Swedish Parliament of 1765

Swedish politics from 1721 to 1772 was dominated completely by the paralyzing bickering between the so-called Hat and Cap parties. The Caps, initially led by Arvid Horn, were backed by Russia and England, whereas the Hats were supported by France. The foreign meddling increased steadily, and when Gustavus III seized power in 1772 the most powerful political figure in Sweden was the Russian ambassador. In 1765 the Caps finally managed to regain power in the Riksdag after almost 30 years of more or less disastrous Hat rule. The Caps only ruled for three years, and despite but managed to institute freedom of press and initiate limited free trade reforms.