Gillis Bildt
Encyclopedia
Didrik Anders Gillis Bildt (16 October 1820 – 22 October 1894) was a Swedish parliamentarian
, military officer
, baron
and prime minister
1888–1889.
in 1820, son of Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Fredrik Bildt and Christina Elisabeth Fröding.
His father died 7 years later in 1827.
His mother died in 1858.
In 1848 Gillis married Lucile Rosalie Dufva. They had three children: Adéle Elisabeth Bildt (1849–1914), Carl Nils Daniel Bildt (1850–1931), Knut Gillis Bildt (1854–1927).
His great-great-grandson Carl Bildt
(b.1949) also became Prime Minister of Sweden
(1991), later High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
(1995). Carl Bildt
is descended from Gillis Bildt via younger son Knut Gillis Bildt (1854–1927).
officer, rising eventually to Lieutenant General
.
He passed out from Military Academy Karlberg in Stockholm in 1837 and joined the Göta
artillery regiment. He completed his higher education in 1842 in Marieberg, where he had come to the attention of Crown Prince
Oscar (later King Oscar I
) for his diligence and competence.
After graduation
he worked as a mathematics tutor for several years, as well as continuing his military career and entering the Riksdag
in 1847.
While a lieutenant
he was appointed as an adjutant
(or aide) to King Oscar I
in 1851. He advanced to Major
(1854), Lieutenant-Colonel
(1856), Colonel
(1858). In 1859 he became Major General
and was chosen by King Karl XV
to be his first aide-de-camp
. Finally in 1875 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
.
1862–1874.
A major issue for Bildt was campaigning in defence of the railways
, particularly routes he considered of military and commercial value to Stockholm
. He garnered support throughout the city – in the Riksdag
, City Council, stock exchange
and among the citizens. He was also a shareholder
and board member
in the company seeking to operate a railway between Stockholm and the Vestmanland mines.
Agriculture
was another subject close to his heart. In 1850 he had called it “our country's mightiest interest”. More diplomatic was his statement in 1869:
In 1864 Bildt was made a Friherre (Baron
).
(Sweden's legislature
) in 1847–1874 and 1887–1894. From 1867, when the Riksdag became bicameral, Bildt sat in the Upper House
(Första kammaren).
As a representative in the House of Nobility, which was the unicameral Riskdag until 1866, Bildt was aligned with Junkerpartiet. Junkerpartiet was a group of conservative free-market nobles
(related term: Prussian Junker
s).
Bildt spoke out for social issues. One was the development of health care
services. Another concerned inadequate schooling for women.
“It is an established fact”, he declared in a speech in 1859, “that the development of our nation depends on the education of women”.
During 1848–1860 he was a reporter to the Statsutskottet (Procedure Committee).
He was a strong supporter of Louis De Geer's 1863 electoral reform bill and the introduction of popular suffrage
.
Bildt was a skillful debater who recognized the legitimate arguments against the reform. He sought to build a consensus rather than engage in the politics of division.
Finally, with two of the four estates on side and a large public backing, he set about overcoming the House of Nobility's inevitable opposition to its own dissolution. Given the popular support for the reform, Governor Bildt had troops at the ready to maintain order in the capital, in the event of the bill
being blocked.
But the nervousness turned to rejoicing as the bill was accepted, finally receiving Royal assent
on 22 January 1866 by King Karl XV
.
The unicameral legislature, representing the four estates, was replaced with a bicameral parliament, consisting of an Upper House
of appointed members (Första kammaren) and a numerically superior and popularly elected Lower House
(Andra kammaren).
A committee
was set up to define the procedures for the new Riksdag. Bildt was elected onto this committee with more votes than any other candidate.
Bildt was also active in the new Riksdag from 1867.
In the Defence Committee as in the chamber he campaigned to maintain the necessary balance and preparedness of army units.
Bildt also continued his work for social justice
, speaking out in favour of extending citizenship
to non-members of the Church of Sweden
and giving married women legal competence over their own affairs.
During the period 1874–1886 Bildt was Sweden's ambassador
in Berlin (see below). In 1886 he became Riksmarskalk (Marshal of the Realm
or Earl Marshal
).
