Sweden Absolutist I
Charles XII., 1680-1718 		Sweden Absolutist (2)
Gustav III., 1772-1792









Sweden's Era of Liberty, 1718 - 1772



A.) Domestic Policy

When Charles XII. died, Sweden found itself in a kind of political vacuum. Charles XII. had ruled from his camp. Unlike Gustav Adolf, he did not delegate authority on ministers, but decided mostly himself in a truly absolutist style. And so, government perished with him in 1718. Back in Stockholm were Baron Goertz, Charles XII. confidant, Ulrika Eleonora, Charles' sister, her husband Frederik of Hessen, then Karl Fredrik of Holstein-Gottorp, another candidate to the Swedish throne, and the Swedish Estates (Riksdag). Ulrika Eleonora had the unpopular Baron Goertz arrested and - after accepting a number of conditions - was payd homage by the estates. These conditions limited royal power; they are regarded being a contract between sovereign and people. Actually, power shifted to the Rigsrad which was responsible to the estates. The period dominated by Rigsrad, the estates and their parties is called Sweden's ERA OF LIBERTY (1718-1772). Two rival parties emerged, the hats and the caps. At first, the older CAPS, a group around Arvid Horn, dominated Swedish politics until 1738. They generally were pro-Russian and pursued a policy of peace. From 1739 to 1765 the HATS, generally pro-French, mercantilist and aimed to regain Sweden's status as a great power. From 1765 to 1765, it was the caps again, from 1769 to 1772 the hats again. The age of liberty came into being, because the influential politicians in the estates - foremost the noblemen - took advantage of the power vacuum which appeared at Charles XII. death in 1718. There were several claimants to the Swedish throne, and the estates, by paying homage to ULRIKA ELEONORA, were kingmakers. They assured, that the future kings resp. queens would not rule absolute. The privileges obtained by the estates limited royal power so far, that Sweden in fact became what later historians described as an aristocratic republic . The king's say in politics was limited. The crown was passed on frequently, and every new king had to sign the estates' privileges before being paid homage. During Sweden's age of liberty (a more contemporary expression), the country's constitution was based upon the ideas formulated by ERIC SPARRE (-1600) : the constitutional principle, the democratic principle, the bureaucratic principle, the corporative principle, the secrecy principle. The constitution foresaw the separation of the branches of government, with clearly defined responsibilities. However, the corporative principle assured that only the property owning segment of population, organised by estate, could participate in political decisions, a principle which clearly favoured the nobility and clergy. The older caps (until 1738), aware of Russia's military power and Sweden's inferiority, preserved peace. When the hats took over in 1739, they looked for an opportunity to recover territories ceded to Russia in 1721. In the Russo-Swedish War of 1761-1743, the regiment from Dal had suffered extraordinary losses; here in May 1743 dissatisfied Dalecarls met and marched on Stockholm, demanding Prince Karl Peter Ulrich to be crowned King of Sweden. They camped on a market aquare in central Stockholm; violence erupted and the Dalecarls were suppressed. The event, under the name of Store Daldansen (great Dalecarl dance), entered the history books as Sweden's last peasant rebellion.
The wars showed that Sweden was too weak to defend itself without having a strong ally. Foreign states interfered in Sweden's politics, the Russians and English supporting the caps, the French supporting the hats - this support included bribes. Sweden's politicians increasingly became dependent on foreign subsidies, as an extraordinary source of income.
In 1766 the Riksdag enacted PRESS FREEDOM, which has been a pillar of Swedish society ever since.
In the late 1760es Swedish politics underwent a transformation. Traditionally the noble estate provided active leadership in Sweden's Riksdag (parliament). In 1772 the non-noble estates demanded that non-nobles and nobles alike should be appointed to higher office only on their merits and capability, an affront to nobility.
The last WITCH TRIAL in Sweden was held in 1720.
In 1774 the first Jewish family was permitted to take up permanent residence in Stockholm.


