Sweden, whose financial resources were al ways limited, had, however, been impoverished by the war, and the nobility, who during the minority of Charles had acquired the chief power in the state, although the king had as sumed the government in 1672, became unpop ular. A revolution was accomplished in 1680, in which the states, under the guardianship of a military force, declared Charles absolute and irresponsible, and entitled to dispose of the government by his last will. The remaining years of Charles XI were employed in organiz ing the army and restoring the finances. He adopted a regular system of conscription, which greatly strengthened the military power of the nation. He died 15 April 1697. His son, Charles XII, born in 1682, was declared of age in November. His youth induced Den mark, Poland and Russia to enter into a league against him to partition his dominions. Em barking for Copenhagen in 1700, he soon dis concerted the plans of the allies, and refusing peace began a career of conquest, which after many marvelous successes ended in the dis astrous battle of Poltava, 8 July 1709. After an exile in Turkey he returned to Sweden in 1714, reconciled himself with Peter the Great, and was pushing the conquest of Nor way when he was killed at the siege of Fred erickshall, 30 Nov. 1718. The Swedish states passing over Charles Frederick, son of Charles' elder sister, named the second sister of Charles, Ulrica Eleonora, queen, who in 1720 associated with her husband Frederick I. The revolution was accomplished so suddenly that it led to a suspicion that Charles' death had been antici pated, and it has always been suspected that he fell by the hand of an assassin. The new gov ernment allied itself with Great Britain, and ceded the duchies of Bremen and Verden, the cause of quarrel between Charles and England, to George I. Peace was concluded with Po land on the basis of the treaty of Oliva, and with Prussia, to which Sweden ceded the terri tory between the Oder and the Peene, Stettin, the islands of Wollin and Usedom, etc. By the Treaty of Stockholm, 12 June 1720, Sweden paid Denmark 600,000 rix-dollars, and renounced the freedom of the Sound, while Denmark re stored Rtigen and other conquests in Pomerania and elsewhere. War still continued between Sweden and Russia. It was concluded by the Treaty of Nystadt. 10 Sept. 1721. Sweden re ceived $2,000,000 for Livonia. but she finally lost the valuable Baltic provinces for which she had so long contended. Of her conquests Rus sia only restored Finland.
Sweden was now under the hands of an oli. garchy. This council was easily. bribed by for eign powers. It was divided into two factions, called (after 1738) the Hats and Caps, the for mer of which preferred to sell themselves to France, the latter to Russia. On the breaking out of the war of the Austrian Succession, the Swedes, who had been irritated by the murder, at the instigation of the Russian Empress Anna, of their Ambassador to the Porte, were easily induced by France to declare war with Russia. The war on the part of Sweden, from military incapacity and the selfishness of her civil rulers, was ill conducted. On the accession of Eliza beth peace was concluded by the Treaty of Abo, 17-18 Aug. 1743, by which Sweden re nounced forever her claim to the provinces ceded by the Treaty of Nystadt, the recovery of which was the main object of the war, and ceded part of Finland, the boundary between the two states being fixed at the river Kymene.
By the influence of Russia Adolphus Frederick of Holstein was elected successor to the Swed ish crown, to which he succeeded on the death of Frederick in 1751. During this reign Swe den took some part in the Seven Years' War. At home the country was distracted by the ri valries of the Hats and Caps, and the royal power sank to a shadow. Adolphus died in 1771 and was succeeded by his son Gustavus III. His reign was distinguished by a monar chical revolution. He undertook a war against Russia, which brought him fame indeed, but was productive of no other result. Gustavus was assassinated in 1792. In 1809 his son Gus tavus IV was deposed, and his family declared forever incapable of succeeding to the crown. (The leading events of his reign will be found under GUSTAVUS IV). His uncle, the Duke of Sudermania, was declared king with the title of Charles XIII. He concluded a war with Rus sia, begun by Gustavus, by the Treaty of Fred ericksham, 17 Sept. 1809, by which Sweden sur rendered Finland, the Aland Isles and part of West Bothnia to Russia. In 1810 the states elected Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, crown-prince. In the final struggle with Napoleon previous to 1814 Sweden joined the Allies, while Denmark took the .part of France. The Danes were driven out of Holstein by Bernadotte, and the Treaty of Kiel was concluded between Sweden, Denmark and Great Britain, 14 Jan. 1814. Swe den by this treaty ceded to Denmark her last German possessions in Pomerania, and the Isle of Riigen, while Denmark was compelled to cede Norway to Sweden as a compensation for the loss of Finland. The cession was confirmed by the Norwegian Storthing on 4 November. Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, which had belonged to Norway, were retained by Denmark. Sweden now held the whole Scandinavian Peninsula, and had lost all her other European possessions. Bernadotte suc ceeded to the crown in 1818, under the title of Charles XIV. Under his reign Sweden ad vanced greatly in agricultural and mercantile prosperity. He died in 1844, and was succeeded by his son Oscar I, who introduced extensve reforms in the government. (See OSCAR I). He died 8 July 1859, and was succeeded by his son, Charles Louis Eugene. under the title of Charles XV. Charles XV died 18 Sept. 1872, and was succeeded by his brother, Oscar II, who, dying on 8 Dec. 1907, was succeeded by his son, the present king Gustav V. On 7 June 1905, owing to the refusal of Sweden to grant separate consulates to Norway, the Storthing of Norway passed a resolution to dissolve the union, which was finally ratified by the Treaty of Karlstad by both countries on 16 October. On 20 November Prince Charles of Denmark was made King of Norway.
In 1909 Sweden experienced one of the most extensive industrial strikes in the history of labor disputes. Beginning in a few industries, this strike soon involved nearly 300,000 men and lasted for two months, completely paralyz ing all trade, commerce and transportation fa cilities and ending in the defeat of the strikers.