Danish Civil Wars

Danish Civil War
Scene from the Blood Feast in Roskilde. Canute is chopped down and Valdemar is attacked, while Sweyn with a royal crown follows.
Date 1131–1134; 1139–1143; 1146–1157 Location Jutland, Zealand, Scania, Slesvig and Holstein Result Valdemar I of Denmark becomes King of Denmark
Belligerents
1131–1134  Eric II of Denmark	1131–1134  Niels I of Denmark  Magnus the Strong  Harald Kesja
1139–1143  Eric III	1139–1143  Olaf Haraldsen
1146–1147  Canute V	1146–1147  Sweyn III  Valdemar I
1147–1154  Canute V  Sverker I of Sweden	1147–1154  Sweyn III  Valdemar I
1154–1157  Canute V  Valdemar I  Sverker I of Sweden	1154–1157  Sweyn III
Commanders and leaders
Eric II of Denmark X	Niels I of Denmark X  Magnus the Strong †  Harald Kesja
Eric III of Denmark	Olaf Haraldsen †
Canute V X  Valdemar I  Sverker I of Sweden	Sweyn III †

The Danish Civil Wars (Danish: Kongekrigene, Norwegian: De danske kongekrige) were a series of civil wars fought in the Kingdom of Denmark, first from 1131 to 1134 over the murder of Canute Lavard, then from 1139 to 1143, and finally a war of succession fought from 1146 to 1157, after the abdication of Eric III of Denmark, the first monarch in Danish history to have abdicated.^[1] The first phase of the war was fought between King Eric II of Denmark and King Niels joined by Magnus the Strong. The second phase of the war was fought between the son of Magnus the Strong, Canute V of Denmark, the son of Eric II of Denmark, Sweyn III of Denmark, and his cousin Valdemar I of Denmark, son of Canute Lavard.^[2] The civil wars marked an increase in the influence of the Holy Roman Empire in Denmark, and for a time after, Denmark was a vassal state of Emperor Frederick I.^[3] The war ended with the deaths of seven kings. Two of the kings, Olaf Haraldsen and Magnus the Strong, are not amongst the official Danish line of kings. The other kings are Niels I, Eric II, Eric III, Canute V and Sweyn III.^[4]