Carl Swartz
Encyclopedia
Carl Johan Gustaf Swartz (5 June 1858 – 6 November 1926) was a Swedish
right-wing politician
who served as Prime Minister of Sweden
from 30 March 1917 to 19 October 1917. He also served as Minister for Finance from 1906 to 1911.
He married Dagmar Lundström in 1886, with whom he had three children, Erik, Brita and Olof.
, Östergötland County
, the son of factory-owner Erik Swartz and wife Elisabeth Forsgren. After completing studies in Uppsala
and Bonn
, he returned to Norrköping to run the family business, tobacco producers Petter Swartz. He came to play a large role in his home town, not least culturally. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of, amongst others, Sweden's private Central Bank
between 1912 and 1917. In 1917, he became the national university chancellor.
As Minister for Finance
between 1906 and 1911, he implemented a number of reforms including integrated income- and property tax, which both became progressive
. With the amalgamation of the right-wing groups of the Riksdag's
lower chamber, Swartz became a member of the inner council of the newly formed Nationella Partiet (English: The National Party) in 1912.
During World War I
he was a key figure in the Riksdag in his capacity as Chairman of the Standing Committee of
Supply between 1915 and 1917. With the fall, due to external pressures and internal disharmony, of the government of non-party aligned Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
, King Gustav V called on the party-political conservative
Swartz to become Prime Minister. He accepted the appointment more out of a sense of duty rather than personal desire for the post. The new government's foremost task was to exercise a calming influence on the bourgeois which was worried, in anticipation of 1 May 1917, by rumours that the February Revolution
in Russia
would spread to Stockholm
.
Swartz was generally considered as a moderate and reasonable conservative, in the style of an old-fashioned and thoughtful mill-owner. He forbade bourgeois defence guards in advance of the 1 May
1917 demonstrations, in return for the Social Democratic Party's
assurance that they would be responsible for maintaining order. Without this political concession, the confrontations could have escalated during the month of May and resulted in a domestic political crisis.
Miscontent stemmed mainly from the fact that the people were living on the brink of starvation. Hunger riots, rather than the political demand for voting rights, lay behind the demonstrations. The situation calmed with the beginning of the potato
harvest in early summer. Swartz also quickly concluded negotiations with the Triple Entente
powers, principally Great Britain
, on imports from the west, which Hammarskjöld had prevented.
The Social Democrats used the hunger riots to put pressure on the right-wing government
, with demands such as universal suffrage
, women's suffrage
and removal of the 40-degree voting scale in municipal elections. The government was divided on these issues. Leader of the left-wing faction, Minister for Civil Affairs Oscar von Sydow
and Minister for Finance
Conrad Carleson agreed with the Social Democrats' and Liberals' proposals. They threatened to resign if Swarz agreed with Minister for Foreign Affairs
Arvid Lindman's
demand to maintain the status quo
. The Minister for Finance was backed by the industry, which wanted an end to the debacle. Swarz was irresolute and felt under pressure from his opponents and his solution was to wait for the spring election. This action was historic: he became the first leading conservative to follow the parliamentary principle
that the people - not the king - should choose the government.
Gustav V attempted for a long time to avoid a breakthrough for parliamentarianism, but his wish to allow Swartz to continue, despite the left-wing parties' success in the 1917 election was undermined by the involvement of Swartz's son in a black marketeering scandal, a violation of existing rationing.
Carl Swartz was also an eminent municipal figure and a generous philanthropist. In 1912, he donated Villa Swartz to the town of Norrköping
, as accommodation for a library
and museum
. He died in Stockholm on 6 September 1926.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
right-wing politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as 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...
from 30 March 1917 to 19 October 1917. He also served as Minister for Finance from 1906 to 1911.
He married Dagmar Lundström in 1886, with whom he had three children, Erik, Brita and Olof.
