In this episode we look at how Sweden expands, mostly during the 13th century, to the south, north and east. Expansion in the east makes Swedes latecomers as crusaders, most often against other - orthodox - christians in the realm of Novgorod. At Leal in 1220 the Swedes are defeated and the earl Karl the Deaf, Karl the bishop of Linköping and many others are killed by people from Ösel, and in a for Swedes less significant battle by river Neva in 1240 they are again defeated by Novgorodians and help prince Alexander earn his honorary nickname Alexander Nevskij.
The map shows the extent of Sweden in the early 14th century, with the borders to Denmark, Norway and Novgorod properly fixed in some areas, while they are still not defined in the north and northeast.
