Olof Rudolf Cederström (8 February 1764 – 1 June 1833) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

naval commander. Cederström enlisted in the

admiralty in 1779 and as captain, he conducted a raid against Rogervik. He distinguished himself in 1790 at the naval

Battle of Reval The naval Battle of Reval took place on during the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790), off the port of Reval in the roadstead (now Tallinn, Estonia). This battle ended in an imposing Imperial Russian Navy victory; it has been compared to the pr ...

and the Battle of Viborg Bay. During the following years he led ships against

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

. He was sent in 1801 to fight alongside the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

during the

First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war ...

. In 1808 his ships were sent to blockade

Gotland Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...

in order to repel a

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n invasion. His last military action was against

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 1813, when he helped Swedish forces capture

Vorpommern Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (; ), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania, located mostly in north-eastern Germany, with a small portion in no ...

. In 1815, he was appointed a minister but returned to the navy in 1818. He finally resigned in 1828.

Early life

Cederström was born on 8 February 1764 in

Landskrona Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, an ...

, Sweden, the son of Claes Cederström and his wife Margareta Elisabet von Mevius. He was a student in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

in 1776 and was admitted to war service at the Admiralty in 1779.

Career

Cederström became a petty officer (''arklimästare'') at the Admiralty on 3 August 1779 and was promoted to second lieutenant on 5 June 1781. In 1784, he became

harbourmaster A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...

Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy, officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts (English) or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about southeast of the island ...

and on 15 August 1785 he was promoted to sub-lieutenant. Cederström was promoted to lieutenant on 21 July 1788. He distinguished himself during the Russo-Swedish War when he conducted a successful expedition to Rogervik (17 March 1790) as the commander of a small squadron of two frigates and a few brigs, where timber to a Russian archipelago fleet and much other military equipment was destroyed. For this, he was appointed major on 26 March 1790. Cederström also distinguished himself during the

(13 May 1790) and the Battle of Vyborg Bay (4 July 1790). He became lieutenant colonel at the Admiralty on 25 February 1793. Cederström became a member of the Committee of the Navy's Equipment on 22 April 1794 and colonel at the Admiralty on 21 June 1795. In 1796 and in 1798, he was cruising with a frigate squadron in the

to protect the Nordic trade against the

s. He was appointed commanding officer of the High Seas Navy () on 6 April 1801 and was three days later promoted to rear admiral. Cederström was sent with a squadron to the Mediterranean to punish Tripolitanian pirates during the

. After 20 months, he made peace with

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

. In 1808, he took command of a squadron, which had the task of protecting the Swedish coast against a feared French–Danish landing. Also in 1808, Russia occupied the island of Gotland and a Swedish relief expedition, under the command of Cederström, was dispatched from Karlskrona to expel the Russian forces from the island, which was executed within three days. The Russian occupation accelerated, however, the establishment of the

Gotland National Conscription The Gotland National Conscription () was a Swedish Army infantry unit that traced its origins back to the 19th century. It was split into two new regiments in 1887. The regiment's soldiers were recruited on the island of Gotland. History Gotland ...

and Cederström was commissioned as vice governor of the island to implement this arming of the people and to set the island in a state of defense. Cederström was promoted to vice admiral on 29 June 1809 and he was military commander of

from 13 August 1810 to 24 September 1811. In 1813, he was appointed general commander of the entire Swedish naval force against

and the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

allies, and in 1814, for a short time, over the naval force against

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. Cederström was general commander of

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

in 1814 and was on duty as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

of the fleets on 5 August 1815. Cederström became minister () on 8 August 1815 and the

Governor of Stockholm The Governor of Stockholm () was the head of the Office of the Governor of Stockholm (, ÖÄ), and as such he was the highest Swedish State official overseeing the affairs in the Stad (Sweden), City of Stockholm between 1634 and 1967. The Govern ...

and acting chancellor of the Royal War Academy on 30 July 1816. He was promoted to admiral on 24 November 1818 and resigned as the Governor of Stockholm on 15 December 1818. He received the title

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

on 11 May 1819 and was promoted to on 1 June 1820 and was appointed

Lord of the Realm The Lord of the Realm (, ) was a title of honour introduced by Gustavus III, King of Sweden shortly after his coup and the newly passed constitution. The title was granted by the King and was first received by Frederick William, Prince von ...

on 5 November 1821. Cederström was promoted to general admiral and was appointed commanding officer of the Naval Artillery Regiment () on 7 October 1823. He was also appointed commanding officer of the Royal Majesty's Fleet, which according to Cederström's proposals was formed by merging the High Seas Navy () and the Fleet of the Army. On this post, he was the victim of many attacks from parliament and the press side for dubious economic trades of warships from the navy, which led to his resignation in 1828 "at the end of his brilliant career". He then became an honorary member of the Uppsala County Agricultural Society on 28 January 1829.

Personal life

On 16 February 1793, he was married in

Karlskrona Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to ...

to countess Charlotta Catharina Wrangel af Sauss (7 October 1767 in Karlskrona - 4 February 1848 in Lövsta), the daughter of the

, First Admiral, Count Anton Johan Wrangel af Sauss and Countess Charlotta Regina Sparre af Söfdeborg. During his last years, he lived on the estate Lövsta in Uppland County. Cederström died on 1 June 1833 at Lövsta in Funbo Parish, Uppsala County. He was the father of: *Claes Anton (born 1795). Became count when his father died. *Margareta-Charlotta (25 November 1796 in Karlskrona21 June 1883 in Karlskrona). She married on 25 November 1814 to Rear Admiral, Count Claes August Cronstedt (1785–1860). *Gustaf Adolf (born 1797) *Olof Rudolf (born 1800) *Carl-Emanuel (born 1804) *Fredrik Ture (born 1808)

Dates of rank

*3 August 1779 – ''Arklimästare'' *5 June 1781 – Acting sub-lieutenant *15 August 1785 – Sub-lieutenant *21 July 1788 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*26 March 1790 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*22 December 1793 – Lieutenant colonel *21 June 1795 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

*9 April 1801 –

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

*1803 – ''Varvsamiral'' *29 June 1809 –

Vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

*24 November 1818 –

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

*1 June 1820 – ''Överamiral'' *7 October 1823 – General admiral

Awards, decorations and honours

Awards and decorations

Order of Charles XIII The Royal Order of Charles XIII () is a Swedish order (honour), order of merit, founded by King Charles XIII of Sweden, Charles XIII in 1811. Membership The Lord and Master of the Order is the Monarch, King of Sweden, currently King Carl XVI Gust ...

(28 January 1825) * Order_of_the_Seraphim_-_Ribbon_bar

Knight and Commander of the Orders of His Majesty the King (7 October 1816) * RmstSO1kl

Knight Grand Cross 2nd Class of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(9 August 1814) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_Grand_Cross_BAR

Commander Grand Cross of the

(13 June 1803) * Royal_Order_of_the_Sword_-_Commander_BAR

Commander of the

(16 November 1799) * Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar

Knight of the

(26 March 1790)

Honours

*Honorary member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

(9 December 1809) *Honorary member of the Uppsala County Agricultural Society (28 January 1829)

Citations

References

* * *

External links

Article
at '' Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' (in Swedish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cederstrom, Rudolf 1764 births 1833 deaths Swedish Navy admirals People of the Barbary Wars People involved in anti-piracy efforts 18th-century Swedish military personnel 19th-century Swedish military personnel Swedish military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars People of the Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790) People from Landskrona Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of Charles XIII Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences