STURE, STEN, il GIOVANE. — Swedish political figure, born ca. 1493, died 3 February 1520. The son of Svante Nilsson, who after Sten Sture the Elder had been regent from 1504 to 1512, he had little chance of succeeding his father in office upon the latter’s death.
The Council of the Realm had in fact openly declared for Erik Trolle, who favored a policy of détente toward Denmark. But S., who was able to draw on the experience of his father’s old councillors and whom his father had placed in possession of the country’s most important fortresses, opposed the designation made by the Council of the Realm, which was consequently forced to entrust him with the regency in July 1512. Once in power, his first concern was to consolidate his position. Against the Council’s and the nobles’ disloyal cooperation, he appealed to the people, with whose help he established a veritable personal dictatorship in the country. He recognized no other political power apart from his own, and when the new archbishop Gustav Trolle (the son of the man who had sought to oppose his regency) refused to hand over the family fortress of Stäket, he had it besieged and destroyed. The archbishop himself was imprisoned, but was released in 1518 through the intervention of the papal legate Arcimboldi. Christian II of Denmark, taking advantage of Sweden’s internal political conditions, seized in 1520 upon the pretext provided by the papal interdict and excommunication against S., pronounced after Trolle had sent a detailed report to Rome, in order to invade the country and establish himself on the Swedish throne. S., wounded in battle, died a few days later.