Absolutismus und Heeresreform: Schwedens Militär am Ende des 17. Jahrhunderts

Sweden was one of the great military powers of the 17th century. Its empire held a territory more than twice the size of its modern borders. The Swedish Empire and its modern military force was founded by Gustav Adolf (1611-1632), who reformed the Swedish military to a professional national army based on mercenaries. After Gustav Adolf’s death, the professional army was complemented by an allotment system (Swedish: indelningsverket) used for keeping a trained army at all times. The allotment system gave the conscripted soldiers a means of subsistence between campaigns, by making a whole group of farmers responsible for the keep of each soldier. While the soldiers would be hired and salaried full-time if at war, they lived at home and off duty in peace time. This system came into use around 1640. The book explores the connected changes in the military system and the formation of the Swedish state.