Political Realism

The following is an idea — a rough sketch, if you will — for an assignment, combining elements of Swedish history with 16th century political philosophy.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw the rise of modern political philosophy with classics such as Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) and Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679). The former is especially famous for his radical form of political realism, exemplified in his political treatise The Prince, which was published five years after his death in 1532.

This excerpt from The Prince describes Machiavellianism to a degree:

[...] A prince, especially a new one, cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to fidelity, friendship, humanity, and religion. Therefore it is necessary for him to have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of fortune force it [...].

While Gustav I of Sweden (1496–1560) would not have read The Prince prior to his actions during the Swedish War of Liberation (1521–1523) and in its immediate aftermath, we can still examine his policies from the viewpoint of renaissance political philosophy and political realism.

Measures enacted by Gustav Vasa (as he was later known) during his reign as King of Sweden (1523–1560) include:

• Carrying out the reformation in Sweden, taking over the church's assets on behalf of the Swedish Crown
• Withdrawing the privileges of former ally Lübeck in Swedish trade, whilst the city state was busy waging a trade war with the Netherlands
• Relocating the capital to Stockholm
• Increasing taxation in order to bolster the Crown's reserves
• Transforming Sweden into a hereditary monarchy
• Leading Sweden into the Russo-Swedish War (1555–1557)

Discuss how Gustav Vasa's policies reflect the tenets of Machiavellian political realism.

You may research Gustav Vasa's reign and/or classical realism further in order to deepen your knowledge of the subject.