Gillis Bildt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gillis Bildt
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 6 February 1888 – 12 October 1889 |
|
| Monarch | Oscar II |
| Preceded by | Robert Themptander |
| Succeeded by | Gustaf Åkerhielm |
| 31st Marshal of the Realm | |
| In office 1886–1894 |
|
| Monarch | Oscar II |
| Preceded by | Gustaf Adolf Vive Sparre |
| Succeeded by | Fredrik von Essen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Didrik Anders Gillis Bildt
16 October 1820 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Died | 22 October 1894 (aged 74) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Resting place | Solna cemetery |
| Political party | Independent conservative |
| Spouse | Lucile Rosalie Dufva |
| Relations | Carl Bildt (great-great-grandson) |
| Children | Adèle Elisabeth, Carl Nils Daniel, Knut Gillis Bildt |
| Parents | Daniel Fredrik Bildt Christina Elisabeth (née Fröding) |
| Alma mater | Royal War Academy |
| Occupation | Military officer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1837–1890 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Gotland National Conscription |
Baron Didrik Anders Gillis Bildt (October 16, 1820 – October 22, 1894) was an important Swedish leader. He was a parliamentarian, a military officer, a baron, and served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1888 to 1889.
Contents
Gillis Bildt's Family Life
Gillis Bildt was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1820. His father, Daniel Fredrik Bildt, was a Lieutenant-Colonel. His mother was Christina Elisabeth Fröding. Sadly, his father passed away when Gillis was only seven years old.
In 1848, Gillis married Lucile Rosalie Dufva. They had three children: Adéle Elisabeth, Carl Nils Daniel, and Knut Gillis.
You might know another famous person named Carl Bildt. He was Gillis Bildt's great-great-grandson and also became the Prime Minister of Sweden in 1991!
Gillis Bildt's Career
Becoming a Military Officer
Gillis Bildt started his career in the military. He was an artillery officer, meaning he worked with large guns and cannons. He eventually rose to the high rank of Lieutenant General.
He graduated from the Royal War Academy in Stockholm in 1837. He then joined the Göta artillery regiment. In 1842, he finished his higher education. He was noticed by Crown Prince Oscar (who later became King Oscar I) because he was very hardworking and skilled. After graduating, he taught mathematics for several years. He also continued his military work and became a member of the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) in 1847.
In 1851, when he was a lieutenant, he became an adjutant (a special assistant) to King Oscar I. He quickly moved up the ranks:
- Major in 1854
- Lieutenant-Colonel in 1856
- Colonel in 1858
- Major General in 1859. King Karl XV chose him to be his main aide.
- Finally, in 1875, he was promoted to Lieutenant General.
Serving as Governor
Bildt also held important political jobs as a governor. He was the Governor of Gotland from 1858 to 1862. Then, he became the Governor of Stockholm from 1862 to 1874.
As governor, he strongly supported building railways. He believed railways were important for both military use and for trade in Stockholm. He got a lot of support for this idea from people in the city, including those in parliament and on the city council. He even owned shares and was on the board of a company that wanted to build a railway.
Agriculture was another topic he cared deeply about. In 1850, he said it was "our country's mightiest interest," meaning he thought it was the most important thing for Sweden.
In 1864, Gillis Bildt was given the title of Friherre, which means Baron.
Working in Parliament
Bildt was a member of the Riksdag (Sweden's law-making body) for many years, from 1847 to 1874 and again from 1887 to 1894. After 1867, when the Riksdag changed to have two parts, Bildt was in the Upper House.
He was part of a group called Junkerpartiet. These were conservative nobles who believed in free markets.
Bildt also spoke about important social issues. He wanted to improve health care services. He also thought that schooling for women was not good enough. In a speech in 1859, he said, "It is an established fact that the development of our nation depends on the education of women." This shows he believed in equal opportunities for education.
He strongly supported a new law in 1863 that changed how people voted. This law aimed to give more people the right to vote. Bildt was good at debating and tried to bring people together to agree, instead of causing arguments. He helped overcome the opposition from the Swedish House of Nobility, who didn't want to lose their power. Because many people supported the change, Governor Bildt even had troops ready in case there were problems in the capital. But everything went smoothly, and the new law was accepted in 1866.
This change meant Sweden's parliament went from having four groups (called estates) to having two houses: an Upper House (appointed members) and a Lower House (members chosen by popular vote). Bildt was elected to the committee that set up the rules for this new parliament.
In the new Riksdag from 1867, Bildt continued to work for social justice. He supported giving citizenship rights to people who were not members of the Church of Sweden. He also believed that married women should have legal control over their own affairs.
From 1874 to 1886, Bildt served as Sweden's ambassador in Berlin. In 1886, he became Riksmarskalk, which means Marshal of the Realm.
When he was re-appointed to the Upper House in 1887, it was against the wishes of King Oscar II. The King didn't want a friend of the Royal Family involved in party politics. Bildt promised the King he wouldn't represent a political party and stayed an independent conservative. However, he did attend meetings with a group that supported protectionism.
Serving as Ambassador
As Sweden's ambassador in Germany from 1874 to 1886, Bildt helped make the relationship between Sweden and the new German Empire stronger. He worked on agreements about things like post, telegraph, and returning criminals.
While in Germany, Bildt saw Otto von Bismarck introduce a new system called agrarian protectionism. This system put taxes on imported farm products to help local farmers.
Back in Sweden, a Protectionist Party had formed. They gained power in 1885–1886 because the prices of Swedish crops, especially barley, were falling. Farmers wanted taxes on imported food to help them. The current prime minister, Robert Themptander, was against this.
Then, something unexpected happened. Twenty-two members of the Lower House from Stockholm, who supported free trade, were removed from parliament because one of them hadn't paid a small amount of tax years ago. In their place, 22 protectionist members were appointed. This changed the balance of power in parliament. Themptander resigned, and the door opened for a new leader.
Becoming Prime Minister
Gillis Bildt was chosen by King Oscar II to be the Prime Minister on February 6, 1888. Because he had seen Germany's new protectionist system and agreed with some of its ideas, he was seen as a good choice.
With the Protectionists now having more power in parliament, the political direction was clear. The King asked Bildt to slowly change Sweden's economic policies from free trade to a more protectionist system, which was becoming popular in Europe.
Bildt's cabinet (his team of ministers) included people from both the free trade and protectionist groups. Over time, more protectionist ministers joined. While the new taxes meant people paid more for food and tools, the government's money situation improved. In Sweden, this extra money was used to reduce debt, build more railways, and make the country's defenses stronger.
Bildt's achievements before becoming prime minister are often seen as more significant than his time in the top job. After many years abroad, some thought he was not fully aware of the current political trends.
Gillis Bildt resigned on October 12, 1889, after being prime minister for 20 months. He resigned because:
- His protectionist system had been put in place.
- He found it harder to achieve his goal of "a society at ease with itself," meaning a peaceful and harmonious society.
Gillis Bildt passed away on October 22, 1894, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. He was 74 years old.
His title of Friherre Bildt was passed down to his elder son, Carl Nils Daniel Bildt.
See also
