Akademisk afhandling--Upsala.

La thèse explore le lien entre la politique étrangère et la survie politique et économique des villes hanséatiques (Hambourg, Brême et Lübeck) et des duchés de Mecklembourg-Schwerin et de Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp de 1650 à 1730, à travers les relations diplomatiques entretenues par ces petits États avec la France. Les différentes stratégies qu’ils mettent en œuvre afin d’être considérés comme des partenaires diplomatiques par la France font l’objet de la première partie. La deuxième partie est consacrée aux pratiques de la négociation développées par ces États au contact de la France, à leur manière de communiquer avec cette puissance concurrente de l’autorité impériale, ainsi qu’à la prise de décision en matière de politique étrangère. La question de la souveraineté de ces États constitue le fil directeur de la réflexion : ces États, qui jouissent du droit de négocier avec les puissances étrangères à l’Empire, resten soumis à l’autorité de l’Empereur. La troisième partie pose la question de la professionnalisation de la fonction de diplomate dans l’Empire. Trois aspects sont développés. Les éléments permettant de parler de l’émergence d’un métier sont évoqués dans un premier temps, ainsi que les résistances des diplomates à cette première professionnalisation. La situation financière et la vie matérielle des diplomates permettent ensuite de poser la question de leur place dans la hiérarchie sociale de l’époque. Enfin, ces éléments sont complétés par un questionnement sur la culture des diplomates, notamment à travers les relations qu’ils entretiennent avec la République des Lettres et l’analyse de publications, littéraires ou savantes, qui leur sont consacrées. / Through the diplomatic relations maintained with France by the Hanseatic towns (Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck) and the duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp from 1650 to 1730 this thesis will explore the link between foreign policy on the one hand and economical and political survival on the other hand. Therefore, the strategies these states develop in order to make themselves considered as valuable partners by the French government form the first part of the thesis. The second part focuses first on the practice of negotiation these states elaborated in contact with France and then on the way they communicated with a power that challenged the authority of the Emperor. Finally the decision-making in the field of foreign policy is regarded. The question if these small states may really be considered as sovereign states is the leitmotif of this thesis as these small states and Hansestic towns are in fact allowed to negotiate with external powers of the Empire. The third part deals with the diplomatic profession. The question is if the function of a diplomat is becoming a genuine profession or not. To this, three topics are studied: the elements which show that the function of a diplomat is indeed becoming a career is presented first as well as the powers of resistance to this evolution. In a second step the financial situation and the material life of the diplomats allow to examine the place of the diplomats in the social hierarchy. These subjects are at last completed by a closer look on the culture of the diplomats through their close ties to the Republic of Letters and the analysis of literary and scientific publications dedicated to their action.

In 1704 Hedvig Eleonora, the dowager queen of Sweden, commissioned a portrait of herself and her great-grandson, Karl Fredrik, the duke of Holstein-Gottorp, four years of age. The portrait by court portraitist David von Krafft is quite formal in style, and alludes to other royal portraits in a number of dynastic symbols and visual conventions although it is unusual in its composition and subject-matter. There are two very similar copies of this painting, one in the collections of the Swedish National Museum, and one in Schloss Eutin in Germany. The Swedish painting has attracted little interest from art historians and has not been exhibited for many years. The aim of this study is to analyse the paiting in its historical, political and dynastic context. What was the purpose of the painting and what message was it to convey? A comprehensive comparision of royal portraits, commissioned in the late 1600:s and early 1700:s, reveals that many have visual conventions and status-enhancing details in common. However, the double-portrait differs from them in some important aspects. The composition of the portrait was most probably carefully considered. Hedwig Eleonora was an experienced art commissioner after 60 years of shaping the dynastic image-building of her son Charles XI and grandson Charles XII. She was also well versed in the visual use of symbolism and dynastic symbols. When the portrait was painted the unmarried king Charles II had been away in war for several years. The question of succession was pressing and the double-portrait can be read as a visual opinion piece on behalf of one of two possible heirs to the throne, the young Karl Fredrik. The young boy was the current duke of of Holstein Gottorp and the dowager queen herself was born a princess of Holstein-Gottorp. The double-portrait testifies to her life-long efforts to forward the cause of the dukedom. Perhaps it is also a testament to her failure. The king fought a long, wrenching war and when he died, another regent was chosen.