A Flatpack History of Sweden

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

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

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...

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! 

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. 

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!

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! 

Gustav Vasa has decided he needs to reform how Sweden is run. He enlists the help of a number of clever German civil servants who have some ideas on how to build up an administration and end the King's shouting. However, if Gustav Vasa is your boss, you can count on one thing; You won't stay in his good books for long!

Just when you thought Gustav Vasa was safe on his throne and their couldn't possibly be more rebellions, there's time for at least one more! And this is the biggest one yet! Famous eel-snatcher Nils Dacke leads rebells in Småland who are not onboard with Gustav's way of running the country. 

Check out our new YouTube video, in which Chris' vists Visby and talks about the 1361 battle!

Edit: Enjoy a special early release due to us pressing the wrong button...! 

Even though he's been on the throne for a decade at this point, Gustav Vasa is still not sitting entirely comfortably as 1534 comes around. That's because an old enemy has risen from the ashes of political oblivion and is attempting to take back his lost Kingdoms. This time Kristian the Tyrant returns!