Cudgel War

Cudgel War
Part of the War against Sigismund

Burned Village (1879) by Albert Edelfelt
Date25 November 1596 – 24 February 1597[1]
Location
Finland (part of the Kingdom of Sweden)
Result Nobility victory
Belligerents
Peasants and army Nobility and army
Commanders and leaders
Jaakko Ilkka  Executed
Pentti Pouttu  (POW)
Hannu Krankka
Yrjö Kontsas  Executed
Israel Larsson
Support:
Enemies of Fleming among the nobility
Sweden Duke Charles
Sweden Clas Fleming
Sweden Gödik Fincke
Sweden Ivar Tavast
Sweden Abraham Melkiorsson Executed
Sweden Axel Kurck
Strength
1,000–4,000+ 1,500–3,300+
Casualties and losses

>2,550 dead

>500 POW
Unknown but significant
The strength varied in different engagements and some figures are approximations.

The Cudgel War (also known as the Club War; Finnish: Nuijasota; Swedish: Klubbekriget) was a 1596–1597 peasant uprising in Finland, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sweden.[2] The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the peasants armed themselves with various blunt weapons, such as cudgels, flails, and maces, since they were seen as the most efficient weapons against their heavily-armoured enemies. The yeomen also had swords, some firearms, and two cannons at their disposal. Their opponents, the troops of Clas Eriksson Fleming, were professional, heavily-armed and armoured men-at-arms.[3]

Modern Finnish historiography sees the uprising in the context of the conflict between Duke Charles and Sigismund, King of Sweden and Poland (War against Sigismund). Charles agitated the peasants to revolt against the nobility of Finland, which supported Sigismund during the conflict.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ilmajoki was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Finnish history". www.infofinland.fi. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  3. ^ "Finnish peasant history". Retrieved 13 July 2014.