Gustaf Fredrik von Rosen (1688 - 1769)

Born 6 Aug 1688 in Reval, Sweden (present day Tallinn, Estonia)

Husband of Sophia Lovisa (Wachtmeister) von Rosen — married 24 Jun 1718 in Tyska Fors., Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden

Husband of Ebba Margareta (von Banér) von Rosen — married 15 Dec 1729 in Danderyd, Stockholm, Sweden

Husband of Teodora Beata (Dücker) von Rosen — married 11 Feb 1733 in Spånga, Stockholm, Sweden

Descendants

Died 17 Jun 1769 at age 80 in Stockholm, Sweden

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Biography

Baron & Count Gustaf Fredrik von Rosen

Gustaf Fredrik von Rosen was the son of John Didrikson von Rosen.

Born August 6, 1688, Reval (present-day Tallin), Estonia, Sweden

Died June 17, 1769, Stockholm, Sweden

Defense branch The infantry

Service time Approx. 1705 - approx. 1759

Degree General

Unit Capricorn's regiment

Battle/war Great Nordic War

Battle of Grodno

Battle of Poltava

The Kalabalik in Bender

Charles XII's Norwegian campaign in 1716

Pomeranian War

Awards Knight of the Order of Seraphim

Commander of the Order of the Sword

Miscellaneous National Council

Swedish Major-General (1722-??), Commander-in-chief of the Swedish field army in Pomerania (December 1757 to July 1758)

Gustaf Fredrik von Rosen began his military career in 1705 as a dragoon in Stenbock's regiment joining the Swedish army in Poland and was appointed to a cornet after the battle of Grodno in 1706.

In 1709, von Rosen accompanied Charles XII, taking part on July 8 in the disastrous Battle of Poltava in Ukraine. He then followed the few surviving troops all the way down to Turkey. Von Rosen soon became one of the favourites of Charles XII.

He was then transferred as a lieutenant to the Northern Scanian "Norra Skånska Horse" regiment and in 1711 became master of horse in the Livregimentet . After the defeat at Poltava , he followed Charles XII to Bender and once again fought against the Russians under the command of the Tatar Khan.

In 1711, von Rosen was promoted ryttmästare (the equivalent of the German Rittmeister rank, a captain in the cavalry) in the Livregemente till häst. He soon became aide-de-camp to King Charles XII.

After the peace between Turkey and Russia, he received the king's permission to join the Kievan troops and fought so bravely in a skirmish against a Turkish corps at the Prutström , that on his arrival at Timurtasch in 1714 the king immediately appointed him adjutant-general. When, in November of the same year, the king broke off to make his famous fast ride to Stralsund under the name of "Captain Carl Frisk" , von Rosen followed him as "Captain Johan Palm" to the village of Kenin in Siebenbürgen , where he was delayed for a few hours and then followed the king without pause "in port and after".

In 1714, von Rosen, together with Lieutenant-Colonel Otto Fredrik Düring, accompanied King Charles XII in what the Swedish historian Säve called his "steeple-chase", a journey who led him in just fifteen days from Pitesci in Valachia, just west of Bucharest, to Stralsund in Pomerania. The Swedish king remained in Stralsund for two years with his retinue, participating with his grenadiers in the fruitless defence of the city which was finally captured by the Prussians. Swedish officers had begged the king to leave the town before the arrival of the Prussians. Charles XII managed to leave the fortress in time and sailed away aboard a small ship, crossing the Baltic and reaching the town of Ystad on the southern coast of Skåne. This trip was not without danger, 12 Danish guns fired on his ship from the island of Rügen. Two men got killed next to the king and the main mast was crashed. The king and his remaining companions were rescued by two ships of the Swedish Navy who were patrolling far off the Swedish coast.

During this period, von Rosen proved to be an able soldier in combats in Pomerania and later in Norway, twice preventing the king to be taken prisoner.

Shortly after arriving in Stralsund, he saved the king's life during an attack on the Prussians at Usedom by giving him his horse. After the battle at Stresov, he was appointed colonel and accompanied King Charles on the adventurous crossing from Stralsund to Sweden and accompanied him on the 1716 attack on Norway, when he once again is said to have saved the king from mortal danger. In 1716 he was sent by the king to Karlskrona to advance the fleet's equipment and the following year was appointed deputy director at the admiralty, colonel of the artillery volunteer regiment as well as commander-in-chief of the fortresses in Karlskrona and Karlshamn . Since in 1719 he became colonel of expectation at the Dal Regiment, he was promoted to major general in 1722 and two years later in 1724 became a naturalized Swedish nobleman and in 1728 colonel of Södermanlands Infantry and commander of Västmanland's regiment.

