Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt

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]

 

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 Empress of Russia Catherine the Great, 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]

 

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. He was promoted to General of the Infantry in 1807. Armfelt was invited to join to as a member of the Royal Military Academy. 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]

Before the French Revolution in 1789, Sweden was a close ally of France and King Louis XVI. Sweden even supported France during the American Revolutionary War. King of Sweden Gustav IV Adolf and Armfelt despised the French revolutionaries and Napoleon Bonaparte. Gustav IV Adolf's foreign policy was unwaveringly against France. Sweden did not want to join the Continental System, which angered France.^[3]

The Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809 commenced in March 1808. Sweden found itself in a two-front war against Denmark-Norway and Russia. Armfelt served as the commander-in-chief of the Norwegian frontier and successfully led his forces. The Royal Navy established a naval blockade against Norway and also contained Napoleon's forces in Denmark, while Sweden's alliance with the United Kingdom proved effective on the western front.^[3]

 

Gustav IV Adolf's foreign policy led to the Finnish War in 1808. Napoleon pressured Russia to attack Finland. Sweden's grand army was stationed near the border of Norway. Russia launched its attack on Finland in February during the winter. Due to the frozen Baltic Sea, it was impossible to transfer the grand army to Finland. As a result, Finland was unable to defend itself effectively, and Russia conquered large parts of the country within a few months. Sweden's poor performance in the war sparked political unrest in Stockholm, leading to plans by usurpers to overthrow Gustav IV Adolf.^[3][8]

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.^[3][8]

However, Armfelt was appointed to high offices in the Swedish government. King of Sweden Charles XIII invited him to join the Privy Council, and he also appointed Armfelt as the President of the War College.^[3][8]

Sweden elected Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte as the new Crown Prince. Armfelt decided to visit his estate in Halikko, Finland, in summer 1810, which he had owned since 1801. During the trip, he also visited Saint Petersburg and met with Emperor Alexander I, receiving the favour of the Emperor. During the meeting, Armfelt presented a memo to the Emperor regarding the conditions of Finland. Additionally, he outlined a plan for the Committee for Finnish Affairs, which was later finalised by Armfelt and Count Mikhail Speransky.^[8][3]

Armfelt resigned from the Swedish military in October 1810. There were unfounded reports about Armfelt by the Swedish people. On March 29, 1811, King Charles XIII expelled Armfelt from Sweden. Napoleon supported the expulsion, as he had a strong dislike for Armfelt. The following day, Armfelt met with the Russian Ambassador, General Count Jan Peter van Suchtelen. Armfelt pledged his allegiance to the Emperor of Russia and then traveled to Finland.^[8][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.^[3][11]

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.^[12]

Armfelt's influence was crucial when Old Finland was combined with Finland. Emperor Alexander supported Armfelt's proposal in 1811.^[3]

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]

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. He never got along with the first Governor-General of Finland, Count Georg Magnus Sprengtporten, who was another strong supporter of the Grand Duchy of Finland in its early stage.^[13][3][14]

He died at Tsarskoe Selo near Saint Petersburg on 19 August 1814. A grand funeral procession took place at Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. Armfelt was accompanied by Finnish and Russian regiments. He was buried family grave in Halikko Church, located in Halikko, Finland. ^[9][3]

•   Russia Count (1812)^[6]
•   Sweden Baron (1757)^[6]

•     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]
•   Sweden Lord of the Realm^[6]

 

 

Together with Count Georg 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]

Ambassador Ilkka Pastinen, who translated Stig Ramel's book about Armfelt from Swedish to Finnish, describes Armfelt's estate, Joensuu Mansion, as significant for the Finns, comparable to how Mount Vernon, the private home of President George Washington, is significant for Americans. Armfelt supported the American Revolutionary War.^[15]

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]

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:

1. Maria Magdalena Catharina Augusta Armfelt, (1786–1845), countess
2. Gustaf Fredrik Armfelt, (1788–1789).
3. Carl Armfelt, born and died 1788.
4. Magnus Armfelt, born and died 1788.
5. Gustaf Magnus Armfelt, (1792–1856), major-general, count
6. Alexander Armfelt, (1794–1876), captain, Finnish minister secretary of state, privy councillor, count
7. Constantin Armfelt, (1796–1797).
8. 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.

• Georg Magnus Sprengtporten

Attribution:

•   This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Armfelt, Gustaf Mauritz". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 575.

• "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

•   Media related to Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt at Wikimedia Commons