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Instrument of Government (1772)

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20: 300:(the king had two votes in this Court's judgements, as in all decisions by the council in the Age of Liberty). The Privy Council did not however function so much as a political institution as in the Age of Liberty, and in these matters the king could put it aside and listen to other advisors and councillors as the king also often did. 358:, the 1772 Instrument of Government had a peculiar status. While the Russian emperors, reigning in Finland as grand dukes, never gave any indication that they considered their autocratic powers limited by any constitution, a theory was developed in Finland that the old Instrument of Government remained in force, 174:
Gustav III was therefore able to attract considerable support for his scheme to overthrow the government and replace the 1720 Instrument of Government with a new constitution. On 19 August 1772 the king rallied the Stockholm garrison and arrested the Council of the Realm, along with several prominent
253:, and although it invoked ideas like the separation of powers, it provided few practical checks upon the king's power. Moreover, in 1789 Gustav removed many of the few limits which did exist upon his power by compelling the Riksdag to pass the 183:
The Instrument of Government was a somewhat curious mix of different influences. In part it was based on earlier Swedish political traditions, harking back above all to the reign of the revered
175:
members of the Cap party. Two days later he convened a session of the Riksdag and compelled it to accept a new constitution which he had drawn up, the 1772 Instrument of Government.
273:
The king governed the civil service and Parliaments were assembled only at the king's will when the king had to raise taxes and legislate (legislation was regulated in
374:) were an important political faction in Finland at this time, and their legacy of constitutional legalism has had a significant effect on later Finnish politics. 366:. This theory was, however, never put forward officially and never accepted in St. Petersburg. It did gain considerable popular currency in Finland, so that 303:
The king however, had to listen to the advice of the Privy Council in cases concerning treaties about peace, armistice and alliances with foreign powers and
171:(1757–1762). Indeed, some historians argue that by the early 1770s the situation had deteriorated to the extent that Sweden was on the brink of anarchy. 682: 370:
measures instituted from the 1890s onwards were commonly decried as an "unconstitutional" assault on the country's autonomy. The "Constitutionals" (
577: 385:, as successor to the old Estates of the Realm, moved to assume sovereign power in Finland, based on the old Swedish provisions in case of a 211: 801: 307:
to other countries. In these cases the council also could veto the king, if all members of the Council shared this view unanimously.
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of the Instrument of Government was rather vague, in part due to its having been written in haste in the aftermath of the
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The matter remained officially uncontested and arguably unresolved for more than a century, but after the abdication of
338:
and army officers. The king was forced to abdicate and sent into exile, and a new constitution was then drawn up, the
841: 592: 734: 836: 747: 668: 127:. Under this system, the king played a relatively minor role in the government, which was instead dominated by the 826: 806: 729: 712: 707: 702: 339: 124: 120: 94: 62: 811: 390: 188: 151:
of political and artistic freedom, but it was also characterised by factional struggles between the so-called "
164: 89:, which further strengthened royal power at the expense of the Riksdag. It remained in force throughout the 282: 278: 274: 196: 192: 609: 791: 755: 585: 437: 367: 781: 776: 427: 405: 242: 136: 116: 78: 69:(1719-72). Although in theory the 1772 Instrument merely readjusted the balance of power between 722: 691: 422: 351: 254: 230: 132: 128: 86: 74: 382: 378: 786: 417: 234: 203: 58: 23: 8: 856: 821: 559: 523: 238: 632: 491: 466: 394: 250: 110: 50: 229:
concepts like the separation of powers in theory, in practice he tended to rule as an
588: 82: 46: 652: 327: 218:, drawn up four years later, and indeed Gustav was an avowed admirer of the nascent 289: 160: 140: 34: 522:(in Swedish) (3rd ed.). Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell. pp. 283–284. 581: 355: 331: 215: 184: 442: 432: 363: 269:
Significant provisions of the Instrument of Government included the following:
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On the other hand, large parts of the Instrument were also inspired by recent
770: 297: 258: 226: 219: 90: 404:
The Instrument of Government was finally superseded when Finland adopted a
317: 304: 156: 152: 98: 42: 660: 386: 323: 246: 207: 558:(in Swedish) (4th ed.). Stockholm: AV Carlsons. pp. 412–413. 362:, with Finland's position as part of the Empire having the nature of a 335: 148: 627: 486: 461: 70: 54: 563: 19: 527: 214:. This concept would also be one of the main principles behind the 354:, created in 1809 from the eastern third of Sweden as part of the 520:
Historia för gymnasiet: allmän och nordisk historia efter år 1000
610:
Articles 6 and 7 of the Instrument (Instrument of Government or
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During the Age of Liberty (1719–1772), Sweden was governed as a
257:, which revised the Instrument of Government in a more nakedly 554:
Borg, Ivan; Nordell, Erik; Rodhe, Sten; Nordell, Erik (1967).
