Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt | |
---|---|
Born | Tarvasjoki, Swedish Empire | 31 March 1757
Died | 19 August 1814 Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire | (aged 57)
Buried | |
Allegiance |
|
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1780–1810 |
Rank | Major General |
Unit | Life Guards |
Commands | Nyland Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 8 |
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (‹See Tfd›Russian: Граф Густав-Маврикий Максимович Армфельт, tr, Gustav-Mavrikiy Maksimovich Armfel't; 31 March 1757 – 19 August 1814)[1] was a Finnish-Swedish-Russian courtier and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of the greatest Finnish statesmen. His advice to Russia's Tsar Alexander I was of utmost importance for securing the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Career
[edit]Born in Tarvasjoki, Finland, he was the great grandson of Charles XII of Sweden's general, Carl Gustaf Armfeldt.[3]
In 1774, Armfelt became an ensign in the guards, but his frivolous behavior involving a duel provoked the displeasure of Gustav III of Sweden. As a result, he thought it prudent to go abroad 1778. Subsequently, however, in 1780, Armfelt met the king again at Spa in the Austrian Netherlands and completely won over the previously disgruntled monarch with his natural amiability, intelligence and social gifts. Henceforth, his fortune was made. At first, he was given the position of maître des plaisirs in the Swedish court, but it wasn't long before more serious affairs were entrusted to him. He took part in negotiations with Catherine II of Russia in 1783, and, during the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790), he was one of the king's most trusted and active counsellors.[9][3]
He displayed great valour in the field during this time. In 1788, when the Danes unexpectedly invaded Sweden and threatened Gothenburg, Armfelt organized the Dalecarlian levies under the king's direction and led them to victory. He remained absolutely faithful to King Gustav when nearly the whole of the Swedish nobility fell away from him. Armfelt distinguished himself in the later phases of the Russo-Swedish War, eventually becoming the Swedish plenipotentiary who negotiated the war's demise with the Treaty of Värälä in August 1790. Armfelt had been seriously wounded in the battle of Savitaipale in June 1790. During the reign of Gustav III, his influence was paramount in Sweden, though Armfelt protested against his master's headstrong championship of the Bourbons.[9][3]
Diplomacy
[edit]On his deathbed in 1792, King Gustav III committed the care of his son to Armfelt and appointed him to the Privy Council, which was to advise the new regent, the king's younger brother, Charles. Armfelt was also appointed as the Governor of Stockholm, but the new regent was staunchly anti-Gustavian and sent Armfelt to serve as the Swedish ambassador to Naples in order to get rid of him.[3]
From Naples, Armfelt began secret communications with Catherine II, arguing that she should bring about by means of a military intervention a change in the Swedish government in favour of the Gustavians. The Armfelt Conspiracy, though, was discovered by spies for the regent, who immediately sent a Swedish man-of-war to Naples to seize him. With the assistance of the exiled British Queen Caroline, he was just barely able to escape. He fled to Russia, where he was interned at Kaluga 1794–1797. At home, he was condemned to death as a traitor and his property confiscated. His mistress, Magdalena Rudenschöld, was judged for complicity and pilloried on the Riddarhus Square before being imprisoned for two years in Stockholm.[9][3]
Military service
[edit]When Gustav IV of Sweden attained his majority, Armfelt was completely rehabilitated and sent as Swedish ambassador to Vienna in 1802, but was obliged to quit the post two years later for sharply attacking the Austrian government's attitude towards Napoleon Bonaparte. From 1805 to 1807, he was the commander-in-chief of the Swedish forces in Pomerania, where he displayed great ability and stopped the conquest of the duchy for as long as possible; the Great Sortie of Stralsund was particularly successful. On his return home, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Norwegian frontier, where he was stifled in his duties by the constant flow of ordres, contre-ordres et désordres from his master.[9][3]
Armfelt supported the military alliance between Sweden and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's interests in Europe. The main plan was to conquer Norway from Denmark and to resist Russian advances. The military alliance laid the groundwork for the upcoming Finnish War in 1808. Napoleon demanded that Alexander I, who was in alliance with France, declare war against Sweden and conquer Finland. Russians in Saint Petersburg were concerned about the potential presence of the Royal Navy in the Baltic Sea. The Royal Navy had the opportunity to use the Finnish coastline as a base for bombarding the capital of the empire.[10]
