Arvid Horn
| Count Arvid Horn | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of Privy Council Chancellery of Sweden | |
|
In office 1710–1719 |
|
| Preceded by | Nils Gyldenstolpe |
| Succeeded by | Gustaf Cronhielm |
| President of Privy Council Chancellery of Sweden | |
|
In office 1720–1738 |
|
| Preceded by | Gustaf Cronhielm |
| Succeeded by | Carl Gyllenborg |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 April 1664 Vuorentaka Manor, Halikko, Southwest Finland |
| Died | 17 April 1742 (aged 78) Ekebyholm Castle, Uppland, Sweden |
| Political party | Caps (mössorna) |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Beata Ehrensteen (married 1696) Inga Törnflycht (married 1705) Margareta Gyllenstierna (married 1711) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Sweden |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | Great Northern War |
Count Arvid Bernhard Horn af Ekebyholm (6 April 1664 – 17 April 1742) was a Swedish (Finnish) soldier, diplomat and politician. He served twice as President of the Privy Council Chancellery (1710–1719 and 1720–1738) and was one of the leading figures of the Swedish Age of Liberty.
He was born Arvid Bernhard Horn in Vuorentaka (now part of Salo, Southwest Finland), Sweden, the son of Gustaf Horn of Kanckas and his wife Anna Helena von Gertten. After completing his studies at Turku, he entered the Swedish Army and served for several years in the Netherlands, in Hungary under Prince Eugene, and in Flanders under Waldeck (1690–1695). He stood high in the favour of the young Charles XII of Sweden and was one of his foremost generals in the earlier part of the Great Northern War. In 1704 he was entrusted with his first diplomatic mission, the deposition of Augustus II of Poland and the election of Stanislaus I of Poland, a mission which he accomplished with distinguished ability but absolute unscrupulousness. Shortly afterwards he was besieged by Augustus in Warsaw and compelled to surrender (see also Civil war in Poland (1704–1706)).
In 1705 he was made a Privy Councillor, in 1706 a count and in 1707 governor of Charles XII's nephew, the young Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. In 1710 he succeeded Nils Gyldenstolpe as President of the Privy Council Chancellery. Transferred to the central point of the administration, he had ample opportunity of regarding with other eyes the situation of the kingdom, and in consequence of his remonstrances he fell rapidly in the favour of Charles XII. Both in 1710 and 1713 Horn was in favour of summoning the Estates, but when in 1714 the diet adopted an anti-monarchical attitude, he gravely warned and ultimately dissolved it. In Charles XII's later years Horn had little to do with the administration. After the death of Charles XII, in 1718 it was Horn who persuaded the princess Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden to relinquish her hereditary claims and submit to be elected queen of Sweden. He protested against the queen's autocratic behaviour, and resigned from the Privy Council.
...
Wikipedia