Johann Hermann from L'Estocq

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Johann Hermann from L'Estocq

Johann Hermann L'Estocq (French Jean Armand de L'Estocq * 29. April 1692 in Celle † June 12, jul. / 23. June  1767 greg. In Saint Petersburg ) came from the emigrated from France to Germany noble family L ' Estocq . He trained as a surgeon , but gained greater fame as the ambitious political favorite of the Russian Empress Elisabeth , whose foreign policy he had a major influence in her first years in power. Later he lost his position of power and had to live in exile for a long time.

Life

Early life

Johann Hermann von L'Estocq was a son of the French émigré Jean von L'Estocq (* 1647, † 1732), who had been court surgeon for Duke Georg Wilhelm von Braunschweig-Lüneburg in Celle since 1706 , and his wife, the pharmacist's daughter Judith, b. Colin (* 1655; † 1732). He received instruction in surgery from his father, but did not want to be the successor in his doctor's practice in Celle, but instead joined the French army as a regimental surgeon. At the age of 21 he went to Saint Petersburg in 1713, where Peter the Great met him and took him to the surgeon.

When Peter the Great and his wife Catherine I visited Western Europe on an extensive trip in 1716/17, L'Estocq was one of Katharina's entourage. Peter was very fond of the attractive and amusing doctor and is said to have made him promise to always be faithful to his daughter Elisabeth . But when L'Estocq was guilty of a relatively minor misstep, the emperor expelled him to Kazan in 1719 . Catherine I called him back after her accession to the throne (1725); he became the personal surgeon of her daughter Elisabeth and gained considerable influence over her. Even after Katharina I died in 1727, the Grand Duchess Elisabeth kept L'Estocq, a very devoted, personal surgeon.

Support of Elisabeth's seizure of power

As early as 1730, L'Estocq sought in vain to procure the crown for Elizabeth after the death of Peter II . His captivating personal qualities made him more and more her confidante and acted as a suitable mediator for her relations with France. He maintained contacts with the French ambassador, the Marquis de La Chétardie , who paid him large sums of money and, through him, drew Elisabeth over to France. L'Estocq was also Elisabeth's contact person to the Swedish ambassador, who, like La Chétardie, sought to weaken the German party around Empress Anna , who ruled from 1730-40 , and instead wanted to see the Russian national party, which supported Elisabeth's accession, strengthened.

In the coup by which Grand Duchess Elisabeth on the night of November 25th July. / 6 December  1741 greg. with the help of the Preobrazhensk body guard regiment the underage Emperor Ivan VI. and his mother Anna Leopoldowna , who was acting as regent, overthrew and then seized the reins of power herself, L'Estocq - alongside La Chétardie and others - played an important role. He therefore remained one of Elisabeth's closest confidants, became a real privy councilor, first personal physician and director of the medical chancellery and now received a salary of 7,000 rubles, whereas earlier he had to be content with a much lower income. He was also a holder of the Order of the Black Eagle .

Political influence to the point of disempowerment

L'Estocq devoted himself less to his duties as the highest medical officer than to participating in the power struggles at court and influencing Russian foreign policy. He had numerous political opponents and found in particular in the Vice Chancellor, later Chancellor Count Alexei Petrovich Bestuschew-Ryumin, a violent opponent, although he had originally recommended this to the Empress himself. He took a decisive stand against Austria and Great Britain, while he worked just as determinedly for the interests of France and Prussia at the Russian court; allegedly France paid him high pensions for this. Sometimes his influence in this regard even served Russia to the detriment, for example when he intrigued against Bestuzhev-Ryumin in the peace that Sweden had requested and persuaded Elizabeth to make territorial concessions to Sweden in the Peace of Åbo (August 1743) despite successful Russian warfare in Finland .

L'Estocq was so important to Empress Elisabeth that the King of Poland elevated him to the rank of count. Because L'Estocq also for the marriage of 14-year-old Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst, later to become Empress Catherine II. With the Russian throne Peter Fedorovich entered, the Prussian king moved Frederick II. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII. , L'Estocq was appointed Imperial Count in 1744. As a result, L'Estocq became a confidante of the young princess. However, he did not succeed in overthrowing his rival Bestushev-Ryumin. The latter achieved rather that the French ambassador La Chétardie, who was a great support to L'Estocq, was expelled from Russia in June 1744 and L'Estocq himself was banished from the court.

After L'Estocq had Beate Barbara, b. Rutenhielm and 1733 Alida, b. Müller had married, he married Maria Aurora, b. Baroness von Mengden (* 1720; † 1808), a lady-in-waiting of Empress Elisabeth. None of L'Estocq's three marriages resulted in children.

Exile, late rehabilitation and death

Bestuzhev-Ryumin thought about putting his political opponent in a cold position and therefore tried to persuade the suspicious empress that L'Estocq had been closely attached to the heir to the throne Peter Fyodorovich and wanted to bring him to power. He and General Stepan Fyodorowitsch Apraxin suspected him of high treason until Elisabeth L'Estocq was arrested on November 17, 1748 and brought to the Petersburg fortress, where he was to be executed. Under the torture , L'Estocq pleaded guilty to the crimes he was charged with. Although he did not have to suffer the death penalty, he lost all offices and property, was only exiled to Uglich in 1750 and from there after a three-year stay to Veliki Ustyug , where he lived under supervision for another nine years. His third wife Maria Aurora shared the fate of her husband.

When Peter III. When he ascended the throne in 1762, he called the already 70-year-old L'Estocq back from his exile without being able to return his large fortune, which had meanwhile been lost. His rank and the title of count received L'Estocq again, but was by Peter III. entrusted with no state office. Catherine II awarded him an annual pension of 7,000 rubles and lands in Livonia , but carefully kept him away from all business. He died on June 12th jul. / June 23,  1767 greg. in Saint Petersburg.

literature

personal data
SURNAME L'Estocq, Johann Hermann von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES L'Estocq, Jean Armand de; Lestocq, Johann Hermann Graf von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Doctor and favorite of the Russian Empress Elisabeth
DATE OF BIRTH April 29, 1692
PLACE OF BIRTH Celle
DATE OF DEATH June 23, 1767
Place of death St. Petersburg