Enlightened
absolutism, an idea where the ideas of the Enlightenment championed and
implemented by monarchies ruling through divine right, spread across Europe in
the 18th century. From Russia to Spain, monarchies called for rule of law,
reason, and liberalism. Denmark on the other hand experienced absolute
absolutism under a strange circumstances. Reforms aligned to the Enlightenment
movement befell Denmark under the hands of a foreign German doctor named Johann
Struensee.
Name: Johann Friedrich Struensee
Country: Denmark
Position: Prime Minister (De Facto)
Tenure: 1770 - 1772
Contributions:
- Launched radical reforms guided by Enlightenment ideas
Early Life of Johann
Struensee
Born
on August 5, 1737 in Halle, Germany, Johann Struensee was the son of an
official in the Danish duchy of Schleswig-Holstein. Although the Duchy was
under Denmark, it had substantial German population, to which Struensee
belonged. His father raised him under strict religious Lutheran or a pietist
beliefs. Nevertheless, Struensee disappointed his father when he showed great
intelligence and abandoned piety in pursuit of the sciences.
In
the 1760’s, Struensee lived in Altona and became a doctor. Altona was a hotbed
of Enlightenment ideas. While training as a doctor, he became exposed to the
prevailing its ideas. He enjoyed Encyclopaedie of the French and expanded his
knowledge of the science, i.e. in medicine; and also veered further away from
religion and moved towards atheism. In July 1763, he worked with another
intellectual David Panning and contributed articles and essays in the Monthly
Journal for Instruction and Amusement. But the journal only lasted for few
months before being shut down for its radical ideas.
But
other than becoming an atheist and known advocate of the Enlightenment, he also
earned a reputation as a womanizer.
King’s Physician
In
1768, Struensee’s skills as a doctor earned him the appointment as the
physician of the mentally ill Danish king Christian VII. King Christian was
travelling to neighboring countries when he met along the way Dr. Johann
Struensee. Struensee earned the King’s trust and confidence and traveled with
the monarch. He even earned an honor with the King in the University of Oxford
and conferred with a Medical Degree (M.D.). They returned to Copenhagen in
January 1769 and Streunsee took the position of court physician. But as whether
Struensee had the intention beforehand to use his position to elevate himself
in a powerful position remained a question.
Queen Caroline Matilda |
As
Struensee settled in the court of King Christian, he met his majesty’s lonesome
wife. Queen Caroline Matilda lived sad and embarrassing life in Copenhagen. The
British Princess turned Queen came to Denmark at the young age of 15. By the
time Struensee came at court, she lived isolated and unhappy at the presence of
his insane husband. At first, she found Struensee repulsive. But later on, when
she found the King’s treatment of her went better thanks to Struensee’s influence,
she changed her perspective towards him. The impressionable lonely girl fell in
love of Dr. Struensee.
Struensee
courted the Queen. By January 1770, their extramarital affair went notoriously
well known. His influence over the Queen further grew as he successfully
inoculated the crown prince from small pox, a process feared by many a fatal
but also a hope against an equally deadly disease. With the Queen completely in
awe of him only few steps remained between him and power.
In
September 13, 1770, the capable foreign minister Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von
Berstorff fell from grace, a victim of intrigue and King’s unpredictable
behavior. The vacuum of power went to Count Rantzau-Ascheburg, an ally and
friend of Struensee and his family. Struensee, the Count, and another
acquaintance, Count Enevold Brandt, a former chamberlain of the King,
orchestrated their rise to the most prominent position of power, right next to
the king.
Struensee in Power
Struensee’s
clique took over the reins of government. On December 18, 1770, he had the King
signed an order dissolving the council of state and another making himself the maƮtre de requetes. He made the King his
puppet, reporting state affairs only for formality and easily influence the
mentally incapacitated monarch to his will.
Struensee’s Denmark
Denmark
was a modest European country by the time of Struensee’s rise. Compared to its
neighbors, it lacked the economic, political, and military might to transform
into a major power. Much of Denmark’s position in the region was overshadowed
by its more formidable neighbor Sweden. Before, the 2 countries competed for
the domination of the region and the vital Sound that opened up the Baltic Sea
to the North Sea. Denmark fought many wars that placed tremendous burden in its
finances, bringing the country’s position to decline.
Count Bernstorff |
Politically,
the landed nobility dominated politics while series of Kings showed different
styles of rules. Kings showing progressive tendencies or tremendous piety and
autocracy succeeded to the throne. Progress remained stagnant. Few officials
from the nobility served the country well though.
Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Berstorff, before being disgraced in 1770,
proved himself a great administrator. He supported the development of education
and learning. Danish history and literature flourished. And he cemented Danish
control of Schleswig with the support of the Russian Empress Catherine the
Great.
Under
this circumstances, a Denmark that stood fairly in Europe was what Struensee
oversaw to transform in an Enlightenment paradise for the continent to see.
Consolidation and
Reform
Struensee
consolidated power before launching his radical reforms. He removed all
department heads. He removed from office many government officials without paying
any compensation for their service. He replaced them with younger men he knew,
regardless of their competencies. With all other instruments of government gone
and his allies in place, he effectively ruled Denmark, a man who knew nothing
of Danish and Norwegian culture and language.
