Axel Rappe

{{About|the general born in 1838|the general born in 1884|Axel Rappe (1884–1945)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Friherre

| name = Axel Rappe

| image = General Axel Emil Rappe.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| order = Minister for War

| term_start = 22 June 1892

| term_end = 27 October 1899

| primeminister = Erik Gustaf Boström

| predecessor = Hjalmar Palmstierna

| successor = Jesper Crusebjörn

| birth_name = Axel Emil Rappe

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1838|10|2|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Arby, Kalmar Municipality, Sweden

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1918|12|18|1838|10|2|df=yes}}

| death_place = Stockholm, Sweden

| resting_place = Norra begravningsplatsen

| resting_place_coordinates =

| nationality = Swedish

| party =

| spouse =

| relations =

| children =

| parents =

| residence =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Military officer

| cabinet =

| awards =

| signature =

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| allegiance =

| branch = Swedish Army

| serviceyears = 1859–1903

| rank = General

| unit =

| commands = Chief of the General Staff

| battles = Franco-Prussian War

| mawards =

}}

Friherre General Axel Emil Rappe (2 October 1838 – 18 December 1918) was a Swedish Army officer and Minister of War from 1892 and 1899.

Early life

Rappe was born on 2 October 1838 in Christinelund manor in Arby, Kalmar County, the son of county governor Baron {{ill|Axel Ludvig Rappe|sv}} and his wife Lisette Björnstjerna.{{cite book |date=1944 |title=Vem var det?: biografier över bortgångna svenska män och kvinnor samt kronologisk förteckning över skilda ämbetens och tjänsters innehavare |trans-title=Who was it?: biographies of deceased Swedish men and women and chronological list of different office and services holders |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|8079633}} |url=https://runeberg.org/vemvardet/0156.html |page=156}} He passed studentexamen in 1857 and then kansliexamen in 1860, both in the city of Uppsala.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/spg/3/0014.html |editor1-last=Hildebrand |editor1-first=Albin |editor2-last=Bergenstråhle |editor2-first=Edvard |date=1899 |title=Svenskt porträttgalleri |volume=3, Konungens statsråd, Konungens högsta domstol, Kungl. Maj:ts kansli, Kungl. Maj:ts beskickningar till främmande makter samt svenska och norska aflönade generalkonsuler, konsuler och vice konsuler |location=Stockholm |publisher=Tullberg |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|384675}} |page=8}}

Career

Rappe was commissioned as an officer in 1859 and was appointed underlöjtnant and was assigned to Uppland Regiment (I 8) the same year. He became a general staff officer in 1865. Rappe served in the French Army during the Franco-Prussian War from 1870 to 1871 and then in the French Army in Algeria from 1871 to 1872. Back in Sweden, Rappe became captain in the Swedish Army in 1870 and of the General Staff in 1873.

He was promoted to major in 1874 and major of the General Staff in 1876 and served as Chief of Staff of the 4th Military District (Fjärde militärdistriktet) from 1878 to 1879. Rappe was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Bohuslän Regiment (I 17) in 1879 and was promoted to colonel in the army in 1881. He was appointed commanding officer of Bohuslän Regiment in 1882 and Acting Chief of the General Staff the same year. In 1885, Rappe was promoted to major general and was appointed Chief of the General Staff. He served as such until 1892 when he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Minister of War and head of the Ministry of Land Defence. In 1899 he resumed his duty as Chief of the General Staff and served as such until 1905. Rappe was promoted to general in 1903.

He has been called the spiritual father of Boden Fortress.

Personal life

Rappe married on 2 May 1875 to Anna Sandahl (1855–1946), the daughter of Professor Oskar Theodor Sandahl and Jenny Magdalena Fredrika Huss.{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=7546 |publisher=National Archives of Sweden |encyclopedia=Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |title=Axel E Rappe |first=Gunnar |last=Åselius |year=1995–1997 |volume=29 |page=687 |access-date=2 June 2017 |language=sv}} He was the father of opera singer Signe Rappe-Welden (1879–1974), Axel Rappe (1884–1945) who also became a military officer, and five more children. He was a member of the men's organization Sällskapet Idun.{{Cite book |last=Levertin |first=Alfred |url=https://runeberg.org/spg/23/0156.html |title=Svenskt porträttgalleri |date=1903 |publisher=Tullberg |volume=XXIII |language=sv |chapter=Friherre Axel Emil Rappe |oclc=185162278}}

Death

Rappe died on 18 December 1918 in Stockholm. He was interred on 22 December 1918 at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.{{cite web |url=https://www.svenskagravar.se/gravsatt/c6178b82-d2de-41fb-ab38-6e29846eb423 |website=www.svenskagravar.se |title=Rappe, Axel Emil |access-date=29 January 2025 |language=sv}}

Dates of rank

Rappe's dates of rank:

13 July 1859 – Underlöjtnant
8 September 1863 – Lieutenant
29 December 1870 – Captain
4 December 1874 – Major
18 April 1879 – Lieutenant colonel and 1st Major
6 May 1881 – Colonel
30 December 1885 – Major general
2 December 1892 – Lieutenant general
4 December 1903 – General

Awards and decorations

50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight and Commander of the Orders of His Majesty the King{{cite book |year=1904 |title=Sveriges statskalender för år 1905 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |language=Swedish |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1905/0147.html |page=123}}
50px {{flagicon|Norway}} Commander 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav
50px {{flagicon|Denmark}} Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog
50px {{flagicon|France}} Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
50px {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} Knight 1st Class of the Order of Saint Anna