Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Russo-Swedish War of 1788 90, known as Gustav III''s Russian war in Sweden, Gustav III''s War in Finland and Catherine II''s Swedish War in Russia, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. The conflict was initiated by King Gustav III of Sweden for domestic political reasons, as he believed that a short war would leave the opposition with no recourse but to support him. Despite establishing himself an autocrat in a bloodless coup d''état that ended parliamentary rule in 1772, his political powers did not give him the right to start a war.