At the same time as Denmark and Sweden were locked in a battle for supremacy in northern Europe, several other countries around Europe engaged in struggles for dominance. One conflict that had profound impact on much of the Continent as well as Scandinavia was the fight for hegemony between France and Austria after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. In Flattering Alliances we learn about how those clashes dragged the Scandinavian kingdoms into European top-level politics, and forced them to take part in the diplomatic game, constantly negotiating risks and profits.