Nevertheless,
it did not hampered him from launching radical enlightened reforms. He
abolished capital punishment and prohibited torture. He promoted intellectual
freedom by abolishing censorship on September 4, 1770. He also reformed the
civil courts in Copenhagen. Civil servants received salaries instead of favors
in kind.
In
the economy and financial matters, he reduced subsidies and with the reduction
in size of civil servants, resulted to better financial standing for Denmark.
The finance of the government consolidated and better coordinated with the
creation of the Finance Board. Departments were allocated certain sums of money
annually and only allowed to exceed if it was necessary. Free trade also
flourished. He also started state sponsored lotteries in order to increase
revenue.
Spending
of the court also saw reduction. Struensee wanted to separate royal household
expenses from government expenses. Number of balls and amusements reduced.
Nevertheless, he also made reforms to ease the burden of the lower classes. He
repealed salt taxes, which dropped the prices of the condiment vital to the
daily needs of the Danes.
He
also pursued judicial reforms. He reduced the number of courts. In Copenhagen,
the numerous courts overseeing specialized cases were replaced by a single
court called “The Court and Town Council of Copenhagen.” He ceased paying fees
to judges. Instead, judges began to receive standardized salary from the
Treasury. To monitor cases, a list of incarcerated men were posted along with
their crimes, time of arrest and the presiding judge. Struensee hoped to make
dispensation of justice faster through these measures.
Struensee
also made laws that benefited Norway, then under the control of Copenhagen and
Danish Kings. For example, he launched an agrarian reform that brought positive
changes to the advantage of peasants. Danish corn monopoly promoted Norwegian
farmers to supply the crops.
In
1770, harvest failed. Corn and bread prices skyrocketed. Struensee mitigated
the effects by banning the export of grain and corns and allowed importation.
He also issued a prohibition in making spirits out of corn. After which, prices
started to drop and normalize.
In
foreign policy, he moved the country away from the alliance with the Russians
and in to a new friendlier relations with the Swedes.
As
a doctor, he also improved public health by founding hospitals. In December 7,
1770, he issued a decree establishing a hospital for 600 children funded by
taxes from carriages and saddle horses. He also set up a special cabinet with
mattresses in windows of lying-in hospitals for mothers to place unwanted
children safely instead of killing them or placing them in wretched gutters.
To
the great fury of the religious in Denmark, he also converted a church into a
hospital for sexually transmitted disease. More so, the pious people of Denmark
also hated Struensee’s order to reduce the number of religious holidays for
economic reasons. Nonetheless, he also fell to his own whims during his rule
when he decriminalized adultery and allowed the appointment of valets or
servants to vital government positions. All in all, Struensee worked fast to
radically reform the country in less than a year. From March 29, 1771 to
January 16, 1772, he passed 1,069 cabinet orders.
Struensee
furthered his power on July 14, 1771 with the proclamation approved the king
appointing him “gehejme kabinetsminister” a position similar to a Prime
Minister. The new position allowed him to enact orders even without royal
signature.
Fall from Power
Struensee
undoubtedly and obviously made numerous enemies. Disgruntled officials both
dismissed and the remaining despised the licentious and, in their view, the
tyranny of a foreign usurper. He disgusted many for his increasing lavish
parties at the expense of pathetic wages for civil servants and royal
household.
Worst,
Struensee’s adulterous affair with Queen Caroline Matilda removed any form of
patience of the Danes towards him. The relationship was viewed as shameful and
dishonorable to the respected Oldenburg Dynasty. They loathed as news of an
incident in 1771 spread that Enevold Brandt, encouraged by Struensee and the
Queen, locked up and beaten the King after the latter threatened the former
with flogging.
After
the shocking story, another news broke in summer 1771 that Queen Caroline
Matilda gave birth to a daughter and Struensee issued a proclamation ordering
the singing of Te Deums in churches. Many believed the daughter to be a result
of Struensee and the Queen’s affair. As a sign of protest, many walked out
church services.
Struensee
rapid reforms and disgraceful acts with the Queen alienated even some of their
allies. Count Rantzau-Ascheburg for example saw himself alienated by Struensee
and Count Brandt. Moreover, the press that Struensee freed from censorship
turned against him when they spread articles and cartoons opposing and
ridiculing Struensee.
Queen Dowager Juliana Maria |
Finally
in autumn 1771, Count Rantzau-Ascheburg forged a plot along with the Queen
Dowager Juliana Maria and other nobles. The plot went in force on the early
morning of January 17, 1772. The conspirators and their supporters stormed the
rooms of Struensee, Brandt, and Queen Caroline Matilda and placed them under
arrest. The King Christian VII was brought to a carriage and paraded around
Copenhagen in jubilation of the crowd for the symbolic liberation of the
country form the despised and debauch foreign doctor and Queen.
Struensee
found himself later charged with usurpation and lese majeste, which equaled to
treason. At the start of the trial, Struensee stood firm in his trial,
denouncing charges against him as preposterous. He believed the Queen would
protect her, but then later found no hope when he found out she too fell from
grace and also incarcerated. In the end of the trial on April 25, the court
found Brandt and Struensee guilty and condemned to a heinous and torturous
death.
On
April 28, 1772, Struensee and Brandt faced their sentences. Their right hands
chopped off before their heads cut off from their necks. Their bodies suffered
from quartering, placed on the wheel and broken, before being mounted to a
spear. And along all the process, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria observed the
process from an opera glass with delight. Struensee’s end also spelled the same
for his enlighten reforms.
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