Gustaw III w obozie kontrrewolucji. Stanowisko dworu sztokholmskiego wobec sytuacji we Francji po nieudanej ucieczce Ludwika XVI z Paryża w czerwcu 1791 r.

Abstract

Louis XVI from the beginnings did not accept the revolutionary order in France. At the end of 1790 in the king's environment appeared first ideas concerning his future leave from Paris. At the same time friends of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette tried to arouse the most important European sovereigns' interest in the lot of French Royal Family. On Spring of 1791 conspirators on the French court set to realise their plans. The main organizer of Louis XVI’s leave from the French capital was Swedish diplomate and officer, Hans Axel count von Fersen. From the beginnings of April 1791 the king of Sweden - Gustavus III was informed about all conspirators' actions in Paris. Soon he resolved to take an important part in the restoration of ancien regime in France. On 17 May 1791 Gustavus III described his plans in the letter addressed to the Louis XVI’s most trusted emigrée minister, Louis Auguste Le Tonnelier baron de Breteuil. Soon after sending this letter the soveriegn of Sweden left Stockholm and went to Aix la Chapelle. There he waited for messages about successful escape of French Royal Family from Paris. Meanwhile, on 20 June 1791 Louis XVI and his family escaped from Tuilleries. But the next day the king was recognized and stopped at Varennes. On 25 June 1791 the National Assambly (Constituante) “temporary” suspensed the king in his rights. Finally however the monarchists, who were the majority in the National Assambly preserved monarchy and Louis XVI retained his crown. When Gustavus III obtained the message about unsuccessful “Flight to Varennes”, he immediately defined his own aims in the policy against France. He excluded any negotiations with “the rebels” and he resolved that the most important thing in his future policy would be the full restoration of ancien regime in France. On 30 June 1791 Gustavus III met in Aix la Chapelle Hans Axel von Fersen. During this meeting the king decided that Fersen should go to Vienna, where he should try to secure the Emperor's aid against Revolution. Because the king of Sweden was of opinion that Louis XVI was a prisoner of his own subjects, he approved the decision of the French emigrées who proclaimed Louis comte de Provence “the regent” of France. However, on Summer 1791 the most important aim in Gustavus III policy was signing the alliance treaty with Russia and obtaining the aid of Catherine II in projected armed expedition against revolutionary France. In the middle of July 1791 Gustavus III sent his envoys to Vienna, London, Koblenz (the main seat of the French emigrées), Munich, Madrid and Kassel. To Paris he sent two carthographers to reconnaissance the way from Le Havre to the French capital. However it was too late to organize the armed expedition against France in 1791. So on 25 July 1791 Gustavus III left Aix la Chapelle and went back to Sweden. But since then the main aim of his foreign policy was to set up a monarchical cruzade against the French Revolution.