A Flatpack History of Sweden

108. Gustav Vasa's Family

Gustav Vasa was a powerful, stubborn and angry man, but he did have also time for a family, when he wasn't shouting at his German advisors that is. This time we take a look at his wives, his children and all the various marriage alliances he managed to arrange for himself and them. There's also some home education he organises for everyone! 

109. The End of Gustav Vasa

An old, hurting and angry Gustav Vasa is plodding towards his end. Before he goes though, there's still time for a war with Russia and getting his affairs (and funeral!) in order. We look back at a reign that changed Sweden for good and go through all the multiple faces of this quite unique king!

S11. Ål About Eels

It's time for another special episode! We're dedicating an entire episode to the life and cultural impact of eels, an animal that we've already seen play a part in Swedish history. We'll get better aquainted with the world's (potentially) oldest eel, who spent his life in a well in southern Sweden, go on a Freudian search for the eels' reproductive parts and hear about the time Åsa went into what she calls an eel coma. 

110. Enter King Erik

Gustav Vasa is dead. His son Erik calmly takes control over Sweden and is crowned King in an elaborate coronation. The new King has some changes he wants to make and new advisors he wants to put in charge. His ideas will annoy some people, especially his younger brothers; but how bad can it be? 

We also give a shoutout to The Popeular History Podcast; Check them out on Spotify here, or wherever you find your podcasts! 

111. Livonia Falls Apart

Now Erik XIV is well and truly on the throne, it is time to get involved in foreign policy. After teetering on the edge for a couple of decades, it is now time to see the end of Livonia, and everyone is invited to the going away party! Poland, Russia, Denmark and Sweden will all decide to fight over the remnants. We promise you it is going to get messy...

112. The Repetitive War

Denmark and Sweden come to blows once again and both kings are eager for some quick successes. But alas, the armies mainly end up chasing each other back and forth across Scandinavia and dying of starvation or disease... We do get to see an angry King Fredrik deliver a one-liner worthy of James Bond though! 

 

Shoutout once again to the excellent Presidencies of the United States podcast! Check them out wherever you get your podcasts or online at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com

113. Erik Goes Crazy

Well, where do we start? In this episode, King Erik completely loses all grip on reality and others will pay the price. What can the Swedish state and nobility actually do when a monarch goes on a killing spree? The events over a few fateful days in 1567 will go down in history as The Sture Murders. Find out why!

We're also now giving Bluesky a go again. Check us on: @flatpacksweden.bsky.social

114. The Karin That Broke the Camel's Back

King Erik recovers from his insanity long enough to tell the Council he's married his lowborn girlfriend Karin. There's no honeymoon period for the happy couple though, as this tips the already angsty nobility into outright opposition. With Erik's two brothers also on their side, things will turn violent pretty quickly. 

 

Plus, some breaking news! On New Year's Day, we're launching a brand new podcast called Kingdom. We're going to be judging and ranking all the Swedish Kings, Queens and Regents in the "Rexypod" format! More news in this episode and on our social media channels:

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115. King Johan Takes Over

King Johan officially takes over Sweden after his brother Erik is deposed and there's a long to-do list for the new monarch. We cover Erik's "retirement", his brother's coronation and the end of war the with Denmark. There's even some disagreement between the Riksdag and the Council regarding what to do with Sweden's supplies of gunpowder, bullets and arrows...