The Centralization Reforms of Gustav Vasa

Upon his ascension to the Swedish throne, Gustav Vasa was faced with a seemingly endless list of discouraging tasks. The country was in massive debt to the Hansa (which threatened to side with Denmark in its attempts to restore the Union), the nobles were untrustworthy, and the army and navy were in shambles. Worst of all, however, was the unbalanced distribution of land. The crown lands were too small to provide the vital taxes needed to support the state. The King proved up to the challenge, and with unpopular reductions and obsessive micromanagement he got the country back on its feet. In his early reign, Gustav also sought to gain the Skåne counties and Gotland from Denmark with the help of the Hansa. He didn't succeed, but the claim had been staked...