and an autograph stamp was introduced in order to dispense with the king's personal intervention in the Government. Count Axel von Fersen came to the front as the foremost man in the Hats Party; he was chosen as Landmarskalk (see above), leading the bureaucracy of the nobles.
Opposition grew therefore among the unprivileged classes against the nobility and the bureaucracy. The State's finances were in a bad way, yet in spite of this the country was let in for a war, on the side of France and Austria, against Frederick II. of Prussia (1757), largely owing to the French subsidies. The war was badly managed, but peace was made with Prussia with out loss of territory in May 1762. The Caps took office in the Riksdag of 1765-66. Russia and Prussia decided in union to sup port the Swedish constitution, prolong her general state of weak ness, and at the same time to work against the French influence. A Russo-Danish alliance was also formed with the purpose of maintaining the Swedish constitution. England was on the same side and it is calculated that these powers spent 3,000,00o silver dalers in order to ensure the victory of the Caps, while France's contribution to the Hats amounted to 2,000,000. The cor ruption was shameful. Against the wishes of the royal couple, the Crown Prince married the Danish Princess Sofia Magdalena.
The court had helped the Hats during the Riksdag and by the king's direct intervention the council was obliged to call together the Riksdag which sat from 1769 till 177o. The Caps were now in a minority and their men were left out of the council which was controlled by the Hats. The court had been promised that the king's power would be increased but the Hats did not keep their word. Nor did the Riksdag succeed in solving the great financial problems. In Feb. 1771 Adolphus Frederick died. Somewhat previously Russia and Denmark had come to an agreement that, should any change be made in the Constitution of Sweden in the direction of increasing the king's power, they would uphold the existing Constitution (December, 1769) by force of arms. Sweden's Constitution therefore seemed to be held in greater value by her enemies than by her own people.
and the court party were receiving money from France, the Caps from Russia and England. The parties were of about equal strength. At this juncture the king decided to precipitate a change of the constitution. Col. Jakob Magnus Sprengtporten (q.v.) crossed to Finland to stir up a rising, in which he succeeded but not so quickly as had been expected. Johan Kristoffer Toll (q.v.), a superintendent of forests, went to Skaane and won over the garrison at Kristianstad. Prince Charles. the brother of the king, also busied himself in Skaane. The council got wind of the danger and the king had to act speedily. On Aug. 19, 1772, he collected round him the officers of the Guard and arrested the council in the royal castle. The Stockholm troops declared for him and the people acclaimed him in the streets. The king became again head of the government, with the right to appoint officials. It was an attempt to divide the balance of power between the sovereign and the Riksdag.
Russia and Denmark were furious but did not begin war, being much influenced by the resolute attitude of France. Gustavus surrounded himself with capable men. He was unusually gifted, but too much of a visionary. He had a real passion for the theatre but took up his business as king with honest intent ; an enquiry into the conditions of governmental offices was set on foot and a number of reforms in the administration were instituted as a result. In order to help the finances distilling was decreed a State monopoly and a number of distilleries were founded on behalf of the Crown. This displeased the peasants who wanted to be free to distil and it increased drunkenness. Another cause for dissatis faction lay in the king's efforts to transform the nobility into a court nobility and to manage promotion so as to break the power of the old bureaucracy.