Frederick I (of Sweden)

Frederick I (of Sweden) (1676-1751), king of Sweden (1720-1751), born in Kassel, Germany. He was a landgrave, or count, of Hessen-Kassel in 1715, when he married Princess Ulrika Eleonora, the sister of King Charles XII. In 1718 Ulrika succeeded to the throne, and two years later she abdicated in favor of Frederick. His royal powers were sharply limited by a new constitution that granted increased legislative powers to the Riksdag, or Parliament, and vested executive power in a committee of aristocrats. The aristocracy was, however, divided into two factions: the Caps, who sought a conciliatory foreign policy, and the Hats, who wanted to regain territory lost to Russia during the reign of Charles. In 1738 the Hats gained a political majority, and from 1741 to 1743 Sweden was at war with Russia. Sweden lost additional territory in Finland, and Russian influence reached into Sweden. Frederick was succeeded by Adolph Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp, who was selected by Empress Elizabeth of Russia.