Georg Carl von Döbeln

Infobox Military Person
name= Georg Carl von Döbeln
lived= 29 April 1758 – 16 February 1820
placeofbirth= Stora Torpa, Västergötland
placeofdeath= Stockholm


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= Sweden
serviceyears= 1778-?
rank= Lieutenant General (1813), Major General (1808),
commands=
battles= Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790),
Finnish war,
Second War against Napoleon
awards= Order of the Sword
laterwork=
portrayedby=

Georg Carl von Döbeln (29 April 1758-16 February 1820) was a Swedish friherre, Lieutenant General and war hero.

Georg Carl was born at the "Stora Torpa" manor in Segerstads parish in Västergötland, Sweden to Johan Jakob von Döbeln and Anna Maria Lindgren. When von Döbeln was eight years old the father died and he was put in school by relatives with the aim to become a priest. The boy however, showed affinity for a military life and he was enrolled at the Karlskrona naval academy in 1773. Upon graduating as an officer in 1775, he was directed by the family towards a career in law. Disliking this, he sought employment as a junior officer in 1778.

As a lieutenant, Döbeln took part in Gustav III's Russian War and was shot in the head in at the Battle of Porrassalmi. The wound didn't heal properly and he was forced to wear a black silken bandanna for the rest of his life. During the operation he stayed awake and wrote about it while looking at the whole process with the help of a mirror.

After this he rapidly advanced to colonel and took part in the Finnish War. On 13 September 1808, he led the Swedish troops in the Battle of Jutas. For this, he would become legendary after Johan Ludvig Runeberg wrote his epic poem "Döbeln at Jutas". He successfully led the Swedish retreat from the Åland islands over the frozen Baltic sea. Having re-organized his troops, he engaged hostile forces which ultimately stopped a planned Russian attack on the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

In the Second War against Napoleon he led troops in Swedish Pomerania. Von Döbeln sent troops to relieve Hamburg, which was besieged by the French, without authorisation. For this, he was court-martialled and sentenced to be executed. However, he was pardoned by the king Charles XIV John of Sweden.

Personal life

He was married to Kristina Karolina Ullström (they later divorced). The couple had one son, Napoleon (1802-1847), Although popular, having had an active career and considered a war hero, after his death, von Döbeln lived his last years forgotten and impoverished.

References

* [http://runeberg.org/sbh/dobelgeo.html Döbeln, Georg Carl von] , in "Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon", Herman Hofberg (ed.), Stockholm : Albert Bonniers förlag, 1906.