Gustavus Adolphus ruled the Swedish Empire before he died in 1632.
Gustav II Adolf ( 9 December 1594 -- 6 November 1632 , O.S. ) ; widely known in English by his Latinised name Gustavus Adolphus or as Gustav II Adolph , was the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power ( Stormaktstiden ) . In an era characterized by almost endless warfare , he led his armies as king from 1611 ( at age 16 ) until his death in battle in 1632 while leading a charge . Swedish Empire . 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 . After the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632 , the empire was , over lengthy periods , controlled by part of the high nobility , most prominently the Oxenstierna family , acting as tutors for minor regents .