Carl August Ehrensvärd (1892–1974)
Swedish Army officer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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General, Count Carl August Ehrensvärd (3 August 1892 – 24 April 1974) was a Swedish Army officer. Ehrensvärd came from a distinguished family with a military background. His father was Admiral, Count Carl August Ehrensvärd, and his great-grandfather was the renowned fortress builder Augustin Ehrensvärd.
Count Carl August Ehrensvärd | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Cala |
Born | (1892-08-03)3 August 1892 Karlskrona, Sweden |
Died | 24 April 1974(1974-04-24) (aged 81) Ystad, Sweden |
Buried | Tosterup cemetery |
Allegiance | Sweden Finland |
Service/ | Swedish Army (1913–39, 1940–57) Finnish Army (1918, 1939–40) |
Years of service | 1913–1957 |
Rank | General |
Commands held |
|
Battles/wars | Finnish Civil War Winter War |
Relations | Carl August Ehrensvärd (father) Albert Ehrensvärd (uncle) Gösta Ehrensvärd (brother) Augustin Ehrensvärd (brother) Augustin Ehrensvärd (great-grandfather) Archibald Douglas (cousin) |
Ehrensvärd's career in the military began in 1911 when he became an officer volunteer in the Svea Life Guards. He served in various capacities in both the Swedish and Finnish armies, participating in the Invasion of Åland in 1918 and commanding the Archipelago Free Corps. He rose through the ranks, achieving the rank of major in the Finnish Army in 1918. Returning to the Swedish Army, Ehrensvärd attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College and the General Staff Academy, eventually serving in staff and teaching roles. His career included significant positions such as head of the Central Department of the General Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff from 1945 to 1947.
Ehrensvärd faced challenges within the military hierarchy, notably the "Meyerhöffer affair" in 1947, where a proposal to appoint a pro-German officer led to opposition. Despite these challenges, Ehrensvärd became Chief of the Army in 1948. He was intended to be the Supreme Commander but was rejected on the grounds that he was better suited for war than peace. He remained Chief of the Army until 1957 when he was promoted to full general and transferred to the reserve.