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Archibald Douglas (1883–1960)
Lieutenant General Count Wilhelm Archibald Douglas (19 July 1883 – 5 July 1960) was a senior Swedish Army officer and nobleman. Douglas had a remarkable career marked by military achievements and high-ranking positions. Commissioned as an officer in 1903, he quickly rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of lieutenant in the Life Regiment Dragoons in 1906. During World War I, he served as a general staff officer in the 1st Army Division, and in 1918, he played a significant role in the Finnish Civil War, becoming captain and lieutenant colonel in the Finnish Army and participating in key battles. Returning to Sweden, Douglas continued his military career, holding various positions such as chief of staff of the 5th Army Division and commanding officer of the Norrland Dragoon Regiment. His promotions continued, reaching major general in 1937, and he later served as Chief of the Army from 1944 to 1948. In addition to his military duties, Douglas was a member of the Stockholm City Council and held roles as aide-de-camp and chief aide-de-camp to King Gustaf V. Apart from his military career, Douglas was also a prolific writer, producing biographical literature, including works on Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim and his ancestor, Swedish Field Marshal Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge. In 1933, together with a number of other officers, Douglas was one of the initiators of the formation of the National Socialist Bloc. The project was an attempt to unite the many different Swedish Nazi organizations to join together in a common party.[2] However, only a number of smaller groups, such as the Swedish National Socialist Union Party and the National Socialist Union, joined. The members of the party came mostly from the upper class and many were officers.[3] Early lifeDouglas was born on 19 July 1883 at Stjärnorp Castle, Östergötland County as the second of four sons of Count Ludvig Douglas, Marshal of the Realm, and Countess Anna Louise Dorotea (née Ehrensvärd).[4] His younger brother, Count Carl Douglas (1888–1946), was a chamberlain,[5] and his elder brother Robert (1880–1955), a nobleman in Germany, married dowager Queen Augusta Victoria of Portugal, widow of King Manuel II. Archibald Douglas was cousin to General Carl August Ehrensvärd (his successor on the Chief of the Army post[1]), Vice Admiral Gösta Ehrensvärd and deputy director of the Ministry of Defence Augustin Ehrensvärd. CareerHe was commissioned as an officer in 1903 and was promoted to lieutenant in the Life Regiment Dragoons (K 2) in 1906. Douglas was lieutenant in the General Staff in 1913 and served as general staff officer in the staff of the 1st Army Division (I. arméfördelningen) from 1914 to 1917. He was promoted to captain in 1916 and did the same year a study trip to Galicia region in Central-Eastern Europe.[6] Back in Sweden, Douglas served as a military history teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in Stockholm from 1917 to 1918 and as general staff officer at the Finnish headquarters during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. During his time in Finland in 1918, he became captain and lieutenant colonel in the Finnish Army[6] and took part in the Battle of Länkipohja and Battle of Tampere. Back in Sweden, Douglas became ryttmästare and squadron commander in the Life Regiment Dragoons in 1919 and taught ground warfare at the Royal Swedish Naval Staff College on and off between 1919 and 1929.[6] In 1922, Douglas returned to the General Staff as captain and became major there in 1924. He served as chief of staff of the 5th Army Division (V. arméfördelningen) from 1923 to 1927 when he became major in the Life Regiment Dragoons. Douglas became lieutenant colonel in the Life Regiment of Horse (K 1) in 1928. He was promoted to colonel and appointed commanding officer of Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) in 1930 and in 1935 Douglas was appointed executive officer of the Life Regiment of Horse.[6] In 1937 Douglas was promoted to major general and appointed commanding officer of Upper Norrland's Troops (Övre Norrlands trupper) and in 1940 he conducted a study trip to Germany and France. In 1942 he was appointed Inspector of the Swedish Army and the year after he was chairman of the Officer Training Investigation (Officersutbildningsutredningen). In 1944, Douglas was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed Chief of the Army. During this time he also served as president of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences from 1945 to 1947.[6] During Douglas' time as army chief, the Meyerhöffer affair occurred. The Meyerhöffer affair involved officer Alf Meyerhöffer, known for his nationalist and pro-German views. He was politically active but later joined the military. Douglas valued Meyerhöffer's skills as a military trainer. Meyerhöffer distanced himself from politics but faced controversy due to his past. The government, under Douglas's support, promoted Meyerhöffer, leading to public and press criticism. The Meyerhöffer affair highlighted internal conflicts within the Swedish military and its relations with Nazi Germany.[7] Douglas retired from the military in 1948.[6] Beside his military career, Douglas was a member of the Stockholm City Council from 1921 to 1923 and served as aide-de-camp to King Gustaf V from 1920 to 1930 and as chief aide-de-camp (överadjutant) to King Gustaf V from 1931 to 1950.[8] Personal lifeIn 1907 he married Astri Henschen (1883–1976) in Ronneby. She was the daughter of Professor Salomon Eberhard Henschen and Gerda (née Sandell).[4] Douglas lived in Villa Parkudden in Djurgården,[9] and also owned Stjärnorp Castle in Östergötland County from 1947. The ancestral Stjärnorp Castle, which his father had purchased back to the family some years before Archibald's birth, was designated as Archibald's family seat. He was the father of the Ambassador Carl Douglas (1908–1961) and company executive Archibald Douglas (1910–1992) and grandfather of financier Gustaf Douglas. Through his eldest son, Carl Ludvig, he is the grandfather of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria, wife of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria. He is also the grandfather of Rosita Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the third wife of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, they divorced in 2008. Douglas wrote biographical literature and biographies of Marshal of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (his Finnish contemporary),[10] and Swedish Field Marshal Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge, his ancestor.[11] DeathDouglas died in a car accident in Grensholm near Linköping on 5 July 1960.[12] Douglas, who was 76 at the time, was on his way home from a visit to Norrköping.[13] His eldest son, the Swedish Ambassador to Brazil Carl Douglas, also died in a car accident, just six months later.[14] Dates of rank
Awards and decorationsSwedish
Foreign
Honours
Bibliography
References
Further reading
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