The Swedish army had long since succumbed to attrition. The temperature had become warmer and warmer as they had marched to Bergen, but once driven across the desolate forests of Norway and subjected to various guerilla attacks from the Norwegian locals, they emerged from the disastrous campaign's end shivering and tattered. Now, they were marching to Lillehammer. It was a large enough town to use as a base over the winter - if they didn't procure a base in time, the Nordic War's great Northern Campaign could end in utter disaster.
They'd left their camp in Fagernes a week or two prior to march east to Lillehammer. Compared to the arduous trek they'd endured through the Norwegian forests, which left the invading force at a mere nineteen thousand men, it was far easier terrain and they crossed the hundred kilometers easily. They skirted the forests - many of the men had no desire to enter a Norwegian forest again - after losing many of their fellow soldiers in the last forest they'd been forced to cross, many of them openly threatened General Henrik Magnusson with revolt if they had to re-enter.
So they marched across open plains. Of course Denmark was following them - they'd briefly lost the Danes and Norwegians after their trek - and now they were guaranteed to be detected. But it was a small price to pay for a suitable winter base - after the disastrous campaign, Henrik Magnusson knew the Swedish Second Army needed to recover.
October 18, 1706 - Lillehammer, Norway
The Gudbrandsdalslågen River was difficult to cross. Unfortunately, Lillehammer lay on the other side of it. Magnusson gave the order to cross over at a narrower area of the river, far easier to fjord, near a smaller village by the name of Fåvang. They cut over the river and marched south, marching along the river banks.
Stopping at the Lillehammer gates, they readied themselves for siege. For war. And so, on October 18, the Battle of Lillehammer began.
Magnusson sent cavalry to the eastern side of Lillehammer. It was situated on the riverbank, surrounded by forest on three sides, and therefore somewhat difficult to infiltrate. Magnusson knew that the Swedish army needed rest, and five months in Lillehammer would give them adequate rest. The cavalry attacked from the east, and the garrison was surrounded quickly. They had their next base surrounded. Now they would simply have to hope the local garrison of Lillehammer would give in before the Norwegian and Danish reinforcements arrived...
October 19, 1706 - Faaborg, Denmark
The original landing on Aarhus had already been aborted. The Swedes hadn't enough time to prepare - but on their second effort they were more successful. Swedish boats swarmed the banks of southern Lolland and hopped from Lolland to Fyn. Finally, with the Swedish navy holding the Danes back, the navy began to ferry Polish forces from Bornholm to Faaborg, on the island of Fyn. From there, they would take over the island of Fyn and ready to make a landing on the mainland of Denmark herself - on the peninsula of Jutland, where they could attack northwards and cripple Denmark-Norway.
OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM CAROLUS REX, KING OF SWEDEN
To: King George I of the United Kingdom, Queen Marie Anne of France, Francis I of Poland-Lithuania, Emperor Palartok Nertornartok of the Free Inuit State
Dearest European friends and allies,
As our noble war against the odious Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, dubbed by some of us the "Great Nordic War", soon approaches its second year of battle, I invite you or any diplomats representing your noble majesties to a conference at Stockholm in twelve weeks' time to discuss the partition of Danish territory after our victory.
My initial suggestion is that Sweden completes its annexation of Norway, as well as Lolland and small sections of Reykjavik and Tórshavn, Poland-Lithuania annexes Bornholm, Greenland, and Fyn, the United Kingdom secures the Faroe Islands and Iceland, the Free Inuit State takes Denmark-Norway's North American possessions and secures at least one port in Greenland, and the Kingdom of France annexes the islands of Læsø, Anholt, and Falster, as well as at least two ports in the southernmost regions of North America that Denmark-Norway holds.
Carolus Rex / Karl XII
King of the Kingdom of Greater Sweden
