GUSTAVUS I., VASA

(1496-1560), king of Sweden; b. at Lindholm, Upland; fought against Danes, 1517-18. His /. and other leaders of Swed. party were executed by Christian II. of Denmark, 1520; G. raised an army, and after various battles expelled Danes from Sweden; crowned king of Sweden, 1523. G. established Luther an religion; excluded bp’s from Senate; formed alliance with Denmark; put down peasant insurrection; Diet declared crown hereditary in his house, 1560. 1632), king of Sweden, hero of Thirty Years War; succeeded, 1611; warred against Denmark, 1611-13, Ru ia, 161417, and Poland, 1617-29; from Ru ia he nent pa Karelia and Ingria, from Poland, Livonia, Courland, Esthonia. He landed in Germany with 13,000 troops in 1630; captured Stettin; failed to relieve Magdeburg, but inflicted severe defeat on Tilly at Breitenfeld, 1631; he attacked and defeated Wal lens tein at Liitzen, 1632, but was himself slain during the action.