In Russian service
[edit]Armfelt was firmly opposed to the revolutionaries who overthrew Gustav IV and exiled his family in the Coup of 1809. He was the most courageous of the deposed king's supporters and resolved afterwards to retire to Finland, which had been ceded to Russia. Appointed to high offices in the Swedish government, his departure was delayed on purpose until his enemies could gather and declare a decree expelling Armfelt as a conspirator in 1811. On 31 March, he visited Russia's ambassador in Stockholm and gave him an oath of allegiance. The following day, he was deported from Sweden.[9][3]
Armfelt's position greatly improved in Russia. After deposing Speransky he exercised almost as much influence over Emperor Alexander I as Adam Czartoryski. He contributed more than anyone else to Finnish independence with his plan to turn the Grand Duchy of Finland into an autonomous state within the Russian Empire. He also won over Alexander to the idea of uniting Norway with Sweden.[3]
In 1811, he relocated to Saint Petersburg and was appointed as the Chairman of the Committee for Finnish Affairs. Additionally, he became a Member of the State Council in Russia. Armfelt could not serve as Chairman during the Napoleonic Wars. Johan Fredrik Aminoff temporarily acted as Chairman.[11]
Armfelt, who had been Chancellor of the Royal Academy of Turku from 1791 to 1792, was made Chancellor of the new Imperial Academy of Turku in 1812. He held the position for two years. In 1812, the grateful Emperor raised him to the rank of Count.[3]
French Emperor Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812. Armfelt was promoted to the rank of General of the Infantry and became Emperor Alexander I's Adjutant General. He participated in the Napoleonic Wars.[3]
In 1812, Emperor Alexander I and the Crown Prince of Sweden, Charles XIV John, met in Turku, Finland. Armfelt had a significant influence on Sweden's foreign policy. As a result of the meeting, Sweden abandoned its plan to reclaim Finland from Russia. Armfelt proposed an alternative strategy to Sweden, suggesting that they conquer Norway from Denmark instead.[3]
Armfelt disliked Turku because its citizens supported revolutionary ideas and even Napoleon. Helsinki, as the new capital of Finland, was closer to Saint Petersburg and far away from political unrest. Armfelt persuaded Alexander to move the capital in 1812.[3]
Armfelt's influence was crucial when Old Finland was combined with Finland. Emperor Alexander supported Armfelt's proposal in 1812.[3]
He served as the Minister State Secretary of Finland, the Grand Duchy's highest representative, in St Petersburg 1812–14. He was also briefly Governor-General of Finland in 1813.[12][3]
He died at Tsarskoe Selo near Saint Petersburg on 19 August 1814. He was buried in Halikko Church, located in Halikko, Finland. [9][3]
Honours
[edit]- Denmark Order of the Elephant Grand Cross (1787)[6]
- Sweden Order of the Sword Knight (1789)[6]
- Russia Order of Saint Anna 1st Class (1789)[6]
- Russia Order of Alexander Nevsky Silver Star with diamonds (1789)[6]
- Russia Order of St. Andrew Silver Cross with diamonds (1789)[6]
- Sweden Order of the Sword Grand Cross (1789)[6]
- Sweden Order of the Seraphim Knight (1789)[6]
Legacy
[edit]Together with Göran Magnus Sprengtporten, Armfelt is regarded as one of the fathers of Finnish independence. Because of his unpopularity among the anti-Gustavian Swedish nobility and the fact that he "turned Russian", Armfelt has been a somewhat mysterious and generally unknown character in Swedish history.
Ignorance of Armfelt and his accomplishments persisted for well over a century in Sweden and only recently has a more nuanced, positive approach to Armfelt emerged there. In Finland, he has always been highly regarded as a great patriot and statesman.[3]
Because Armfelt chose to remain loyal to Finland and its people, rather than its former ruler, he was labeled as a traitor in Sweden and sentenced to death for treason. The Swedish people could not accept at the time the loss of Finland, which had been part of the realm for over 600 years. Their anguish was exacerbated by the fact that the province had been lost to Sweden's archenemy, Russia. Armfelt's death sentence, however, had no actual meaning outside of Sweden as there was never a realistic Swedish attempt launched to recapture Finland. Politicians threatened action mainly to gain favour among the nobles and populace. Already, in 1812, Sweden allied with Russia, and the sentence was annulled.[3][4][5]
Family
[edit]In 1785, Armfelt married Countess Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie (1761–1832), daughter of Count Carl Julius De la Gardie and Countess Magdalena Christina Stenbock.[4]
They had the following eight children:
- Maria Magdalena Catharina Augusta Armfelt, (1786–1845), countess
- Gustaf Fredrik Armfelt, (1788–1789).
