He was the second son of King Valdemar I, in 1202 he succeeded his brother Canute VI after serving him for many years.
He is counted among the greatest of Danish (medieval) kings.
In 1204 he secured the recognition of Norway as king, and he began to expand Danish influence along the Baltic in the 1210s.
His greatest achievement was the final subjagation and end of his crusade against the Estonians at Reval on June 25,1219. According to legend the sky during the battle was coloured red with a white cross, from this day on the symbol, called the Dannebrog has been the Danish flag.
Denmark was at the height of its power but in 1223 Valdemar was captured by his vassal, the Count of Schwerin and was released in 1226 only at the condition of giving up most of his conquests.
In 1227 Valdemar invaded Northern Germany in an attempt to regain his lost territories but was disastrously defeated in the Battle of Bornhöved (July 22,1227).
This defeat marked the end of Danish domination of the Baltic but Estonia was preserved. He spent the remainder of his life codifying the law which was completed shortly before his death.
| Preceded by: Canute VI |
List of Danish monarchs |
Succeeded by: Eric IV |