This book deals with six critical junctions in early modern Sweden between 1538 and 1810. It highlights intense periods of change when a prevailing system of government was challenged and replaced by something radically different – a new political regime. Drawing on both history and the social sciences, this book presents a novel interpretation of Sweden’s early modern political history. Sweden’s conflict-ridden history is highly relevant as an example to understand the process of state formation in early modern Europe. How did the turbulent changes in government affect Sweden’s subsequent development into a modern, democratic state?