War on Gotland

Although there have been few wars initiated by the Gotlanders themselves, they are portrayed in historical accounts as a peace-loving people. This peaceful nature likely contributed to the growth of commerce on Gotland during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. However, peace would have been hard to maintain without a strong defense, especially during turbulent times.

Civil Wars

In 1288, a civil war erupted between the city of Visby and the Republic of Gotland. While some claim Visby won, others argue no side truly prevailed. In 1362, Visby was burned down, possibly as revenge for the city's passive role when King Valdemar Atterdag crushed the Gotlandic farmers' army in 1361 while the city's citizens remained behind their walls.

In 1525, the Republic, along with Lübeck, captured Visby. There was another near civil war in 1532 when farmers, led by Lauritz Isem, gathered near Atlingbo Church, prepared to fight Visby over unfair privileges granted by King Hans of Denmark, such as restricting foreign merchants from trading outside of Visby and forcing farmers to buy essential goods there. However, the conflict was avoided when Henrik Rosencrantz mediated a compromise.

These privileges caused much tension, and while they seem unjust today, similar disparities between rural and urban areas still exist in Sweden.

Offensive Wars

Though it's unclear if Gotlanders engaged in offensive wars, there are a few events worth noting. For example, the "Beowulf" poem mentions Gotlanders aiding Adils in his claim to the throne of Uppsala. Furthermore, Viking raids, including the capture and sale of Baltic peoples as slaves, are mentioned by Arab and Russian sources, though concrete evidence is scarce. Gotland's vast wealth of Viking silver—around 80% of all found in Sweden—suggests significant involvement in these activities.

There are also mentions of disputes between Gotlanders and Germans in a 1161 trade agreement at Artlenburg. Additionally, Gotlanders likely participated in crusades to Finland, though this was part of Sweden's Baltic expansion under the Church's direction.

In the early 1500s, Gotlanders supported Søren Norby in his conquest of Blekinge and Skåne for King Christian II of Denmark, likely participating in other mainland raids led by Norby.

Defensive Wars

Gotland has frequently been attacked throughout history. Around the time of Christ's birth, the island was likely unstable, as suggested by the construction of many of its 100 hillforts. Gutasagan mentions several attempts to invade Gotland, though none succeeded, such as an attempt by Björn of Södermanland. While we have no archaeological evidence of these events, it's possible they occurred during the Vendel period, known for Gotland's colonial activities around the Baltic Sea.

In his 1633 Guthilandiske chronicle, Strelow claims that German Vikings attacked Gotland, only to be defeated by local lords. Whether this event occurred is uncertain, but the name "Gnisvärd" allegedly derives from the warriors cleaning their swords after the battle.