Carl Gustaf Armfeldt (9 November 1666 – 24 October 1736) was a Swedish officer,
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
and
friherre
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...
(baron) who took part in the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
.
Early life
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt was born in
Swedish Ingria
Swedish Ingria ( sv, Svenska Ingermanland, ‘land of Ingrians’) was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1583 to 1595 and then again from 1617 to 1721, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Nystad.
History
Ingria was ceded ...
to lieutenant colonel Gustaf Armfelt and Anna Elisabet Brakel. Like other members of his family Armfelt devoted himself to war and at seventeen years' age joined
Nylands kavalleri as a
cadet
A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
. In 1685 he left this position and left for
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
where he joined prince
Ferdinand of Fürstenberg's regiment as a mere footsoldier. He campaigned in France for twelve years and returned to Sweden as a captain.
Great Northern War
Due to his military experience he was employed in the Finnish army as a generaladjutant in 1701 and stayed with this army for most of the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
. He was named commander of the Finnish army in 1713.
During the long war he distinguished himself in several occasions, especially during the defense of
Helsingfors
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
in 1713, but met an overwhelming Russian force and was defeated at the
battle of Storkyro in 1714.
1718 Norwegian Campaign
In 1717 Armfeldt was promoted to lieutenant general and commanded the Swedish force which on the orders of
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of t ...
was sent into
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
to take
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
. Poorly equipped, Armfelt pulled out after the king fell at
Fredrikshald.
The ensuing disaster that struck his army is known as the
Carolean Death March
The Carolean Death March ( sv, karolinernas dödsmarsch), also known as the Catastrophe on Øyfjellet ( sv, katastrofen på Öjfjället) was the disastrous retreat by a force of Swedish soldiers (known as Caroleans), under the command of Carl ...
. On
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
1718 he arrived at Norwegian
Tydal
Tydal is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås. Other villages include Østby, Gressli, Aunet, and Stugudalen. There is a school and a kindergarten in Tydal.
The inhabi ...
, with 80 kilometers to the closest Swedish village in
Jämtland
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north a ...
. When the troops had marched 10 kilometers from Tydalen, a severe
blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...
struck from the northwest. The bitter cold killed the
guide
A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom.
Travel and recreation
Expl ...
on the very first day, and the army wandered blindly in the mountains (
Sylan
Sylan (Norwegian), Sylarna (Swedish), or Bealjehkh (Southern Sami) is a mountain range on the border between Norway and Sweden. The mountain range lies in Trøndelag and Jämtland counties.
The central part of the range includes a large mounta ...
mountain range). On the following nights, hundreds more perished. Of the over 5,000 men who left Tydalen, only 2,100 were found alive on arrival at
Duved.
Later life
In 1719 Armfelt was named governor of
Viborg county
Viborg Amt () is a former county (Danish: ''amt'') in the north-central part of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The county was abolished on 1 January 2007, when most of it merged into Region Midtjylland (i.e. ''Region Central Jutland' ...
but never took office, as the county was under Russian control and was ceded to Russia after the
treaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...
. He was elevated to
friherre
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...
on 5 July 1731 and named general of infantry in 1735. According to the Pernå parish records (cited by Hornborg, 1952) he died at
Liljendal
Liljendal is a former municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Southern Finland and was part of the Eastern Uusimaa region. The municipality had a population of 1,472 (31 December 2009) and covered an area of of which is water. ...
in
Nyland on 24 October 1736, and was interred at Isnäs on 3 December 1736.
He was married in 1700 to Lovisa Aminoff (1685–1741), daughter of cavalry captain Johan Fredrik Aminoff.
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (russian: Граф Густав-Маврикий Максимович Армфельт, tr, ; 31 March 1757 – 19 August 1814) was a Finnish-Swedish-Russian courtier and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of ...
is his grandson.
References
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*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Armfeldt, Carl Gustaf
1666 births
1736 deaths
Swedish Army generals
Caroleans
Swedish military personnel of the Nine Years' War
Swedish military personnel of the Great Northern War