Charles X.

Charles X., or CHARLES-GUSTAVUS, king of Sweden (1654-60), the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine, and Catherine, sister of Gustavus-Adolphus, was born at Nyköping, 8th November 1622. After his studies at Upsala, he took part in the Thirty Years' War under Torstensson. On the abdication of his eccentric cousin, Queen Christina, whom he had wooed in vain, Charles succeeded as next heir to the throne of a kingdom which the folly and extravagance of the queen had reduced to an almost bankrupt condition. Charles was the second of the three great warrior-monarchs of Sweden, but unlike his uncle, who could plead religious grounds, and his grandson, who was at first forced to fight for self-preservation, Charles seemed to make war principally for war's sake. He was now free to gratify his passion for war. First he attacked Poland in July 1655, because the Polish king had not resigned his claim to the Swedish throne, and in a few weeks overran the whole country. Next he forced the Great Elector of Brandenburg to acknowledge his lordship over the duchy of Prussia, then crushed the forces of the Polish king anew in a terrible three-days' battle at Warsaw (July 28-30, 1656). He next assailed the Danes, who had declared war against him, crossed the Great and Little Belt on the ice, and speedily made himself master of all the continental possessions of Denmark. Marching from isle to isle over the frozen sea, he extorted the Treaty of Roeskild (7th March 1658), which gave to Sweden Halland, Scania, Blekinge, Bornholm, and the other Danish possessions beyond the Sound, and emancipated Sweden from the Sound Dues. His offers to the Dutch and English to share in the partition of Denmark being declined, he invaded Zealand alone in 1659, and attacked Copenhagen, but was beaten off by the Danes, aided by the Prussians and Dutch. Soon after he died suddenly at Gothenburg, February 23, 1660. He was succeeded by his son, Charles XI. (1660-97), then only four years old. See SWEDEN.