B.) Foreign Policy

In the TREATY OF NYSTAD of 1721, Sweden had acknowledged the loss of Livonia, Estonia, Ingria and Eastern Karelia to Russia. Sweden no longer was a great power, her situation being precarious. In the following years, the CAPs, lead by Arvid Horn, pursued a policy which avoided antagonizing Russia. When the War of Polish Succession (1733-1735) broke out, Swedish sympathies were with Stanislaw Leszynski. Russia supported Augustus III., the other candidate. The French request, Sweden should join their side, did not lead to a change in Swedish policy.
Yet in the late 1730es the caps lost their hold on Swedish policy and the HATs, leaning toward a pro-French foreign policy, gained in influence. In 1735 Sweden was the first christian nation to establish diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire (which the Swedes regarded a potential ally against the Russians). In 1741 Sweden declared war on Russia, a Swedish army invaded Eastern Karelia, but was quickly defeated. The Russians occupied Finland, Helsingfors surrendered. Sweden had to cede WESTERN KARELIA to Russia in 1743.
Sweden also joined the 7 YEARS WAR against Prussia in 1757. In 1758 the Swedes suffered a defeat in the BATTLE OF FEHRBELLIN; in 1762 peace was concluded, without any territorial changes.

Swedish-Russian War
1741-1743



C.) The Economy

During the 18th century, Sweden's population expanded. Both Sweden and Finland were predominantly agrarian, the cities being few and small (Stockholm 1718 : 45.000 inh., 1760 : 73.000). In 1724 the PRODUCT DECREE was enacted which, like the British Navigation Act forbode foreign ships to import to Sweden goods from other than their own country or colonies. It stimulated Swedish shipping; places like Visby and the Aaland islands benefitted from it. Factories for manufacturing wall paper, ribbons, hats, even for China were established (manufacturing being promoted by politicians). Production of iron, and, to a smaller extent, copper, had a long history in Sweden and these metals contributed considerably to Sweden's exports. In 1731 the (Swedish) EAST INDIA COMPANY was founded (until 1813), in 1738 a LEVANT COMPANY to trade with the Mediterranean; Sweden had signed trade treaties with Algeria (1729), Tunisia (1736), Turkey (1737).
After the lost war with Russia (1743), Sweden was technically bankrupt and masked this by introducing a PAPER CURRENCY, the consequence was of which was INFLATION. Inflation again caused problems in agriculture, as many farmers were unable to pay the rising wages of farmhands. Many farmers owned a large number of tiny strips of land (due to inheritance). Legislation in 1757 foresaw redivision of land, and by the end of the century Rutger MacLean was the first to enforce the redivision on his estate in Scania.
In 1739 Riksdag established a MANUFACTURING OFFICE. An IRON OFFICE, for the purpose of regulating iron trade, was established in 1748.
In the second half of the 1760es, the economic problem was deflation. A financial plan was adopted, according to which a silver-based currency was to be introduced in the year 1777. The harvests of 1771 and 1772 were poor, contributing to a tense political atmosphere.
Protecxted by a mercantilist policy, in 1742 a Swedish GLASS INDUSTRY emerged (in Kosta in Smaaland). The first STEAM ENGINE in Sweden is documented for 1734, utilized in the mining industry.


D.) Intellectual Life

In 1732-1734, Olof von Dalin published an ethical weekly magazine, Then Swaenska Argus, which is regarded one of the first publications in YOUNGER NEW SWEDISH. In 1736 a compilation of Swedish law, Sveriges Rikes Lag, was published.
In 1735 the Kungliga Akademien foer de Fria Konsterna (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) was founded.
In 1739 the Royal Swedish Academy of Science (Kongliga Vetenskapsakademien, seat Stockholm) was founded - a mercantilist measure as sciences were expected to contribute to the development of national welfare. Among Sweden's most brilliant scientists of the period were zoologist LINNAEUS (Carl af Linne, 1707-1778, who published his System of Nature in 1735) and physicist ANDERS CELSIUS, who suggested a scale for measuring temperatures. Around 1772, pharmacist CARL WILHELM SCHEELE, a native of Stralsund, discovered "fire air" (oxygen).
In 1741 ANDERS BERCH was appointed professor of economics at the University of Uppsala, the first professor of economics in Sweden.
In 1749 PEHR WARGENTIN established the Tabellverket which later became the Statistical Central Bureau; Sweden being the first nation to regularly conduct censi and establish population statistics.
In the 1750es, CARL MICHAEL BELLMAN (1740-1795) began publishing his poems, many of which were about drinking and drunkenness.
In 1753 the Kongliga Svenska Vitterhetsakademi (Royal Swedish Academy of Letters) with seat in Stockholm was founded.
In 1771 the Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien (Royal Swedish Academy of Music), also with seat in Stockholm, was founded.