In 1717, von Rosen married Sofia Lovisa Wachtmeister. The same year, he became colonel of the artillery volunteer regiment in Carlscrona (a strongly fortified harbour of the Swedish navy).

In 1718, bold King Charles XII was killed, on December 11, during the siege of the Norwegian fortress of Fredriksten, not far from the Norwegian town of Fredrikshald.

In 1730, von Rosen married his second wife Ebba Margareta Baner. She died a few years later after her son Ulrik Fredrik von Rosen was born.

In 1731, von Rosen received the title of baron.

In 1733, von Rosen married his third wife Teodora Beata Dücker.

In 1738, when the “Hats Party” seized power in Sweden, von Rosen joined them and, in 1739, became member of the King's Council (Riksråd).

Von Rosen was instrumental in launching the disastrous war with Russia in 1741. Such politic was typical of the “Hats Party” who sought revenge over Russia for the Swedish defeat in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), contrarily to the “Caps Party” who advocated a kind of friendship with the Russians, thus accepting that Sweden was not a leading power in Northern Europe any more.

In 1747, despite the disaster caused by his ill advices in the Russo-Swedish War (1741-1743), von Rosen managed to persuade his friends of the Rådet (council) to appoint him as general-governor of Finland. He retained this charge until 1751 when the parliament revoked his assignment.

In 1751, at the coronation of Adolf Fredrik of Holstein-Gottorp as king of Sweden, von Rosen was made a count. As a member of the cabinet, he had the responsibility to equip Swedish troops. As per the Swedish historian Säve, by then the brave and very gallant soldier had become a true bureaucrat. Both Fersen and Sprengtporten describes von Rosen as a man who treated the least bagatelles as of vital interest for Sweden. He had the reputation to be stiff and distant with the generals under his command, not trusting them the least. Cooperation with such a commander must have been rather difficult.

Shortly after the departure of Field-marshal Ungern-Sternberg on December 20 1757, General von Rosen took command of the Swedish field army operating in Pomerania. This new commander-in-chief was one year older than the previous one, being already 69 years old.

The operations in Pomerania in 1758 started as a nightmare. Winter was so rude that thick ice formed over the strait separating the island of Rügen from Western Pomerania, thus making the small Swedish force (2,000 men with 20 field guns) occupying the island very vulnerable. They continuously had to crush the ice between Rügen and the mainland to prevent the passage of the Prussians. By January 19, some 400 guns were mounted on the walls of Stralsund because von Rosen expected a Prussian attack. Indeed, by January 20 1758, the Prussians had completely surrounded Stralsund on the land-side. On January 26, von Rosen sent out a party to reconnoitre the Prussian positions. This was the only attempt he made during the Prussian blockade which lasted till June 18. During this period, von Rosen contented himself to supervise the reinforcements of the defence of Stralsund. On June 18, Prussian troops were recalled to deal with the Russian invasion of Brandenburg led by Fermor. On June 27, von Rosen, who considered that this war was not for him, sent a letter to ask to be relieved of his command. He explained that he was too sick and too tired to be able to lead the Swedish field army. On July 4, the Rådet (council) authorised him to quit his charge. On July 22, von Rosen left Stralsund. On July 27, Lieutenant-general Count Gustaf David Hamilton, the oldest Swedish general in Pomerania, assumed command of the field army, in accordance with the Swedish seniority system.

After leaving command, von Rosen went to a spa town to “take the waters”. This was then very fashionable among both higher and lower nobility in Sweden.

In 1765, when the “Hats Party” lost power, von Rosen left.

In 1769, von Rosen was recalled when the “Hats Party” once more came to power. However, he declined because of his advanced age. He died the same year in Stockholm.

Sources

• https://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Rosen,_Gustaf_Fredrik_von
• Sources Rosen 1. Gustaf Fredrik von R. in Nordic Family Book (second edition, 1916)
• Szabo, Franz AJ The Seven Years War in Europe, 1757-1763 . Pearson, 2008. p. 92
• Genealogisches Handbuch der baltischen Ritterschaften, Teil 1 Livland, Vol. 2 , Görlitz, 1935, p.1119
• Register of knighthood and nobility of the Kingdom of Sweden ... 1754, pp. 59-60-187
• https://www.adelsvapen.com/genealogi/Von_Rosen_nr_85#TAB_4
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZG6-BBS