77:(Swedish Parliament), without changing Sweden's status as a 277:). An offensive war also had to be approved by Parliament ( 49:
from 1772 to 1809. It was promulgated in the wake of the
553: 330:
was mounted against Gustav's son and successor, King
81:, in practice it is generally seen as instituting an 393:, as well as within Finland, culminating, after the 199:but had fallen out of use in the previous century. 147:). The Age of Liberty is generally remembered as a 85:, especially after its modification in 1789 by the 163:in the Riksdag and by military humiliation in the 768: 135:functions of government being discharged by the 676: 690: 683: 669: 65:, which had been in force for most of the 653:Text of the 1772 Instrument of Government 549: 547: 545: 543: 541: 539: 537: 752:Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression 605: 603: 601: 406:new, republican instrument of government 389:. This led to a power struggle with the 345: 342:, which superseded the 1772 Instrument. 288:The Privy Council's justice department ( 18: 517: 225:However, while Gustav may have admired 187:; for example, it revived the posts of 769: 534: 296:), functioned as a fairly independent 664: 598: 580:18 October 1776 published in 1992 by 482: 480: 478: 476: 513: 511: 509: 507: 505: 503: 501: 399:Finnish declaration of independence 123:and later under the near-identical 13: 14: 868: 646: 556:Historia för gymnasiet. Årskurs 1 473: 233:, akin to contemporaries such as 802:1809 disestablishments in Sweden 498: 391:Provisional Government of Russia 322:After the Swedish defeat in the 195:, which had once been among the 817:Sweden during the Gustavian era 340:Instrument of Government (1809) 311: 125:Instrument of Government (1720) 121:Instrument of Government (1719) 832:Early modern history of Sweden 621: 570: 455: 178: 1: 797:1772 establishments in Sweden 518:Bäcklin, Martin, ed. (1965). 448: 241:of Prussia, rather than as a 104: 95:1809 Instrument of Government 63:1720 Instrument of Government 31:1772 Instrument of Government 852:Political history of Finland 7: 847:Political history of Sweden 411: 10: 873: 315: 264: 197:Great Offices of the Realm 108: 743: 698: 281:) and also new taxation ( 842:Legal history of Finland 748:Freedom of the Press Act 438:Russification of Finland 93:, until replaced by the 837:Legal history of Sweden 692:Constitutions of Sweden 428:Constitution of Finland 117:constitutional monarchy 79:constitutional monarchy 827:Grand Duchy of Finland 807:Constitution of Sweden 723:Union and Security Act 423:Constitution of Sweden 352:Grand Duchy of Finland 293: 255:Union and Security Act 243:constitutional monarch 144: 129:Riksdag of the Estates 119:, initially under the 87:Union and Security Act 75:Riksdag of the Estates 38: 26: 812:Defunct constitutions 586:Gunnar von Proschwitz 578:Countess de Boufflers 387:vacancy on the throne 383:Parliament of Finland 346:In Finland after 1809 206:ideas, in particular 22: 235:Joseph II of Austria 