His (re-)appointment in 1887 to the Upper House
by the protectionist representatives on Stockholm City Council was against the wishes of King Oscar II
.
The King did not want a close friend of the Royal Family
involved in party politics and opposing the incumbent
pro free-trade government.
Bildt promised the King not to represent a political party
and remained an independent conservative.
However Bildt did participate in meetings with the protectionist
group in the House. Bildt himself was moderate
ly protectionist.
, negotiating bilateral
agreements on matters such as post
, telegraph
, extradition
and sailor
s.
During his time in Germany Bildt witnessed the introduction by Otto von Bismarck
of the agrarian protectionist system.
In Sweden during this period the Protectionist Party had been established, gaining ground in 1885–1886 due to downward price pressure on Swedish crops
, especially barley
. Demands for duties on imported foodstuffs to benefit Swedish farmers were opposed by pro free-trade prime minister Robert Themptander
. Events took an unexpected turn. The disqualification of Stockholm's 22 pro free-trade members of the democratically elected Lower House
on a technicality
(one member's non-payment of 11.58 kr
in taxes a few years previously) and the appointment, in their place, of 22 protectionist members tipped the balance of power
and brought about Themptander's resignation, opening the door for a new leader.
by King Oscar II
on 6 February 1888. With his first-hand experience of Germany's new agrarian protectionist system and his own protectionist sympathies he was considered an ideal successor.
Archbishop Anton Niklas Sundberg
, former speaker
in both houses, had supposedly been offered the premiership, but turned it down.
With the Protectionists now having control of the Lower House
and numerical superiority in joint votes with the Upper House
, the political direction was clear.
In the interest of reconciliation, the King set Bildt the task of leading a gradual shift from the economically liberal
politics of Louis De Geer towards the more protectionist
system that was becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe.
Bildt's cabinet
was a mix of ministers from the pro free trade
and pro import duty camps. Subsequent cabinet changes shifted the balance further towards protectionism.
While the new taxes meant citizens paying more for food and tools, the state's finances improved in Sweden, as elsewhere in Europe. In Sweden the money was used to reduce the budget deficit, build railways and improve the country's defences.
Bildt's achievements during his rise to the premiership stand out more than his time at the top.
After his years abroad, the aging Bildt was considered out of touch with the political momentum of the time.
Bildt resigned on 12 October 1889, after 20 months in office. The reasons for his resignation are said to be:
Gillis Bildt died on 22 October 1894 at the Royal Palace
in Stockholm, aged 74.
The title Friherre Bildt was inherited by the elder of his two sons, Carl Nils Daniel Bildt (1850–1931).
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, military 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...
, baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
and prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
1888–1889.
Family
Gillis Bildt was born in GothenburgGothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
in 1820, son of Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Fredrik Bildt and Christina Elisabeth Fröding.
His father died 7 years later in 1827.
His mother died in 1858.
In 1848 Gillis married Lucile Rosalie Dufva. They had three children: Adéle Elisabeth Bildt (1849–1914), Carl Nils Daniel Bildt (1850–1931), Knut Gillis Bildt (1854–1927).
His great-great-grandson Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
(b.1949) also became Prime Minister of Sweden
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
(1991), later High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
(1995). Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
is descended from Gillis Bildt via younger son Knut Gillis Bildt (1854–1927).
Military officer
Gillis Bildt made a career in the military as an artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer, rising eventually to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
He passed out from Military Academy Karlberg in Stockholm in 1837 and joined the Göta
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
artillery regiment. He completed his higher education in 1842 in Marieberg, where he had come to the attention of Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Oscar (later King Oscar I
Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte...
) for his diligence and competence.
After graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
he worked as a mathematics tutor for several years, as well as continuing his military career and entering 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...
in 1847.
“Bildt was not a member of the wealthy or the upper nobilitySwedish nobilityThe Swedish nobility were historically a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, part of the so-called frälse . Today, the nobility is still very much a part of Swedish society but they do not maintain many of their former privileges...
”, chronicles the writer Harald Wieselgren. “His personality alone gave him a lever up in the world. The competent artillery officer, the charming cavalier, the exemplary young man were combined in the persona of Bildt”.
