Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - XIV. Reign of Ulrica Eleonora and Frederick I, 1719–1751 - F. Recovery and Services of the Hat Party
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The Hat Party and Tess-in 257
F. RECOVERY AND SERVICES OF THE HAT PARTY
Victims of the War Failures. The Hats had greatly
reduced the power of the realm and changed the mili-
tary glory of Sweden into the laughing-stock of the
world. The great mass of the people had now had their
eyes opened and saw with a shudder how the kingdom
was led on to destruction. But the Hats succeeded at
the Riksdag in saving themselves by throwing the
blame for the failure of the war on Lewenhaupt and
his assistant Buddenbrock. By the execution of these
two victims the mistakes of the Hats were expiated.
But the real causes of the unhappy issue of the war
were of a deeper nature.
Attitude of the Empress Elizabeth toward Sweden.
With difficulty the Hats thus succeeded in maintaining
their leadership. They had bought the safety of Swed-
en by placing it under the influence of its enemy in
choosing as heir to the throne one whom none of them
knew or had even thought of before. Empress Eliza-
beth had no doubt assumed that the prince who owed
his appointment to her would remain her ever grateful
tributary king. Both she and her ambassador in Swed-
en assumed a tone toward Sweden as if it were already
a subject kingdom of Russia. The insolence reached its
climax when she had her ambassador administer to
Adolph Frederick a reproof in which she complained
that the heir to the throne had taken as friends and
counselors persons who were unfriendly to Russia,
although all the world knew he owed his election to her.
And if he would not change his ways she would be
compelled to "discontinue her friendly efforts in behalf
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