The War of the Hats – The Swedish army surrenders to the Russians in Helsinki, ending the war and starting Lesser Wrath.

The War of the Hats in 1743 was a short but significant conflict between Sweden and Russia during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was instigated by the Swedish political faction known as the Hats, who sought to regain territories lost to Russia after the Great Northern War. Hoping to exploit what they believed was Russia’s weakened position due to internal instability and its involvement in European conflicts, the Hats pushed Sweden into war. However, their expectations proved misguided—Russia was far from unprepared. The Swedish army, poorly equipped and badly organized, quickly suffered defeats. The Russian forces under General Peter Lacy advanced deep into Finland, which at the time was under Swedish control.

The war ended with the Treaty of Åbo in 1743, which confirmed Russia’s dominance in the region. Sweden had to cede more territory in southeastern Finland, further diminishing its influence as a great power. The failure of the Hats’ war policy discredited their leadership but also entrenched Russia as the decisive power in Northern Europe. More broadly, the conflict highlighted the shifting balance of power after the Great Northern War, underscoring Sweden’s decline and Russia’s rise. Though relatively brief, the War of the Hats had long-lasting consequences for Swedish politics, as it deepened internal divisions and exposed the risks of aggressive foreign policies driven more by prestige than by military readiness.