Georg Magnus Sprengtporten

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Kingdom of Sweden
Died13 October 1819(1819-10-13) (aged 78)
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
RelationsJacob Magnus Sprengtporten (brother)

Count Georg Magnus Sprengtporten (

traitor
.

Early life

Sprengtporten was born in Porvoo (Swedish: Borgå), Uusimaa (Swedish: Nyland), Kingdom of Sweden (now Finland). He entered the army and rose to the rank of captain during the Seven Years' War. He assisted his brother in the revolution of 1772, and in 1775 was made a colonel and brigadier of the Savolax brigade in east Finland. Here he distinguished himself greatly as an organizer and administrator. The military school which he founded at Haapaniemi (then Tuhkaniemi), Kuopio (1 August 1780 until 1 May 1781 when it was moved to Haapaniemi estate in Rantasalmi, where it operated until a transfer to Hamina in 1819) subsequently became a state institution (Hamina Cadet School).[1]

1779–81

Like his brother he also came to the conclusion that his services had not been adequately appreciated, and the flattering way in which he was welcomed by the Russian court during a visit to

Charles XIII of Sweden
. This scheming was apparently stillborn, as Charles informed his brother of the schemers' approaches.

1786

The chosen Plan B was to establish an independent state under the protection of Russia. During the

Gustav III of Sweden, at the same time engaging in a secret and treasonable correspondence with the Russian ministers with the view of inducing them to assist his plans for an independent Finland by force of arms.[1]

1788–1808

In the following year, at the invitation of

Paul of Russia who, in 1800, sent him to negotiate with Napoleon concerning the Maltese Order and the interchange of prisoners. After Paul's death Sprengtporten was again in disgrace for seven years, but was consulted in 1808 on the eve of the outbreak of hostilities with France. On 1 December 1808 he was appointed the first Russian Governor-General of Finland with the title of count, but was so unpopular that he had to resign his post the following year.[1]

Retirement

The last ten years of his life were lived in retirement.[1] Sprengtporten died in Saint Petersburg in 1819.

Memorial stones

Georg Magnus Sprengtporten's Memorial stones are located in Harbour park (Satamapuisto) of

Waldstein's librarian, Giacomo Casanova
. Their correspondence has been saved and is well known to scholars.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainBain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Sprengtporten, Göran Magnus, Count". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 737–738.

External links

Political offices
Vacant Governor-General of Finland
1808-1809
Succeeded by