Robert Themptander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Themptander
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| Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 16 May 1884 – 6 February 1888 |
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| Monarch | Oscar II |
| Preceded by | Carl Johan Thyselius |
| Succeeded by | Gillis Bildt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 February 1844 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 30 January 1897 (aged 52) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Political party | Independent liberal |
| Spouse | Frida Dahlberg |
| Alma mater | Uppsala University |
Oscar Robert Themptander (born February 14, 1844 – died January 30, 1897) was an important Swedish politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1884 to 1888, when King Oscar II was on the throne. He was also the Governor of Stockholm County and the Minister for Finance.
Robert Themptander became Prime Minister when he was just 40 years old. This made him the youngest person ever to hold that job in Sweden's history. He also passed away at a younger age than any other Prime Minister, at 52 years old.
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Robert Themptander's Early Life
Robert Themptander was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Nils Themptander, was an army lieutenant. Robert studied law at Uppsala University. After finishing his studies, he had a very successful career working for the government.
In 1879, he became a member of the Second Chamber, which was part of the Swedish parliament called the Riksdag. At first, he was part of a group that supported the government. Later, he started to work more with the "agrarian party," which represented farmers' interests.
In 1874, he married Frida Dahlberg. They had three children together.
Becoming a Leader
Robert Themptander quickly rose through the ranks in politics. In 1880, he became a minister without a specific department in the government led by Arvid Posse. The next year, in 1881, he became the Minister of Finance. This meant he was in charge of the country's money and economy.
He held this important job for three years. Then, in 1884, at the age of 40, he became the Prime Minister of Sweden. Only one other person, Louis Gerhard De Geer, had become Prime Minister at a younger age.
Challenges and Decisions
As Prime Minister, Themptander was good at working with different groups in parliament. He helped solve a big problem about how Sweden's defense should be organized. This was a difficult issue, but he managed to get it settled in 1885.
However, he faced a tougher challenge with the economy. He wanted to protect a system called "free trade." This system allowed goods to be bought and sold between countries without extra taxes called "tariffs." Free trade had helped Sweden's economy grow and modernize a lot.
But then, food prices around the world started to drop. This was because more food was coming in from North America. Many people in Sweden, especially farmers, wanted to add high tariffs on imported goods. They believed this would protect Swedish businesses and farmers from cheaper foreign products.
The Tariff Debate
The debate over tariffs became very important. In the 1887 election, Themptander strongly supported free trade. This made the election more about this issue than ever before. People running for parliament had to clearly state if they were for free trade or for tariffs. This was unusual because, in the past, people were often elected based on their good reputation.
In Stockholm, the free trade supporters won many seats. But then, it was discovered that one of the winning members had not paid his taxes. Because of this, all the free trade winners from Stockholm were disqualified. They were replaced by people who supported tariffs. This meant that the Second Chamber of parliament ended up with more members who wanted tariffs.
Resignation and Later Life
Robert Themptander tried to get King Oscar II to call for a new election. He hoped this would change the outcome. But the King said no. Because the parliament now had a majority that disagreed with his economic policies, Themptander decided to resign as Prime Minister.
After leaving the Prime Minister's office in 1888, he became the Governor of Stockholm County. He held this position until 1896. Later, he became a director for a company called Trafik AB Grängesberg–Oxelösund.
Robert Themptander passed away in Stockholm on January 30, 1897.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Themptander para niños