While a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
he was appointed as an adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
(or aide) to King Oscar I
Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte...
in 1851. He advanced to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(1854), 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...
(1856), 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...
(1858). In 1859 he became Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and was chosen by King Karl XV
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
to be his first aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
. Finally in 1875 he was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
Governor
Bildt's early political titles included Governor of Gotland 1858–1862 and Governor of StockholmOver-Governor of Stockholm
The Over-Governor, or Överståthållaren of Stockholm was the highest official for the City between 1634 and 1967. The Office was instituted by the Instrument of Government of 1634, which divided Sweden into Counties and the Over-Governorship of Stockholm...
1862–1874.
A major issue for Bildt was campaigning in defence of the railways
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, particularly routes he considered of military and commercial value to 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...
. He garnered support throughout the city – in 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...
, City Council, stock exchange
Stockholm Stock Exchange
The Stockholm Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1863 it is the primary securities exchange of the Nordic Countries....
and among the citizens. He was also a shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
and board member
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
in the company seeking to operate a railway between Stockholm and the Vestmanland mines.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
was another subject close to his heart. In 1850 he had called it “our country's mightiest interest”. More diplomatic was his statement in 1869:
“I believe that much can be done to benefit our agriculture, but not by means of more or less public money. For who should give up their allocation, if not the non-farm sector; alas they are not in a position to do without.”
In 1864 Bildt was made a Friherre (Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
).
Parliamentarian
Bildt was a Member of the RiksdagParliament 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...
(Sweden's legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
) in 1847–1874 and 1887–1894. From 1867, when the Riksdag became bicameral, Bildt sat in the Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
(Första kammaren).
As a representative in the House of Nobility, which was the unicameral Riskdag until 1866, Bildt was aligned with Junkerpartiet. Junkerpartiet was a group of conservative free-market nobles
(related term: Prussian Junker
Junker
A Junker was a member of the landed nobility of Prussia and eastern Germany. These families were mostly part of the German Uradel and carried on the colonization and Christianization of the northeastern European territories during the medieval Ostsiedlung. The abbreviation of Junker is Jkr...
s).
Bildt spoke out for social issues. One was the development of health care
Health care politics
Health policy can be defined as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society." According to the World Health Organization, an explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future; it outlines...
services. Another concerned inadequate schooling for women.
“It is an established fact”, he declared in a speech in 1859, “that the development of our nation depends on the education of women”.
During 1848–1860 he was a reporter to the Statsutskottet (Procedure Committee).
He was a strong supporter of Louis De Geer's 1863 electoral reform bill and the introduction of popular suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
.
Bildt was a skillful debater who recognized the legitimate arguments against the reform. He sought to build a consensus rather than engage in the politics of division.
Finally, with two of the four estates on side and a large public backing, he set about overcoming the House of Nobility's inevitable opposition to its own dissolution. Given the popular support for the reform, Governor Bildt had troops at the ready to maintain order in the capital, in the event of the bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
being blocked.
But the nervousness turned to rejoicing as the bill was accepted, finally receiving Royal assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 22 January 1866 by King Karl XV
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
.
The unicameral legislature, representing the four estates, was replaced with a bicameral parliament, consisting of an Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
of appointed members (Första kammaren) and a numerically superior and popularly elected Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
(Andra kammaren).
A committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
was set up to define the procedures for the new Riksdag. Bildt was elected onto this committee with more votes than any other candidate.
Bildt was also active in the new Riksdag from 1867.
In the Defence Committee as in the chamber he campaigned to maintain the necessary balance and preparedness of army units.
Bildt also continued his work for social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, speaking out in favour of extending citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
to non-members of the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
and giving married women legal competence over their own affairs.
During the period 1874–1886 Bildt was Sweden's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in Berlin (see below). In 1886 he became Riksmarskalk (Marshal of the Realm
or Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
).
His (re-)appointment in 1887 to the Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
by the protectionist representatives on Stockholm City Council was against the wishes of King Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
.
The King did not want a close friend of the Royal Family
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
involved in party politics and opposing the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
pro free-trade government.
Bildt promised the King not to represent a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and remained an independent conservative.
However Bildt did participate in meetings with the protectionist
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
group in the House. Bildt himself was moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
ly protectionist.
