Nils Dacke

Nils Dacke (died 1543) was a Swedish yeoman who was the leader of a mid-16th century peasant revolt in the historic province of Småland in southern Sweden.

[1] The resulting Dacke War (Swedish: Dackefejden) was fought against King Gustav I of Sweden of the Vasa family.

Småland found itself on the border between Sweden and Denmark and was hit hard by Vasa's ban on cross-border trade.

In addition, the heavy handed way in which the church was reformed and the increasing tax burden led to much dissatisfaction among the poor peasants.

Gustav Vasa underestimated the military prowess of the peasants and sent his German mercenaries (Landsknecht) to quell the revolt.

Dacke himself had become overconfident after earlier successes and met the Swedish Royal Army in a pitched battle in March.

The trained soldiers fighting on their own terms shattered the peasant army, and Dacke was severely injured.

The reliance on foreign mercenaries in the army was reduced in favour of soldiers of Swedish extraction (many of which were recruited in Småland), and this laid the foundation for Sweden's military successes in later wars.