Early Modern Era

Swedish Empire

1611 AD – 1721 AD · peak 1660 AD

During the Swedish Empire (1611–1721), Sweden became a leading European power through military reforms under Gustavus Adolphus. It dominated the Baltic Sea region following its involvement in the Thirty Years' War and the subsequent Treaties of Westphalia. Its status as a great power ended after defeat by a coalition led by Russia in the Great Northern War, formalized by the Treaty of Nystad in 1721.

Capital: Stoccolma