Millingen

Millingen was a Swedish parliamentary reformer and writer. He is best known for his attempt to incite a military insurrection in Sweden in 1812, which became known as Millingen's uprising.

Born in 1771, Millingen graduated from Lund University and became an advocate. He caught the attention of King Gustav IV Adolf with his writing on the constitution and the rights of citizens. Millingen served as a member of the Swedish parliament, where he debated many issues related to the liberation of the people.

Disappointed with the lack of meaningful reforms implemented by the king, Millingen sought to stir up an armed movement against the monarch. He did this through publishing manuscripts in addition to spreading revolutionary ideas among groups of malcontent army officers. Though his uprising was misinformed about the degree of discontent among the Swedish population and poorly planned, the Swedes peacefully forced King Gustav IV Adolf to abdicate the throne on March 7, 1809.

Millingen remained in the background after this coup, but he continued to advocate for liberal democratic ideals. Their relationship with Napoleon probably also caused Millingen to stay back from immediately making an impact in the soon-to-be-retrogressive late-1810s in Sweden.