De la Gardie, Jacob

Born June 20, 1583, in Tallinn; died Aug. 12, 1652, in Stockholm. Swedish count, military leader and politician; marshal (1620).

De la Gardie was a member of a Swedish military family of French origin and was a big feudal magnate. He headed the Swedish auxiliary detachment that came to Novgorod in 1609 in accord with the Russo-Swedish Treaty to provide aid to the government of V. I. Shuiskii against the Polish interventionists. When the Swedish forces went over to the side of the interventionists against the Russian state, de la Gardie remained at their head. He took part in the conclusion of the Peace of Stolbova of 1617 with Russia. In 1619 he became vicegerent in Revel and in 1622 governor-general of Livland. In the 1620’s he took part in the Swedish-Polish War for the east Baltic lands. From 1632 to 1644 he was a member of the regency council for Queen Christina.