Biography
Carl Swartz was born on 5 June 1858 in NorrköpingNorrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
, Östergötland County
Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
, the son of factory-owner Erik Swartz and wife Elisabeth Forsgren. After completing studies in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
and Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, he returned to Norrköping to run the family business, tobacco producers Petter Swartz. He came to play a large role in his home town, not least culturally. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of, amongst others, Sweden's private Central Bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
between 1912 and 1917. In 1917, he became the national university chancellor.
As Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Sweden)
The Minister for Finance of Sweden, officially Cabinet Minister and Head of the Ministry of Finance , is a member of the Swedish cabinet and head of the Ministry of Finance. It is often considered the most powerful office in Swedish politics after the Prime Minister.- List of officeholders :...
between 1906 and 1911, he implemented a number of reforms including integrated income- and property tax, which both became progressive
Progressive tax
A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate...
. With the amalgamation of the right-wing groups of the Riksdag's
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...
lower chamber, Swartz became a member of the inner council of the newly formed Nationella Partiet (English: The National Party) in 1912.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was a key figure in the Riksdag in his capacity as Chairman of the Standing Committee of
Supply between 1915 and 1917. With the fall, due to external pressures and internal disharmony, of the government of non-party aligned Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
Knut Hjalmar Leonard Hammarskjöld was a Swedish politician, scholar, cabinet minister, Member of Parliament from 1923 to 1938 , and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917....
, King Gustav V called on the party-political conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Swartz to become Prime Minister. He accepted the appointment more out of a sense of duty rather than personal desire for the post. The new government's foremost task was to exercise a calming influence on the bourgeois which was worried, in anticipation of 1 May 1917, by rumours that the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
in Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
would spread 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...
.
Swartz was generally considered as a moderate and reasonable conservative, in the style of an old-fashioned and thoughtful mill-owner. He forbade bourgeois defence guards in advance of the 1 May
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
1917 demonstrations, in return for the Social Democratic Party's
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
assurance that they would be responsible for maintaining order. Without this political concession, the confrontations could have escalated during the month of May and resulted in a domestic political crisis.
Miscontent stemmed mainly from the fact that the people were living on the brink of starvation. Hunger riots, rather than the political demand for voting rights, lay behind the demonstrations. The situation calmed with the beginning of the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
harvest in early summer. Swartz also quickly concluded negotiations with the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
powers, principally Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, on imports from the west, which Hammarskjöld had prevented.
The Social Democrats used the hunger riots to put pressure on the right-wing government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, with demands such as universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
, women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
and removal of the 40-degree voting scale in municipal elections. The government was divided on these issues. Leader of the left-wing faction, Minister for Civil Affairs Oscar von Sydow
Oscar von Sydow
Oscar Fredrik von Sydow was a Swedish politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from February 23 to October 13, 1921.-Biography:...
and Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Sweden)
The Minister for Finance of Sweden, officially Cabinet Minister and Head of the Ministry of Finance , is a member of the Swedish cabinet and head of the Ministry of Finance. It is often considered the most powerful office in Swedish politics after the Prime Minister.- List of officeholders :...
Conrad Carleson agreed with the Social Democrats' and Liberals' proposals. They threatened to resign if Swarz agreed with Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for Swedish foreign policy.Current ministers:*Carl Bildt Head of Office and Minister for Foreign Affairs.*Ewa Björling as Minister for Foreign Trade...
Arvid Lindman's
Arvid Lindman
Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman was a Swedish Rear Admiral, Industrialist and conservative politician...
demand to maintain the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
. The Minister for Finance was backed by the industry, which wanted an end to the debacle. Swarz was irresolute and felt under pressure from his opponents and his solution was to wait for the spring election. This action was historic: he became the first leading conservative to follow the parliamentary principle
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
that the people - not the king - should choose the government.
Gustav V attempted for a long time to avoid a breakthrough for parliamentarianism, but his wish to allow Swartz to continue, despite the left-wing parties' success in the 1917 election was undermined by the involvement of Swartz's son in a black marketeering scandal, a violation of existing rationing.
Carl Swartz was also an eminent municipal figure and a generous philanthropist. In 1912, he donated Villa Swartz to the town of Norrköping
Norrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
, as accommodation for a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. He died in Stockholm on 6 September 1926.