Ernst Johann von Biron

Ernst Johann von Biron (German: Ernst Johann von Biron; Russian: Эрнст Иоганн Бирон; (German: Bühren); 23 November [O.S. 13 November] 1690 – 29 December [O.S. 18 December] 1772^[2]) was a Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1737–1740 and 1763–1769) and briefly regent of the Russian Empire in 1740.^[3]

Early years

Biron was born as Ernst Johann von

In 1730, Anna was elevated to the Russian throne. Biron and his wife moved to Moscow, both of them retaining their position as adviser and lady-in-waiting, and received many honours and riches. At Anna's coronation (19 May 1730), Biron was appointed grand chamberlain, made a count of the Empire, and granted an estate at Wenden with an income of 50,000 crowns a year.^[3] It was on this occasion that his name was first rendered in court documents as 'Biron' (rather than 'Biren'), and he is said to have adopted the arms of the French Ducal House of Biron, to which house he did not in fact have the slightest connection.

The Council of the Empire attempted to secure from Anna an aristocratic constitution, but she crushed the powerful nobility, notably the Dolgorukis and the Galitsins, and placed her reliance exclusively on Biron, who became for all practical purposes the ruler of the Empire. His ascendancy over the empress was unshakable, and whenever required, Biron's enemies and rivals were swept out of the way quite literally; he is said to have caused over 1000 executions, while the number of persons exiled by him to Siberia is estimated at between 20,000–40,000. Meanwhile, the common people were ground down by taxation. Russians have described this reign as the Bironovshchina and the "German yoke." Nevertheless, he showed himself an administrator of considerable ability, and maintained order in the Empire at a time when troubles could have been expected, because the main Romanov line was now extinct, and even the empress did not have children or definite heirs.

During the latter years of Anna's reign in Russia, Biron increased enormously in power and riches. His apartments in the palace adjoined those of the empress, and his liveries, furniture and equipages were scarcely less expensive or splendid than hers. The magnificence of his plate astonished the French ambassador, and the diamonds of his duchess were the envy of princes. A special department of state looked after his brood mares and stallions. He had landed estates everywhere. Half the bribes intended for the Russian court passed through his coffers.^[3]

Duke of Courland and Semigallia

The climax of his elevation occurred in June 1737 when, on the extinction of the line of Kettler, the nobility ('estates') of Courland were arm-twisted into electing Biron as their reigning duke. Anna had been the wife of

Outwardly humble during his first years in power, Biron became haughty and overbearing towards the end of Anna's reign. This behavior and the gruesome execution on somewhat dubious charges of his erstwhile protégé, the cabinet minister Artemy Volynsky (insisted upon by Biron), made Biron unpopular with Russians of all classes.

On her deathbed, very unwillingly and only at his urgent entreaty, Anna appointed Biron regent during the minority of the baby emperor, Ivan VI of Russia. Her common sense told her that the only way she could save the man she loved from the vengeance of his enemies after her death was to facilitate in time his descent from his untenable position.^{[citation needed]} Finally, on 26 October 1740, a so-called "positive declaration" signed by 194 dignitaries, in the name of the Russian nation, conferred the regency on Biron.^[3]

Anna died on October 28. Biron's regency lasted exactly three weeks - at midnight on 19 November 1740 he was seized in his bedroom by his ancient rival,

• Robert Nisbet Bain, The Pupils of Peter the Great (London, 1897)
• Christoph Hermann von Manstein, Memoirs (English edition, London, 1856)
• Claudius Rondeau
  , Diplomatic Dispatches from Russia (St Petersburg, 1889–1892).
• Edgardo Franzosini, Il mangiatore di carta (Milano:SugarCo) 1989
• Игорь Курукин, Бирон. Moscow, Molodaia Gvardiia, 2006.
  ISBN 978-5235027404
  .

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Biren, Ernst Johann". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 979.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
  New International Encyclopedia
  (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.

External links

• "Anna Ivanovna" .
  New International Encyclopedia
  . 1905.