The
Swedish Empire refers to the
Kingdom of Sweden's territorial control of much of the
Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries, a time when Sweden was one of the
great European powers. The beginning of the Empire is usually taken as the reign of
Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and the end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the
Great Northern War. In
Swedish history, the period is referred to as
stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power era".