Fersen, Count Fredrik Axel

Fersen, Count Fredrik Axel (frā`drĭk äk`səl fĕr`sən), 1719–94, Swedish politician and soldier. He served (1743–48) in the French army and retired as brigadier general. As lieutenant general in the Swedish army (1750–57), he distinguished himself in the Seven Years War. Fersen was a leader of the noble faction called the Hats. After the coup of Gustavus III, he became the king's adviser. At the diet of 1789 he opposed the king's war policy and was arrested. He was soon released, and he retired from politics. His history of 18th-century Sweden (largely autobiographical) is more interesting than accurate.