User:Gvssy/Kristianstad's Revolt

Kristianstad's Revolt, also called the Revolution in Christianstad (Swedish: Revolutionen i Christianstad) refers to a revolt in support of Gustav III during his coup d'état in 1772 in the city of Kristianstad by Johan Christopher Toll.

Age of Liberty
After years under the Age of Liberty, many of the high-ranking officers in the Swedish Army were deeply disillusioned over the power held by the Riksdag and the failed wars against Prussia and Russia. Many of the people in the military also held royalist sympathies. The Riksdag had also been discussing disarmament which led to many officers fearing for their jobs.

Plans for the revolt
The Finnish royalist, Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten, established the club "Svenska botten" together with his peers, and it was in this club that plans for a military revolt began to form. The club mainly consisted of noble officers, who saw their estate privileges threatened by the ruling party in the Riksdag.

Sprengtporten considered that the revolt should not be prepared in the capital city, as they could more easily be exposed there; instead, he wanted the plans to be prepared in other places around the fairly extensive Sweden. Sprengtporten believed that the coup would have a larger impact if it originated from one of the larger fortresses in Sweden, since these fortresses had significant garrisons and thus the coup would have a larger chance of succeeding.

Sprengtporten, who was the leader of a regiment in Finland, hoped to assemble a larger force in the fortress of Sveaborg after which he would sail to the area around Stockholm, where he would march towards the capital and eventually link up with other units loyal to the king, thereafter arresting members of the Riksdag and forcing a new instrument of government.

Unexpectedly, Gustav III gained another accomplice who wished to participate in his coup. It was the acting chief huntsman and forester of Kristianstad County, Johan Christopher Toll. Toll had been a part of the Hat Party since 1769, however, the Cap Party had regained power in the spring of 1772 and began scrutinizing the actions of the previous ministry. Because of this, Toll found his position as the chief huntsman threatened, and decided to risk everything out of desperation and attempted gaining the king's trust, which he quickly accomplished due to his connections with Sprengtporten.

Situation in Kristianstad
Around the time of the revolt, large works on the fortification of Kristianstad were still ongoing under the leadership of Johan von Hermansson.