Page "Charles X Gustav of Sweden" Paragraph 2

In his early childhood raised in the Swedish court alongside Queen Christina he received an excellent civil education.

Later Charles X learned the art of war under Lennart Torstenson, being present at the second Battle of Breitenfeld ( 1642 ) and at Jankowitz ( 1645 ).

From 1646 to 1648 he frequented the Swedish court, supposedly as a prospective husband of his cousin the queen regnant, Christina of Sweden ( 1626 – 89, reigned 1632 – 54 ), but her insurmountable objection to wedlock put an end to these anticipations, and to compensate her cousin for a broken half-promise she declared him her successor in 1649, despite the opposition of the Privy Council headed by Axel Oxenstierna.

In 1648 he gained the appointment of commander of the Swedish forces in Germany.

The conclusion of the treaties of Westphalia in October 1648 prevented him from winning the military laurels he is said to have desired, but as the Swedish plenipotentiary at the executive congress of Nuremberg, he had an opportunity to learn diplomacy, a science he is described as having quickly mastered.

As the recognized heir to the throne, his position on his return to Sweden was dangerous because of the growing discontent with the queen. A council of war, which met at two o ’ clock in the morning to consider the practicability of Dahlberg's proposal, dismissed it as hazardous.

Even the king wavered ; but when Dahlberg persisted in his opinion, Charles overruled the objections of the commanders.

On the night of 5 February the transit began, the cavalry leading the way through the snow-covered ice, which quickly thawed beneath the horses ’ hoofs so that the infantry which followed after had to wade through half an ell of sludge, facing the risk that the ice would break beneath their feet.

At three o ’ clock in the afternoon, with Dahlberg leading the way, the army reached Grimsted in Lolland without losing a man ; on 8 February, Charles reached Falster.

On 11 February he stood safely on the soil of Zealand.

A Swedish medal struck to commemorate the transit of the Baltic Sea bear the inscription: Natura hoc debuit uni.

Sweden had achieved a rare war exploit, in Sweden considered to be matched only by the crusade of the Livonian Order led by William of Modena to conquer Saaremaa ( Osel ) in January 1227 and afterwards when two Russian armies crossed the frozen Gulf of Bothnia from Finland to mainland Sweden in March during the Finnish War.

It is believed that the effect of this achievement on the Danish government found expression in the Treaty of Taastrup on 18 February, and in the Treaty of Roskilde ( 26 February 1658 ), whereby Denmark sacrificed a great part of her territory to save the rest.

However, Charles X continued the war efforts against Denmark after a council held at Gottorp on 7 July, even though he was in defiance of international equity.

Without warning, Denmark was attacked a second time.