Ernst Johann von Biron
Encyclopedia
Ernst Johann von Biron was a Duke of Courland and Semigallia
(1737) and regent of the Russian Empire
(1740).
, Courland
, he was the grandson of a groom in the service of Jacob Kettler
, Duke of Courland, who bestowed upon him a small estate, which Biron's father inherited and where Biron himself was born. He received some education at the academy of Königsberg
, from which he was expelled for riotous conduct. In 1714 he set out to seek his fortune in Russia, and unsuccessfully solicited a place at the court of the Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg
, the consort of the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich
. Returning to Mitau
, he succeeded in gaining a footing at court there through one of his sisters, who was the fancy of the ruling minister, Peter Bestuzhev. Biren's sister's mistress was the young duchess Anna Ivanovna
. During his patron’s absence, Biren, a handsome, insinuating fellow, succeeded in supplanting him in the favour of Anna, and procuring the disgrace and banishment of Bestuzhev and his family.
From this time to the end of the duchess's life, Biron’s influence over her was paramount. On the elevation of Anna to the Russian throne, Biren, who had married Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden
(1703-1782) in 1723, came to Moscow
and received many honours and riches. At Anna's coronation (19 May 1730), he became grand chamberlain, a count of the Empire, on which occasion he is said to have adopted the arms of the French ducal house of Biron
, and was presented with an estate at Wenden
with 50,000 crowns a year.
His behavior soon made him unpopular with Russians of all classes. The Council of the Empire attempted to secure from Anna an aristocratic constitution, but she crushed the powerful nobility, notably the Dolgorukis and the Galitsins, and made Biron the practical ruler of the Empire. Biron's enemies and rivals were swept out of the way, while poor people were ground down by taxation. Russians have described this reign as the Bironorachina and the “German yoke.” Biron is said to have caused over 1000 executions, while the number of persons exiled by him to Siberia is estimated at from 20,000-40,000. As an administrator, however, he showed considerable ability, and maintained order in the Empire.
During the latter years of Anna's reign, Biron increased enormously in power and riches. His apartments in the palace adjoined those of the empress, and his liveries, furnitures and equipages were scarcely less costly than hers. Half the bribes intended for the Russian court passed through his coffers. He had landed estates everywhere. A special department of state looked after his brood mares and stallions. The magnificence of his plate astonished the French ambassador, and the diamonds of his duchess were the envy of princes.
The climax of his elevation occurred when, on the extinction of the line of Kettler, the estates of Courland, in June 1737, elected Biron their reigning duke. He was almost as unpopular in Courland as in Russia, but the will of the empress was the law of the land, and large sums of money, smuggled into Courland in the shape of bills payable in Amsterdam
to bearer, speedily convinced the electors. The duchy was then in dispute between Poland
and Russia. Russian armies were employed to place Augustus III, Elector of Saxony
, on the Polish throne. The Elector had promised the investiture of Courland for Biron. The Emperor Charles VI, subordinating everything to his Pragmatic Sanction
, readily countenanced these violent acts, and the king of Prussia
was bought by certain territorial concessions. The investiture took place in 1739 at Warsaw
by authority of the Polish king and senate.
On her deathbed Anna, very unwillingly and only at his urgent entreaty, appointed him regent during the minority of the baby emperor, Ivan VI of Russia
. Her common sense
told her that the only way she could save the man she loved from the vengeance of his enemies after her death was to facilitate in time his descent from his untenable position. Finally, on 26 October 1740, a so-called “positive declaration” signed by 194 dignitaries, in the name of the Russian nation, conferred the regency on Biron.
Biron's regency lasted exactly three weeks. At midnight on 19 November 1740, he was seized in his bedroom by his ancient rival, Field Marshal Münnich. The commission appointed to try his case condemned him (11 April 1741) to death by quartering, but this sentence was commuted by the clemency of the new regent, Anna Leopoldovna
, the mother of Ivan VI, to banishment for life at Pelym in Siberia
. All Biren's vast property was confiscated, including his diamonds, worth £600,000. A second palace revolution occurred soon after, and the new empress, Elizabeth Petrovna, banished Münnich and permitted Biron to take up his residence at Yaroslav
.
