Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
from 1792 until he
was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
.
The occupation of Finland in 1808–09 by Russian forces was the immediate cause of Gustav's violent overthrow by officers of his own army. Following his abdication on 29 March 1809, an
Instrument of Government was hastily written, which severely circumscribed the powers of the monarchy. The "Instrument" was adopted in 1809 on 6 June, the
National Day of Sweden
The National Day of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges nationaldag ) is a national holiday observed annually in Sweden on 6 June. Prior to 1983, the day was celebrated as the Swedish Flag Day ( sv, Svenska flaggans dag, links=no). At that time, the day was ...
now as well as in his time. It remained in force until replaced in 1974. The crown, now with strictly limited powers, passed to Gustav's uncle
Charles XIII, who had no legitimate children; this want of heirs set into motion the quest for a successor, who was found the following year in the person of
Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, the first monarch of the present
royal family.
[ ch 37 pp 203-19]
Early life
Gustav Adolf was born in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
. He was the son of
Gustav III of Sweden by his wife queen
Sophia Magdalena. His mother, Sophia Magdalena, was eldest daughter of
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V ( Danish and Norwegian: ''Frederik V''; 31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was King of Denmark–Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. He was the son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophi ...
and his first wife
Louise of Great Britain.
Gustav Adolf was under the tutelage of
Hedvig Sofia von Rosen and her deputies Brita Ebba Celestina von Stauden and
Maria Aurora Uggla until the age of four. He was then raised under the tutelage of his father and the liberal-minded Nils von Rosenstein. Upon Gustav III's assassination in March 1792, Gustav Adolf succeeded to the throne at the age of 14, under the regency of his uncle,
Charles, duke of Södermanland, who was later to become King Charles XIII of Sweden when his nephew was forced to abdicate and was banished from the country in 1809.
In August 1796, his uncle the regent arranged for the young king to visit
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. The intention was to arrange a marriage between the young king and
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, a granddaughter of
Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
. However, the whole arrangement foundered on Gustav's unwavering refusal to allow his intended bride liberty of worship according to the rites of the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
. Nobody seems to have suspected the possibility at the time that emotional problems might lie at the root of Gustav's abnormal piety. On the contrary, when he came of age that year, thereby ending the regency, there were many who prematurely congratulated themselves on the fact that Sweden had now no disturbing genius, but an economical, God-fearing, commonplace monarch.
Politics
Gustav Adolf's prompt dismissal of the generally detested
Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm, the duke-regent's leading advisor, added still further to his popularity. On 31 October 1797 Gustav married
Friederike Dorothea, granddaughter of
Karl Friedrich, Margrave of
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
, a marriage which seemed to threaten war with
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
but for the fanatical hatred of the
French republic shared by the
Emperor Paul of Russia and Gustav IV Adolf, which served as a bond between them. Indeed, the king's horror of
Jacobinism was intense, and drove him to become increasingly committed to the survival of Europe, to the point where he postponed his coronation for some years, so as to avoid calling together a diet. Nonetheless, the disorder of the state finances, largely inherited from Gustav III's
war against Russia, as well as widespread crop failures in 1798 and 1799, compelled him to summon the
estates
Estate or The Estate may refer to:
Law
* Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations
* Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries.
** The Estates, representati ...
to
Norrköping
Norrköping (; ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Linkö ...
in March 1800 and on 3 April the same year. When the king encountered serious opposition at the Riksdag, he resolved never to call another.
Loss of Finland
His reign was ill-fated and was to end abruptly. In 1805, he joined the
Third Coalition
against
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
. His campaign went poorly and the French occupied
Swedish Pomerania. When his ally, Russia, made peace and concluded an alliance with
France at Tilsit in 1807, Sweden and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
were left as
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
's European allies. On 21 February 1808,
Russia invaded Finland, which was ruled by Sweden, on the pretext of compelling Sweden to join Napoleon's
Continental System.
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
likewise declared war on Sweden. In just a few months after, almost all of Finland was lost to Russia. As a result of the war, on 17 September 1809, in the
Treaty of Hamina, Sweden surrendered the eastern third of Sweden to Russia. The autonomous
Grand Duchy of Finland within
Imperial Russia was established.
Coup d'état and abdication
Gustav Adolf's inept and erratic leadership in diplomacy and war precipitated his deposition through a conspiracy of army officers.
On 7 March 1809,
lieutenant-colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...
