Cudgel War

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Cudgel War
Part of the War against Sigismund
Burned Village (1879) by Albert Edelfelt
Date 25 November 1596 – 24 February 1597[1] Location Finland (part of the Kingdom of Sweden) Result Nobility victory Suppression of revolt and execution of the rebellion's leaders
Belligerents
Peasants and army	Nobility and army
Commanders and leaders
Jaakko Ilkka  Pentti Pouttu (POW) Hannu Krankka Yrjö Kontsas  Israel Larsson Support: Enemies of Fleming among the nobility Duke Charles	Clas Fleming Gödik Fincke Ivar Tavast Abraham Melkiorsson  Axel Kurck
Strength
1,000–4,000+	1,500–3,300+
Casualties and losses
>2,550 dead >500 P.O.W.	Unknown but significant
The strength varied in different engagements and some figures are approximations.

The Cudgel War (also Club War, Finnish: Nuijasota, Swedish: Klubbekriget) was a 1596–1597 peasant uprising in Finland, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the peasants armed themselves with various blunt weapons, such as cudgels, flails, and maces, since they were seen as the most efficient weapons against their heavily-armoured enemies. The yeomen also had swords, some firearms, and two cannons at their disposal. Their opponents, the troops of Clas Eriksson Fleming, were professional, heavily-armed and armoured men-at-arms.^[2]

Modern Finnish historiography sees the uprising in the context of the conflict between Duke Charles and Sigismund, King of Sweden and Poland (War against Sigismund). Charles agitated the peasants to revolt against the nobility of Finland, which supported Sigismund during the conflict.