EXTERNAL
FILES 		Era of Freedom, in Holmiensis, The History of Stockholm, click Era of Freedom
Swedish History : Era of Freedom, from ufb.boras
The Swedish East India Company, by Paulus Swaen a commercial site
De svenska skatternas historia, from RSV (History of Taxation in Sweden) in Swedish
Rysshaerjningen 1719 (Russian raid of the Swedish coast), from Oerregrund foerr och nu, in Swedish
Biography of Carl Michael Bellman, from Books and Writers
Biography of Carl Wilhelm Scheele, from Microscale Gas Chemistry
Biography of Linnaeus, from Evolution Pages
Chronology of Swedish History, 1700-1750, by Ken Polsson
Timeline of Swedish History, from timelines.ws, detailed, but amateurish
Kongliga Vetenskapsakademien 1739, from Scholarly Societies Project
History of the Jews in Sweden, from JF Stockholm
Chronicle of Scholarly Societies founded 1700-1739, 1740-1759, 1760-1779 from Scholarly Societies Project
DOCUMENTS The National Gain (Den Nationnale Winsten) a treatise by Anders Chydenius, 1765
A Short Description of the Fire- and Air-Machine at the Dannemora Mines, by Marten Triewald, Stockholm 1734, from Steam Engine Library at Rochester
Images from Chronik 2000 Bilddatenbank : Anders Celsius
Prästeståndets Riksdagsprotokoll 1740-1741, from Sveriges Riksdag, in Swedish
Jacob Wallenberg, min son pa galejan (my son on the galley), from Ostindiska Kompaniet
Johan Brelin, Beskrifning ofver En afventyrlig resa til och ifran Ost-Indien, sodra America och en del af Europa aren 1755, 56, och 57 (Report of an adventurous journey to and from East India, S. America and a part of Europe), from Ostindiska Kompagniet
Besattningens loner i daler silvermynt pa batarna Cronprinsen Adolph Friederic 1749 och Cron Prins Gustaf 1767 (sailor's wages on the ships .. 1749, 1767) from Ostindiska Kompaniet
Maarten Triewald, A Short Description of the Fire- and Air- Machine at the Dannemora Mines (= steam engine), Stockholm 1734, posted by Rochester Univ.
Coat of Arms, King Adolf Frederick, from Heraldica
REFERENCE Sten Carlsson, Svensk Historia, Vol.2, Stockholm : Bonniers, 1970, pp.13-160, in Swedish [G]
Coins of Sweden, 1701-1800, in : Krause, Mishler, Standard Catalog of World Coins : Eighteenth Century 1701-1800, 2nd ed., 1997, pp.993-1006
Gösta Bergman, Kortfattad Sveriges Språk Historia (brief history of the Swedish language), Stockholm : Prisma (1968) 1988, in Swedish [G]
Sten Lindroth : Svensk Lärdomshistoria : Frihetstiden, Södertälje (1975) 1989, 749 pp., in Swedish (History of Swedish Learning : Era of Liberty) [G]
Mark Serge Riviere, "The Pallas of Stockholm". Louisa Ulrica of Prussia and the Swedish Crown, pp.322-343 in : Clarissa Campbell Orr, Queenship in Europe, 1660-1815. The Role of Consort, Cambridge : UP 2004, KMLA Lib.Sign. 940.09 076q


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on February 22nd 2006

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