Georg Adlersparre, commander of a part of the so-called western army stationed in
Värmland, triggered the
Coup of 1809 by raising the flag of rebellion in
Karlstad and starting to march upon Stockholm. To prevent the King from joining loyal troops in Scania, on 13 March 1809 seven of the conspirators led by
Carl Johan Adlercreutz
Carl Johan Adlercreutz (27 April 1757 – 21 August 1815) was a Swedish people, Swedish (Finnish) general and statesman, born in Porvoo, Borgå, Finland on family estates. Entering the Swedish army aged 13 in the Finnish Light Cavalry Brigade ...
broke into the royal apartments in the palace, seized the king, and imprisoned him and his family in
Gripsholm
Gripsholm Castle ( sv, Gripsholms slott) is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav Vasa, Grips ...
castle; the king's uncle, Duke Charles (Karl), was thereupon persuaded to accept the leadership of a provisional government, which was proclaimed the same day; and a diet, hastily summoned, solemnly approved of the
revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
.
On 29 March Gustav IV Adolf, to save the crown for his son, voluntarily abdicated; but on 10 May the
Riksdag of the Estates, dominated by the
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, declared that not merely Gustav but his whole family had forfeited the throne, perhaps an excuse to exclude his family from succession based on the rumours of his illegitimacy. A more likely cause, however, is that the revolutionaries feared that Gustav's son, if he inherited the throne, would avenge his father's deposition when he came of age. On 5 June, Gustav's uncle was proclaimed
King Charles XIII
Charles XIII, or Carl XIII ( sv, Karl XIII, 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818), was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of Sw ...
, after accepting a new liberal
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these pr ...
, which was ratified by the diet the next day. In December, Gustav and his family were transported to Germany. In 1812, he divorced his wife.
In exile Gustav used several titles, including Count
Gottorp and Duke of
Holstein-Eutin, and finally settled at
St. Gallen in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
where he lived in a small hotel in great loneliness and indigence, under the name of Colonel Gustafsson. It was there that he suffered a stroke and died. He was buried in
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The ...
. At the suggestion of King
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905.
Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norwe ...
his body was finally brought to Sweden and interred in
Riddarholm Church.
Arms
Ancestry
Family
In 1797 he married
Frederica Dorothea Wilhelmina of Baden, with whom he had five children:
# Crown Prince
Gustav, after 1809 known as ''Gustaf Gustafsson, Prince of Vasa'' (9 November 1799 – 1877). He served as an officer in the service of the
Habsburgs of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, and with his wife
Princess Louise Amelie of Baden
, house = Zähringen
, father = Charles, Grand Duke of Baden
, mother = Stéphanie de Beauharnais
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Schwetzingen, Grand Duchy of Baden
, death_date =
, death_place = Karlsruhe, Grand ...
, fathered a son who died in infancy, and a daughter,
Carola, the wife of King
Albert of Saxony
en, Frederick Augustus Albert Anthony Ferdinand Joseph Charles Maria Baptist Nepomuk William Xavier George Fidelis
, image = Albert of Saxony by Nicola Perscheid c1900.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = Photograph by Nicola Persch ...
. She died childless.
# Princess
Sofia Wilhelmina (21 May 1801 – 1865). She married Grand Duke
Leopold of Baden, and their granddaughter
Victoria of Baden married the
Bernadotte king
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxe ...
. (The present King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is thus Gustav IV's heir.)
# Prince Carl Gustaf, Grand Duke of Finland, Duke of Småland (2 December 1802 – 10 September 1805)
# Princess
Amalia (22 February 1805 – 31 August 1853); unmarried and without issue
# Princess
Cecilia (22 June 1807 – 1844); married
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
, succession = Grand Duke of Oldenburg
, reign = 21 May 1829 – 27 February 1853
, predecessor = Peter I
, successor = Peter II
, spouse =
, issue =
, house = Holstein-Gottorp
, father ...
, and had issue.
By 1812, Gustav Adolf divorced his consort, and following this he had several mistresses, among them Maria Schlegel, who gave him a son, Adolf Gustafsson.
Notes
References
* H. Arnold Barton, ''Scandinavia in the Revolutionary Era, 1760–1815'', 1986, .
* Sten Carlsson, ''Gustaf IV Adolf'', 1946.
See also
*
Gustavian era
External links
*
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gustav 04 Adolf
1778 births
1837 deaths
18th-century Swedish monarchs
19th-century Swedish monarchs
Monarchs who abdicated
People from Stockholm
Crown Princes of Sweden
House of Holstein-Gottorp
Rulers of Finland
Modern child rulers
Swedish monarchs of German descent
Burials at Riddarholmen Church
Sons of kings
Royal reburials