SINCONA Auktion 78

Details

Johann Reinhold von Patkul (27 July 1660 - 10 October 1707) was a Livonian nobleman, politician and agitator of Baltic German extraction. Born as a subject to the Swedish Crown, he protested against the manner of King Charles XI of Swedens reduction in Livonia, enraging the king, who had him arrested and sentenced to mutilation and death (1694). Von Patkul fled from the Swedish Empire to continental Europe and played a key role in the secret diplomacy (1698-1699) allying Peter I of Russia, Augustus II the Strong of Saxony and the PolandLithuania - as well as Christian V and his successor Frederick IV of DenmarkNorway - against Charles XII of Sweden, triggering the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. During the first war years, von Patkul retained a key role in the communication between the allies and other European courts, holding positions at king Augustuss court first in Augustuss interests (1698-1700), then in tsar Peters service (1702-1705). In late 1705 Patkul fell from Augustuss favor and was arrested and charged with high treason. Throughout the following year he was detained first in Sonnenstein, then in Königstein (both in Saxony), before Charles XII forced Augustus to extradite him by the Treaty of Altranstädt in late 1706. Patkul spent another year in Swedish detention before Charles XII had him broken on the wheel and decapitated.