The new king elected by Danes, Swedes and Norwegians is a foreigner with no local power base, Christopher von Wittelsbach, but the real power in the kingdom of Sweden lies with the Lord High Justiciar of Sweden, Karl Knutsson Bonde, and the Swedish nobility. An uprising that together with failed wars against the Hanseatic League led to the deposition of the Union King Erik, who has fled to the island of Gotland, leading a life as a local pirate rather than the king of the north. Tensions reached an all time high in the 1430's with the popular Engelbrekt rebellion forcibly ejecting Danish officials from the country. Many are weary of their hard-earned money being spent on Danish adventures in Northern Germany, wars that also disrupt trade and hinder the export of Swedish iron. Authority has become centered in faraway Denmark, and the many conflicts with Lübeck and the Hanseatic cities have been quite costly. The union has however in many ways proved to be a disappointment to the Swedish nobles. The Kingdom of Sweden entered the Kalmar Union with Norway and Denmark willingly in 1397, eager to limit the influence of the German merchants of the Hanseatic League.
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