ARMFELT, GUSTAF MAURITZ, COUNT son of Charles II.'s general, Carl Gustaf Armfelt, was born in Finland March 31 1757. Gustavus III. of Sweden employed him in the negotiations with Catherine II. (1783) and with the Danish Government (1787), and during the Russian war of 1788-90 he was one of the king's most trusted and active counsellors. He displayed great valour in the field. In 1788 when the Danes unex pectedly invaded Sweden and threatened Gothenburg, it was Arm felt who, under the king's directions, organized the Dalecarlian levies and led them to victory. He remained absolutely faithful to Gustavus when nearly the whole of the nobility fell away from him ; brilliantly distinguished himself in the later phases of the Russian war; and was the Swedish plenipotentiary at the conclu sion of the Peace of Verela. During the last years of Gustavus III. his influence was paramount, though he protested against his master's headstrong championship of the Bourbons.
On his death-bed Gustavus III. (1792) committed the care of his infant son to Armfelt and appointed him a member of the council of regency; but the anti-Gustavian duke-regent Charles sent Armfelt as Swedish ambassador to Naples to get rid of him. From Naples Armfelt communicated with Catherine II., urging her to make a military demonstration in favour of the Gustavians. The plot was discovered by the regent's spies, and Armfelt only escaped from the man-of-war sent to Naples to seize him with the assistance of Queen Caroline. He now fled to Russia. When Gustavus IV. attained his majority, Armfelt was completely re habilitated and sent as Swedish ambassador to Vienna (1802), but was obliged to quit that post two years later for sharply attacking the Austrian Government's attitude towards Bonaparte. From 1805 to 1807 he was commander-in-chief of the Swedish forces in Pomerania, where he retarded the conquest of the duchy as long as it was humanly possible.
Armfelt was the most courageous of the supporters of the crown prince Gustavus, and was expelled from Sweden. He found refuge in Russia, where he obtained great influence over Alexander I. He contributed more than anyone else to the erection of the grand duchy into an autonomous State, and was its first and best gover nor-general. The plan of the Russian defensive campaigns is, with great probability, also attributed to him, and he gained Alex ander over to the plan of uniting Norway with Sweden. He died at Tsarskoe Selo, Aug.. 19, 1814.