Charles X, king of Sweden

Charles X, 1622–60, king of Sweden (1654–60), nephew of Gustavus II. The son of John Casimir, count palatine of Zweibrücken, he brought the house of Wittelsbach to the Swedish throne when his cousin, Queen Christina Christina (krĭstē`nə), 1626–89, queen of Sweden (1632–54), daughter and successor of Gustavus II.
..... Click the link for more information. , abdicated in his favor. Before his accession, Charles had gained both military and diplomatic experience, fighting under Torstensson Torstensson, Lennart (lĕn`närt tōr`stənsōn), 1603–51, Swedish general in the Thirty Years War .
..... Click the link for more information. in the Thirty Years War and serving under Chancellor Oxenstierna Oxenstierna, Count Axel Gustafsson (äk`səl g
..... Click the link for more information. . As king, Charles remedied Christina's loss of crown lands by securing their restitution at the Riksdag of 1655. He reopened hostilities with Poland and took Warsaw and Kraków in 1655, but Polish resistance became formidable after the heroic and successful defense of Częstochowa Częstochowa (chĕN'stəkô`və), city (1993 est. pop. 258,800), Śląskie prov., S Poland, on the Warta River.
..... Click the link for more information. . Charles's position deteriorated quickly. Czar Alexis of Russia invaded Livonia, Frederick III Frederick III, 1609–70, king of Denmark and Norway (1648–70), son and successor of Christian IV. He at first made great concessions to the powerful nobles but later asserted his own power. In 1657 war with Sweden began anew.
..... Click the link for more information. of Denmark declared war (1657) on Sweden, and Frederick William of Brandenburg deserted his alliance with Sweden. Charles hastened to Denmark, crossed the frozen sea to threaten Copenhagen, and forced the Danes to make peace. By the Treaty of Roskilde (1658) Sweden's southern boundary was extended to the sea; Denmark ceded to Sweden the provinces of Skåne, Halland, Blekinge, and Bohuslan and also Bornholm and part of Norway. Denmark's refusal to renounce an alliance with the Netherlands caused Charles to resume the war in 1658. England, the Netherlands, and France intervened in favor of Denmark. Charles, after concluding a truce with Russia (1658), began to negotiate for a general peace. He died suddenly before the negotiations were ended and was succeeded by his son, Charles XI. His wars were settled to the advantage of Sweden. By the Treaty of Copenhagen (1660) Sweden regained its four southern provinces from Denmark, and by the Treaty of Kardis (1661) with Russia the two countries returned to the prewar status quo. (For the settlement with Poland, see Oliva, Peace of Oliva, Peace of (ōlē`və, –vä), 1660, treaty signed at Oliva (now a suburb of Gdańsk) by Poland and Sweden.
..... Click the link for more information. .) During Charles's reign Sweden lost New Sweden New Sweden, Swedish colony (1638–55), on the Delaware River; included parts of what are now Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. With the support of Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna, Admiral Klas Fleming (a Finn), and Peter Minuit (a Dutchman), the New
..... Click the link for more information. in America to the Dutch.

Charles X, king of France

Charles X, 1757–1836, king of France (1824–30); brother of King Louis XVI and of King Louis XVIII, whom he succeeded. As comte d'Artois he headed the reactionary faction at the court of Louis XVI. He left France (July, 1789) at the outbreak of the French Revolution and became a leading spirit of the émigré émigré (āmēgrā`)
..... Click the link for more information. party. After his failure to aid the Vendée Vendée (väNdā`), department (1990 pop. 509,356), W France, on the Bay of Biscay, in Poitou .
..... Click the link for more information. insurrection, he stayed in England until the Bourbon restoration (1814). During the reign of Louis XVIII Louis XVIII, 1755–1824, king of France (1814–24), brother of King Louis XVI . Known as the comte de Provence, he fled (1791) to Koblenz from the French Revolution and intrigued to bring about foreign intervention against the revolutionaries.
..... Click the link for more information. he headed the ultraroyalist opposition, which triumphed after the assassination (1820) of Charles's son the duc de Berry Berry, Charles Ferdinand, duc de (shärl fĕrdēnäN`, dük də bĕrē`)
..... Click the link for more information. . The event caused the fall of the ministry of Élie Decazes Decazes, Élie (ālē` dəkäz`)
..... Click the link for more information. and the advent of the comte de Villèle Villèle, Jean Baptiste Séraphin Joseph, comte de
..... Click the link for more information. , who continued as chief minister after Charles's accession. Among the many attempts of Charles and Villèle to reestablish elements of the ancien régime, as the prerevolutionary order is called, the law (1825) indemnifying the émigrés for lands confiscated during the Revolution and measures increasing the power of the clergy met with particular disapproval. The bourgeoisie and the liberal press joined in attacking the Villèle cabinet, which resigned in 1827. Villèle's successor, the vicomte de Martignac Martignac, Jean Baptiste Sylvère Gay, vicomte de
..... Click the link for more information. , vainly tried to steer a middle course, and in 1829 Charles appointed an uncompromising reactionary, Jules Armand de Polignac Polignac, Jules Armand, prince de (zhül ärmäN` prăNs də pôlēnyäk`), 1780–1847, French statesman.
..... Click the link for more information. , as chief minister. To divert attention from internal affairs, Polignac initiated the French venture in Algeria Algeria (ăljēr`ēə), Arab. Al Djazair, Fr.
..... Click the link for more information. . However, his dissolution (Mar., 1830) of the liberal chamber of deputies and his drastic July Ordinances, establishing rigid control of the press, dissolving the newly elected chamber, and restricting suffrage, resulted in the July Revolution July Revolution, revolt in France in July, 1830, against the government of King Charles X . The attempt of the ultraroyalists under Charles to return to the ancien régime provoked the opposition of the middle classes, who wanted more voice in the government.
..... Click the link for more information. . Charles abdicated in favor of his grandson, the comte de Chambord Chambord, Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, comte de
..... Click the link for more information. , and embarked for England. However, the duc d'Orléans, whom Charles had appointed lieutenant general of France, was chosen "king of the French" as Louis Philippe Louis Philippe (lwē fēlēp`)
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See studies by V. W. Beach (1967 and 1971).

Charles X

(born Oct. 9, 1757, Versailles, France—died Nov. 6, 1836, Gorizia, Friuli) King of France (1824–30). Fifth son of the dauphin Louis, and grandson of Louis XV, until 1824 he was known as Charles-Philippe, count d'Artois. During the French Revolution he went into exile and became the leader of the émigré nobility. Returning to France in 1814, he led the ultras during the Bourbon Restoration. On the death of his brother Louis XVIII, Charles became king. His popularity waned as his reign became increasingly reactionary. After the July Revolution he was forced to abdicate in favour of Louis-Philippe. His reign dramatized the failure of the Bourbons to reconcile the tradition of the monarchy by divine right with the democratic spirit produced in the wake of the Revolution.

Charles X

1. title of Charles Gustavus. 1622--60, king of Sweden, who warred with Poland and Denmark in an attempt to create a unified Baltic state

2. 1757--1836, king of France (1824--30): his attempt to restore absolutism led to his enforced exile