Count Carl Gustaf Dücker (1663 – 3 July 1732) was a Swedish field marshal (Fältmarskalk) and Royal Councillor.
Born in Livonia, Dücker began his career fighting for the French in the Nine Years' war. At the start of the Great Northern War, Dücker became a subordinate to King Charles XII and served under him with distinction during the Polish and Russian campaigns. Dücker was taken prisoner following the disastrous battle of Poltava, but was released soon after in a prisoner exchange. Upon returning to service, he fought against Coalition forces in Swedish Pomerania, most notably during the siege of Stralsund. After being taken prisoner once again, he returned to Sweden in early 1718 and participated in the siege of Fredriksten.
In January 1719, he was promoted to the rank of field marshal and received the title of count and a seat in the Royal Council. Dücker was also put in charge of the War College but did not become president. Dücker died in 1732 in Stockholm.
Early life
Carl Gustaf Dücker was born in Swedish Livonia in 1663 to Major Carl Fredrik Dücker and Anna Elisabeth Sass. His ancestors originally came from Westphalia before they immigrated to the Baltic region in the 15th century. Dücker would lose his father at a young age after he was killed in a duel.
In 1688, he joined the French Army and served in the Fürstenberg Regiment during the Nine Years' War, seeing action in the campaigns in Catalonia, Piedmont and Flanders. Originally starting out as a cadet, Dücker was soon promoted to an ensign the same year as enlisting. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1691 and then to captain aide-major in 1695. Dücker would return to Sweden following the end of the conflict.
Great Northern War
Rise to prominence
Following the outbreak of the Great Northern War in 1700, Dücker assisted in the defence of Riga after it came under siege by a Saxon Army. On 14 November, he was given the rank of adjutant general and served in King Charles XII's General Staff during the Battle of Narva, where he was wounded. During the Invasion of Poland-Lithuania, Dücker accompanied the king in a rowboat during the crossing of Düna and served as an intelligence officer at the Battle of Kilszów. In August 1702, he was given a diplomatic mission by Charles in which he was tasked with urging Austrian diplomat Philipp Ludwig von Sinzendorf to not visit the king whilst he was on campaign and to instead return to Kraków. Upon his return, Charles then tasked him with negotiating the surrender of the Saxon garrison in Thorn following a nearly five-month-long siege.
In 1704, he was placed in command of a 1,250 strong dragoon regiment composed of men Dücker had himself recruited from Danzig and the surrounding area the previous year. Dücker and his regiment would go on to distinguish themselves at the Battle of Lemburg, being the first regiment to storm the town's fortifications, and at the Battle of Punitz, where they captured a Polish colonel.
In 1706, whilst Charles' main army was advancing on Grodno, Russian and Polish forces had managed to cut off Swedish lines of communication with Livonia. In response, Dücker was sent out with a small force of 900 dragoons in order to try and restore them. On 6 March, Dücker met up with a pro-Swedish Polish force and defeated a Coalition army at the Battle of Valkininkai. Following up on this victory, he then captured the city of Vilnius and seized a number of priceless valuables, ammunition and supplies left behind by the enemy. He also took part in the Battle of Kalisz.
During the Russian campaign, he led reconnaissance missions and participated in skirmishes and engagements against the Russians such as the battles of Oposhnya and Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye. Following the defeat at the Battle of Poltava, Dücker fled with the remains of the Swedish army to the Dnieper and was amongst those who surrendered to the Russians at Perevolochna. However, after a short while in captivity, he was released in exchange for a colonel named Peter Lefort, who was being held prisoner by the Swedes.