For 22 years, the ex-regent disappeared from the high places of history. He re-emerged for a brief moment in 1762, when the Germanophile Peter III of Russia
summoned him to court. In 1763 Catherine II of Russia
re-established him in his duchy, which he bequeathed to his son Peter
. The last years of his rule were just and even benevolent, if somewhat autocratic. He died at Rastrelli's palace in Mitava, his capital, on 29 December 1772.
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is the name of a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1569 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569...
(1737) and regent of the Russian Empire
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...
(1740).
Biography
Born as Ernst Johann Biren in KalnciemsKalnciems
Kalnciems is a village in the Jelgava municipality of Latvia. It had town rights from 1991 to 2010. The nearby Kalnciems Meadows is a natural habitat for fauna such as the Corn crake, Spotted crake, and Black-tailed Godwit.-Famous people born in Kalnciems :...
, Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
, he was the grandson of a groom in the service of Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
, Duke of Courland, who bestowed upon him a small estate, which Biron's father inherited and where Biron himself was born. He received some education at the academy of Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, from which he was expelled for riotous conduct. In 1714 he set out to seek his fortune in Russia, and unsuccessfully solicited a place at the court of the Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Charlotte Christine Sophie also known as Sophie Charlotte or simply Charlotte , was the wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia. She was the daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen...
, the consort of the Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich
Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia
Alexei Petrovich Romanov , was a Russian Tsarevich. He was born in Moscow, the son of Tsar Peter I and his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina.-Childhood:...
. Returning to Mitau
Jelgava
-Sports:The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and won the 2009/2010 Latvian Football Cup.- Notable people :*August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer...
, he succeeded in gaining a footing at court there through one of his sisters, who was the fancy of the ruling minister, Peter Bestuzhev. Biren's sister's mistress was the young duchess Anna Ivanovna
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
. During his patron’s absence, Biren, a handsome, insinuating fellow, succeeded in supplanting him in the favour of Anna, and procuring the disgrace and banishment of Bestuzhev and his family.
From this time to the end of the duchess's life, Biron’s influence over her was paramount. On the elevation of Anna to the Russian throne, Biren, who had married Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden
Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden
Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden , was a Duchess consort of Courland. She married the Duke of Courland, Ernst Johann von Biron, in 25 February 1723.-Biography:...
(1703-1782) in 1723, came to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and received many honours and riches. At Anna's coronation (19 May 1730), he became grand chamberlain, a count of the Empire, on which occasion he is said to have adopted the arms of the French ducal house of Biron
Biron
-Places:France* Biron, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime département* Biron, Dordogne, in the Dordogne département* Biron, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques départementUnited States* Biron, Wisconsin...
, and was presented with an estate at Wenden
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
with 50,000 crowns a year.
His behavior soon made him unpopular with Russians of all classes. The Council of the Empire attempted to secure from Anna an aristocratic constitution, but she crushed the powerful nobility, notably the Dolgorukis and the Galitsins, and made Biron the practical ruler of the Empire. Biron's enemies and rivals were swept out of the way, while poor people were ground down by taxation. Russians have described this reign as the Bironorachina and the “German yoke.” Biron is said to have caused over 1000 executions, while the number of persons exiled by him to Siberia is estimated at from 20,000-40,000. As an administrator, however, he showed considerable ability, and maintained order in the Empire.
