# Battle of Stångebro (25 September 1598)

URL: https://allhistories.com/sweden/timeline/1598-battle-of-stangebro
Location: Stångebro, Linköping, Östergötland
Themes: War

On 25 September 1598 the forces of Duke Charles defeated the army of King Sigismund at Stångebro, the bridges over the Stångån river at Linköping. The battle decided the struggle for power in Sweden. Sigismund had landed at Kalmar in the summer of 1598 with a force of Polish troops and mercenaries, intending to restore his authority and curb his uncle. His supporters in Finland, however, failed to join him. After an initial skirmish at Stegeborg, the two armies met at Linköping, where Sigismund's troops attacked Charles's advancing army and were routed. Under the Treaty of Linköping that followed, Sigismund agreed to hand over leading councillors who had supported him. He then sailed back to Poland and never returned to Sweden. The battle effectively ended the personal union between Sweden and Poland-Lithuania and left Duke Charles the master of the kingdom.

## Why it matters
Stångebro ended Sigismund's effective rule in Sweden and secured the country's Protestant future.

Ruler at the Time: [Sigismund](https://allhistories.com/sweden/rulers/sigismund)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Stångebro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_St%C3%A5ngebro)
- [Wikipedia — War against Sigismund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_against_Sigismund)
- [Wikipedia — Charles IX of Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IX_of_Sweden)
- [Wikipedia — Sigismund III Vasa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund_III_Vasa)
- [Wikipedia — Vasa Era & Reformation (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Vasa_era)