Jacob De la Gardie

Jacob De La Gardie

Count Jakob Pontusson De La Gardie von Läckö (born June 20, 1583 in Reval , † August 12, 1652 in Stockholm ) was a Swedish military leader.

Life

His father, Pontus De la Gardie , was a French military leader who married the Swedish Countess Sophie Johannsdotter Gyllenhielm , who died in childbed during his birth.

From 1606 to 1608 he served under Moritz von Nassau , Prince of Orange. This made him familiar with the then modern Dutch military strategies, which he introduced into the Swedish army from 1608.

During the Polish-Russian War 1609-1618 Sweden signed a treaty with Tsar Vasily Shuisky in 1609 . King Charles IX of Sweden sent De la Gardie with an army of mercenaries in support of Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky . The tsar's nephew undertook a campaign from the north against the impostor Pseudodimitri II , supported by the Polish nobility , in order to relieve the besieged Moscow. The Russian-Swedish army campaign was successful, but shortly after the relief of Moscow, the talented young general Skopin-Shuisky was poisoned by envious people at the Russian court. The Russian-Swedish army subsequently lost the battle of Kluschino against the Poles, whereupon the boyars deposed Tsar Vasily Shuiski and elected the Polish king's son Władysław IV. Wasa as tsar. In response to this development, Sweden declared war on Russia. Swedish troops under the leadership of De la Gardie, who were on Russian soil, captured Novgorod and the surrounding area.

Oil painting De La Gardies from the beginning of the 17th century

In the midst of the Russian turmoil , De la Gardie succeeded in drawing a Russian aristocratic opposition to the Swedish side. His plan was to put the brother of King Gustav II Adolf , Prince Karl Philipp (1601–1622), on the throne of the tsar. De la Gardie was appointed to the Swedish Imperial Council because of his favorable discussions with the Russian princes . But although the negotiations led to a positive outcome for Sweden, everything turned out differently because the decision from Stockholm was a long time coming. The king suddenly had his own interest in the tsar's crown and was supported by his minister, Axel Oxenstierna . When, in the spring of 1613, the decision in favor of Karl Philipp was finally made in Sweden and he was sent to Russia in July, it was found that a general assembly of the estates had already made the boyar Michael Romanov tsar in February .

As compensation for the embarrassment and the broken promise, Gustav II. Adolf now demanded massive territorial cession of Russia to Sweden, which was rejected. The fighting between Russia and Sweden continued. The Swedes suffered defeats in the sieges of Tikhvin (1613) and Pskov (1615), but continued to hold Novgorod. Jakob De la Gardie financed a large part of the army out of his own pocket, as the Swedish krona was on the verge of national bankruptcy.

On November 16, 1617, Sweden and Russia signed the Treaty of Stolbowo . De la Gardie was the Swedish representative when this peace treaty was ratified. Sweden came into possession of two thirds of the entire Baltic coast. Russia got Novgorod back, but lost all influence in the Baltic States and left the battle for a seaport for a long time. The tsar even pledged not to attempt "for ever" to get to the Baltic coast.

In 1621 De la Gardie became governor general of Livonia . In this function he took on the task of systematically driving Poland back from Livonia. In 1625 he was able to conquer Tartu .

In 1628 he was brought to the court in Stockholm, where he became Reichsmarschall and chairman of the war council. After the death of Gustav II Adolf in 1632, De la Gardie was one of the regents for Queen Christina, who was still underage .

In 1642 he most likely commissioned Carl Mollet the Elder. J. with the construction of Makalös Castle (today Ulriksdal ), which was completed in 1644.

He died in Stockholm on August 12, 1652. In the year of his death, his widow, Countess Ebba Brahe , initiated the establishment of the city of Jakobstad .

progeny

La Gardie married Countess Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe (1596–1674). Of his 14 children, he survived:

• Magnus (1622-1686)
• Marie Sophie (1627-1694)
• Jacob Casimir (1629–1658)
• Pontus Frederik (1630–1692)
• Kristina Katarina (1632–1704)
• Axel Julius (1637-1710).

literature

• Jacob De la Gardie . In: Herman Hofberg, Frithiof Heurlin, Viktor Millqvist, Olof Rubenson (eds.): Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon . 2nd Edition. tape 1 : A-K . Albert Bonniers Verlag, Stockholm 1906, p. 230 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).