During the latter years of Anna's reign, Biron increased enormously in power and riches. His apartments in the palace adjoined those of the empress, and his liveries, furnitures and equipages were scarcely less costly than hers. Half the bribes intended for the Russian court passed through his coffers. He had landed estates everywhere. A special department of state looked after his brood mares and stallions. The magnificence of his plate astonished the French ambassador, and the diamonds of his duchess were the envy of princes.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to bearer, speedily convinced the electors. The duchy was then in dispute between Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Russia. Russian armies were employed to place Augustus III, Elector of Saxony
Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III, known as the Saxon ; ; also Prince-elector Friedrich August II was the Elector of Saxony in 1733-1763, as Frederick Augustus II , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1734-1763.-Biography:Augustus was the only legitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, Imperial Prince-Elector...
, on the Polish throne. The Elector had promised the investiture of Courland for Biron. The Emperor Charles VI, subordinating everything to his Pragmatic Sanction
Pragmatic sanction
A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor....
, readily countenanced these violent acts, and the king of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
was bought by certain territorial concessions. The investiture took place in 1739 at Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
by authority of the Polish king and senate.
On her deathbed Anna, very unwillingly and only at his urgent entreaty, appointed him regent during the minority of the baby emperor, Ivan VI of Russia
Ivan VI of Russia
Ivan VI Antonovich of Russia , was proclaimed Emperor of Russia in 1740, as an infant, although he never actually reigned. Within less than a year, he was overthrown by the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, Peter the Great's daughter...
. Her common sense
Common sense
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
told her that the only way she could save the man she loved from the vengeance of his enemies after her death was to facilitate in time his descent from his untenable position. Finally, on 26 October 1740, a so-called “positive declaration” signed by 194 dignitaries, in the name of the Russian nation, conferred the regency on Biron.
Biron's regency lasted exactly three weeks. At midnight on 19 November 1740, he was seized in his bedroom by his ancient rival, Field Marshal Münnich. The commission appointed to try his case condemned him (11 April 1741) to death by quartering, but this sentence was commuted by the clemency of the new regent, Anna Leopoldovna
Anna Leopoldovna
Anna Leopoldovna of Russia , also known as Anna Karlovna , regent of Russia for a few months during the minority of her baby son Ivan...
, the mother of Ivan VI, to banishment for life at Pelym in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. All Biren's vast property was confiscated, including his diamonds, worth £600,000. A second palace revolution occurred soon after, and the new empress, Elizabeth Petrovna, banished Münnich and permitted Biron to take up his residence at Yaroslav
Yaroslav
Yaroslav is a Slavic given name, and it may refer to:*Yaroslav I the Wise , Grand Prince of Kiev. Son of Vladimir the Great*Yaroslav II of Kiev , son of Iziaslav II of Kiev...
.
For 22 years, the ex-regent disappeared from the high places of history. He re-emerged for a brief moment in 1762, when the Germanophile Peter III of Russia
Peter III of Russia
Peter III was Emperor of Russia for six months in 1762. He was very pro-Prussian, which made him an unpopular leader. He was supposedly assassinated as a result of a conspiracy led by his wife, who succeeded him to the throne as Catherine II.-Early life and character:Peter was born in Kiel, in...
summoned him to court. In 1763 Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
re-established him in his duchy, which he bequeathed to his son Peter
Peter von Biron
Peter von Biron was the last Duke of Courland from 1769 to 1795.Peter was born in Jelgava as the son of Ernst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Courland, and his wife Benigna von Trotha. When 16 years old, he was forced to follow his family into the Siberian exile. In 1769, Peter was given the...
. The last years of his rule were just and even benevolent, if somewhat autocratic. He died at Rastrelli's palace in Mitava, his capital, on 29 December 1772.
See also
- Robert Nisbet BainRobert Nisbet BainRobert Nisbet Bain was a British historian and linguist who worked for the British Museum.-Biography:Bain was a fluent linguist who could use over twenty languages. Besides translating a number of books he also used his skills to write learned books on foreign people and folklore. Bain was a...
, The Pupils of Peter the Great (London, 1897) - Christoph Hermann von Manstein, Memoirs (English edition, London, 1856)
- Claudius Rondeau, Diplomatic Dispatches from Russia (St Petersburg, 1889–1892).