Ambassador
As Swedish ambassador in Germany 1874–1886, Bildt strengthened ties between Sweden and the new German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, negotiating bilateral
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
agreements on matters such as post
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
, telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
, extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
and sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s.
During his time in Germany Bildt witnessed the introduction by Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
of the agrarian protectionist system.
In Sweden during this period the Protectionist Party had been established, gaining ground in 1885–1886 due to downward price pressure on Swedish crops
Crop (agriculture)
A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...
, especially barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
. Demands for duties on imported foodstuffs to benefit Swedish farmers were opposed by pro free-trade prime minister Robert Themptander
Robert Themptander
Robert Themptander was a politician, public official, Finance Minister, Prime Minister of Sweden from 1884 to 1888 during the reign of King Oscar II, and Governor of Stockholm District from 1888 to 1896.-Biography:...
. Events took an unexpected turn. The disqualification of Stockholm's 22 pro free-trade members of the democratically elected Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
on a technicality
Legal technicality
The term legal technicality is a casual or colloquial phrase referring to a technical aspect of law. The phrase is not a term of art in the law; it has no exact meaning, nor does it have a legal definition. It implies that that strict adherence to the letter of the law has prevented the spirit of...
(one member's non-payment of 11.58 kr
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
in taxes a few years previously) and the appointment, in their place, of 22 protectionist members tipped the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
and brought about Themptander's resignation, opening the door for a new leader.
Prime Minister
Gillis Bildt was appointed Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
by King Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
on 6 February 1888. With his first-hand experience of Germany's new agrarian protectionist system and his own protectionist sympathies he was considered an ideal successor.
Archbishop Anton Niklas Sundberg
Anton Niklas Sundberg
Anton Niklas Sundberg was archbishop of Uppsala 1870–1900.He acquired a philosophy doctor's degree in Uppsala, became dean and was ordained a clergyman, and then undertook travel through Europe in 1849-50...
, former speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
in both houses, had supposedly been offered the premiership, but turned it down.
With the Protectionists now having control of the Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
and numerical superiority in joint votes with the Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
, the political direction was clear.
In the interest of reconciliation, the King set Bildt the task of leading a gradual shift from the economically liberal
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
politics of Louis De Geer towards the more protectionist
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
system that was becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe.
Bildt's cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
was a mix of ministers from the pro free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
and pro import duty camps. Subsequent cabinet changes shifted the balance further towards protectionism.
While the new taxes meant citizens paying more for food and tools, the state's finances improved in Sweden, as elsewhere in Europe. In Sweden the money was used to reduce the budget deficit, build railways and improve the country's defences.
Bildt's achievements during his rise to the premiership stand out more than his time at the top.
After his years abroad, the aging Bildt was considered out of touch with the political momentum of the time.
Bildt resigned on 12 October 1889, after 20 months in office. The reasons for his resignation are said to be:
- His protectionist system had been established.
- He was finding it increasingly difficult to realize his goal, presented in his address at the opening of parliament, of “a society at ease with itself”.
Gillis Bildt died on 22 October 1894 at the Royal Palace
Stockholm Palace
The Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. . Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen , in Gamla Stan in the capital, Stockholm...
in Stockholm, aged 74.
The title Friherre Bildt was inherited by the elder of his two sons, Carl Nils Daniel Bildt (1850–1931).
See also
- Free trade debateFree trade debateFree trade is one of the most debated topics in economics of the 19th, 20th, and 21st century. Arguments over free trade can be divided into economic, moral, and socio-political arguments. The academic debate among economists is currently settled in favor of free trade, with a consensus having...
- Pros and cons of democracy
- Australia's Protectionist PartyProtectionist PartyThe Protectionist Party was an Australian political party, formally organised from 1889 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism. It argued that Australia needed protective tariffs to allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in...
and Free Trade PartyFree Trade PartyThe Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
in the 1880s - Military ranks of Sweden
- History of SwedenHistory of SwedenModern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century...
External links
- Daniel Braw, Tullstriden på 1880-talet, the struggle between protectionists and free-traders.
- Military Academy Karlberg
- Charles XIV - Governance of Sweden through the 1800s, from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Volume V26, Page 214.