212:separation of powers 189:Lord High Chancellor 185:King Gustav II Adolf 167:(1741–1743) and the 137:Council of the Realm 24:Gustav III of Sweden 16:Swedish constitution 495:(1909), pp. 672–673 239:Frederick the Great 131:, with most of the 97:as a result of the 61:, and replaced the 633:Nordisk Familjebok 492:Nordisk Familjebok 467:Nordisk Familjebok 395:October Revolution 294:Justitierevisionen 231:enlightened despot 111:Revolution of 1772 51:Revolution of 1772 27: 764: 763: 756:Act of Succession 372:perustuslailliset 334:, by disgruntled 210:'s notion of the 193:Lord High Steward 83:absolute monarchy 47:Kingdom of Sweden 864: 792:1772 in politics 685: 678: 671: 662: 661: 657: 640: 639: 625: 619: 618: 607: 596: 574: 568: 567: 551: 532: 531: 515: 496: 484: 471: 459: 360:mutatis mutandis 872: 871: 867: 866: 865: 863: 862: 861: 767: 766: 765: 760: 739: 694: 689: 655: 649: 644: 643: 637: 628:Regeringsformen 626: 622: 616: 608: 599: 582:Swedish Academy 575: 571: 552: 535: 516: 499: 485: 474: 462:Regeringsformen 460: 456: 451: 414: 348: 332:Gustav IV Adolf 320: 314: 267: 216:US Constitution 181: 113: 107: 59:King Gustav III 17: 12: 11: 5: 870: 860: 859: 854: 849: 844: 839: 834: 829: 824: 819: 814: 809: 804: 799: 794: 789: 784: 782:1772 in Sweden 779: 777:1772 documents 762: 761: 759: 758: 753: 750: 744: 741: 740: 738: 737: 735:Current (1974) 732: 727: 726: 725: 715: 710: 705: 699: 696: 695: 688: 687: 680: 673: 665: 659: 658: 648: 647:External links 645: 642: 641: 620: 597: 569: 533: 497: 472: 453: 452: 450: 447: 446: 445: 443:Walhalla-orden 440: 435: 433:Diet of Porvoo 430: 425: 420: 413: 410: 364:personal union 356:Russian Empire 347: 344: 316:Main article: 313: 310: 309: 308: 305:(state) visits 301: 286: 283:articles 45-46 275:articles 40-43 266: 263: 180: 177: 169:Pomeranian War 109:Main article: 106: 103: 67:Age of Liberty 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 869: 858: 855: 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the 290:Swedish 265:Details 161:parties 155:" and " 145:riksråd 141:Swedish 45:of the 35:Swedish 595:p. 149 591:  584:Prof. 562:  560:SELIBR 526:  524:SELIBR 470:(1915) 245:. The 730:1809 718:1772 713:1720 708:1719 703:1634 589:ISBN 326:, a 251:coup 237:and 191:and 53:, a 29:The 157:Hat 153:Cap 773:: 630:, 614:). 600:^ 536:^ 500:^ 489:, 475:^ 464:, 401:. 292:: 285:). 222:. 159:" 143:: 101:. 37:: 684:e 677:t 670:v 566:. 530:. 139:( 33:(

Index


Gustav III of Sweden
Swedish
constitution
Kingdom of Sweden
Revolution of 1772
self-coup
King Gustav III
1720 Instrument of Government
Age of Liberty
the Crown
Riksdag of the Estates
constitutional monarchy
absolute monarchy
Union and Security Act
Gustavian era
1809 Instrument of Government
Coup of 1809
Revolution of 1772
constitutional monarchy
Instrument of Government (1719)
Instrument of Government (1720)
Riksdag of the Estates
executive
Council of the Realm
Swedish
golden age
Cap
Hat
parties

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