Christian IV of Denmark

Christian IV is something of an enigma. He was a man with many personal weaknesses: excessive drinking and gambling, a lack of political acumen, and the unsavoury habit of burning witches, to name but a few. On the other hand, he was purposeful, ambitious, and one of the most active and beloved kings in Danish history, reigning for 59 years.

His involvement in the Thirty Years’ War was typical of him. In the Kaiser War, as Danish involvement was called at home, he overreached. His efforts to expand his possessions in Holstein were to fail, but his popularity at home rose even after the defeat at Lutter. He founded a fleet that dominated the Baltic Sea for many years, the Danish East India Company, and numerous trading cities. He also strengthened the bond between the two most important parts of his kingdom: Denmark and Norway.

When the Torstensson War broke out in 1644, when he again fought against Sweden, Christian showed great personal bravery and resilience despite being sixty-six years old. Eventually, he had to bow to the demands of Sweden and its allies, and Sweden gained supremacy over the Baltic Sea even before his death, which, however, did not diminish his popularity with his subjects.

The pack contains one metal miniature on horseback.