Danish-Hanseatic War (1361-1370)
The Danish-Hanseatic War (1361–1370) was both a trade and territorial conflict mainly between the Kingdom of Denmark, led by King Valdemar IV, and the Hanseatic League, the latter of which was led by the rich and powerful merchant city of Lübeck. Though the first few years of the war resulted in several Danish victories, and even led to a beneficial truce for Denmark in 1365, the Hanseatic League, furious at the terms of the truce, resumed hostilities along with several allies and managed to defeat the Danes.
| Danish-Hanseatic War | |||||||||
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| Part of the Danish-Hanseatic Rivalry | |||||||||
Valdemar IV of Denmark enters Visby | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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First Phase (1361–1365) Kingdom of Denmark |
First Phase (1361–1365)
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Second Phase (1367–1370) Kingdom of Norway |
Second Phase (1367–1370)
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Valdemar IV | The Hansetag | ||||||||
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Though initiated by the Danish conquest of Gotland, the war quickly spread to encompass all territories where Denmark and the Hansa had conflicting claims. Scania and the Oresund, along with several coastal ports belonging to the Danish ally of Norway, were attacked and raided, and even the Danish capital of Copenhagen was ransacked. The resulting treaty, signed at Stralsund, secured the Hanseatic League's position as a great power in Northern Europe.
The Danish-Hanseatic War is split into two parts, one part starting with the Danish conquest of Gotland and ending with the Treaty of Vordingborg, which secured a tenuous truce between the combatants. The second part starts with the Hanseatic League's resumption of hostilities against Denmark and ending with the Treaty of Stralsund in 1370.