.