- Carl Armfelt, born and died 1788.
- Magnus Armfelt, born and died 1788.
- Gustaf Magnus Armfelt, (1792–1856), major-general, count
- Alexander Armfelt, (1794–1876), captain, Finnish minister secretary of state, privy councillor, count
- Constantin Armfelt, (1796–1797).
- Carl Magnus Wilhelm Armfelt, (1797–1878).
From the affair with the actress Mademoiselle L'Eclair in Paris, Armfelt had an illegitimate son, Maurice L'Eclair (1780–1841). From the affair with Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan, Armfelt had an illegitimate daughter, Adelaide Gustava Aspasie (Vava) Armfelt (1801–1881). Maurice was knighted in 1816 in Sweden as Mauritz Clairfelt and became a general; Vava was adopted in 1812 into the Armfelt family.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (in Swedish). Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. urn:NBN:fi:sls-4538-1416928957144.
- ^ "Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt". Biografisket Lexikon of Finland. Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Vaaskivi, Tatu (2021). Loistava Armfelt. SAGA Egmont. Copenhagen: SAGA Egmont. ISBN 978-87-26-81579-5.
- ^ a b c Tegnér, Elof (1884). Gustav Mauritz Armfelt. II: Armfelt i landsflykt. Stockholm: Beijer.
- ^ a b Ingman, Santeri (1900). Kustaa Mauri Armfelt: elämänkerta. Kansanvalistus-seuran toimituksia. Joensuu: Kansanvalistusseura.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Armfelt, Gustaf Mauritz". National Biography of Finland. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
- ^ Tegnér, Elof Kristofer (1884). Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt : Studier ur Armfelts efterlemnade Papper ; samt andra Handskrifna och tryckta källor. Oxford University. Stockholm : Beijer.
- ^ Ramel, Stig (1997). Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt 1757-1814: dödsdömd kungagunstling i Sverige, ärad statsgrundare i Finland. Stockholm: Atlantis. ISBN 978-91-7486-473-1.
- ^ a b c d e f Bain 1911.
- ^ The Common Cause - The Life and Death of the Anglo-Swedish Alliance Against France, 1805-1809. Jorgensen, Christer. University of London. January 1999.
- ^ Wolff, Charlotta; Nurmiainen, Jouko (2022). Johan Fredrik Aminoff: kustaviaani kahdessa valtakunnassa. Otava, kustannusosakeyhtiö. Helsingissä: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-46554-6.
- ^ Korhonen, Keijo (1963). Suomen asiain komitea: Suomen korkeimman hallinnon järjestelyt ja toteuttaminen vuosina 1811-1826 (Thesis). Turku: Tekijä.
Attribution:
- public domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Armfelt, Gustaf Mauritz". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 575. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Further reading
[edit]- "Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (in Swedish). Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. urn:NBN:fi:sls-4538-1416928957144.
- Carl Gabriel von Bonsdorff (1930), Gustav Mauritz Armfelt : levnadsskildring. 1 / Carl v. Bonsdorff, Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113519017
- Carl Gabriel von Bonsdorff (1931), Gustav Mauritz Armfelt : levnadsskildring. 2 / Carl v. Bonsdorff, Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113519034
- Carl Gabriel von Bonsdorff (1932), Gustav Mauritz Armfelt : levnadsskildring. 3 / Carl v. Bonsdorff, Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113519044
- Carl Gabriel von Bonsdorff (1934), Gustav Mauritz Armfelt : levnadsskildring. 4 / av Carl V. Bonsdorff, Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113519018
External links
[edit]- Media related to Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt at Wikimedia Commons
- 1757 births
- 1814 deaths
- People from Tarvasjoki
- Swedish generals
- 18th-century Swedish nobility
- Members of the Swedish Academy
- Politicians from the Russian Empire
- Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
- Finland under Swedish rule
- Imperial Russian Army generals
- Governors of the Grand Duchy of Finland
- 18th-century Swedish military personnel
- 19th-century Swedish politicians
- 18th-century Finnish military personnel
- People convicted of treason against Sweden
- People sentenced to death in absentia
- Swedish military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
- People of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790)
- Ambassadors of Sweden to Italy
- Gustavian era people
- Finnish people from the Russian Empire
- Court of Gustav III
- Armfelt family
- Lords of the Realm
- Ambassadors of Sweden to the Holy Roman Empire
- Finnish generals