How did the Swedish Empire fall?

For over a century, Sweden was not a quiet Nordic state.
It was one of Europe’s most aggressive and effective military empires.

Swedish armies marched across Northern and Central Europe, controlled key Baltic trade routes, and defeated coalitions of far larger powers. From Gustavus Adolphus’ military reforms to Charles XII’s fatal campaign into Russia, Sweden built a war system that reshaped the balance of power across the continent.

So what went wrong?

This documentary explores how Sweden created one of Europe’s most disciplined war machines, why that system required constant expansion to survive, and how a single catastrophic failure at Poltava unraveled the entire imperial structure. Through the loss of Finland, political collapse at home, and the rise of neutrality, Sweden’s empire quietly transformed into something very different.

By the end, you will understand not just what happened to Sweden’s empire — but why its collapse was structurally inevitable.

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