Carl Henrik Wrangel
Encyclopedia
Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It's the administrative centre of Lääne County and has a population of 11,618 ....
– March 23, 1755) was an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
of the Swedish Army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
, eventually attaining the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
.
Biography
He was the son of Reinhold Wrangel, father of Georg Gustaf Wrangel af Adinal, and nephew of Didrik Wrangel af Adinal.Wrangel entered military service at the age of 15 and participated in several of the Charles XII
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
's campaigns during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, in the process of which he was promoted to captain of Livgardet and Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of Skånska ståndsdragonerna, but was captured in 1709 after the battle of Poltava
Battle of Poltava
The Battle of Poltava on 27 June 1709 was the decisive victory of Peter I of Russia over the Swedish forces under Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld in one of the battles of the Great Northern War. It is widely believed to have been the beginning of Sweden's decline as a Great Power; the...
. After returning from captivity
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in 1722, he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of Nyland calvalry regiment and in 1727, was made colonel of Tavastehus regiment, 1729 för Nyland dragoon regiment, September 4, 1732 major-general and 1739 colonel of Skaraborgs regemente
Skaraborgs regemente
Skaraborgs regemente , designation I 9, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was converted to an armoured regiment in 1942...
. The same year, he offered the position of riksråd
Privy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
, but demurred in favour of remaining with the Army.
At the outbreak of the Russo-Swedish War
Russo-Swedish War (1741-1743)
The Russo–Swedish War of 1741–1743, known as the Hats' Russian War in Sweden and the Hats' War in Finland, which resulted in the Lesser Wrath , or the occupation of Finland, was instigated by the Hats, a Swedish political party that aspired to regain the territories lost to Russia during the Great...
in 1741, he led one of the two divisions of the Swedish Army in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, with a strength of 4,000 men. On August 23, 1741, he was ordered by General Henrik Mangnus von Buddenbrock to lead his force into battle against General Peter Lacy
Peter Lacy
Count Peter von Lacy, or Pyotr Petrovich Lacy , as he was known in Russia , was one of the most successful Russian imperial commanders before Rumyantsev and Suvorov...
's more than twice as strong Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n force in order to defend Villmanstrand
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...
, without waiting for the arrival von Buddenbrock's division. The numerarily superior Russians won the battle and took Villmarstrand, whereupon Wrangel, who lost his right arm during the battle, was captured.
Upon his return from captivity in 1742, he received precious gifts from the king and the burghers of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and was made lieutenant-general in 1743 and colonel for Närkes och Värmlands regemente. In 1754, he was promoted to Field Marshal.
During the Dalecarlian Rebellion
Dalecarlian Rebellion (1743)
The Dalecarlian Rebellion of 1743, also known as the Fourth Dalecarlian Rebellion and stora daldansen was a rebellion that broke out in the Swedish province of Dalarna in 1743. Its cause was the peasants' dissatisfaction with the "lords' government" of the Age of Liberty...
in 1743, he was assigned the task of dissuading or diverting the march of the Dalecarlians
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
on Stockholm, but despite his popularity he achieved neither. Politically he was a moderate "Cap
Caps (party)
The Caps were a political faction during the Age of Liberty in Sweden. The primary rivals of the Caps were known as the Hats. The Hats are actually responsible for the Caps' name, as it comes from a contraction of Night-cap, a name used to suggest that the Caps were the soft and timid party...
", but did not participate much in the debates of the Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
.