Charles XII of Sweden

The War of North

Frederic IV of Denmark, king de Danemark, Auguste II of Poland, king de Pologne, Pierre I {{er}} of Russia, tsar of Moscovie, was united against this young prince. Once become king, Charles XII decided to tackle the anti-Swedish coalition formed in 1700, including/understanding the Denmark, the Poland and the Russia. The “Guerre of North” lasted until in 1721 and is concluded by the progressive decline from Sweden.

Charles attacked initially the Danes, made the seat of Copenhagen and forced Frederic to sign peace with Travendahl (August 1700). Then, after having swept the Poles with Rīga, it was turned over against the Russia which, 38.000 men, besieged Narva in Estonia, and completely beat it by bright and crushing victory with 8.000 Swedes (November 30th 1700), that is to say more than 1 against 4. There was more 15 000 dead Russian against only 667 dead Swedish. After this battle, it ran to attack Auguste, king de Pologne, gained a victory announced over the edges of the Duna (1701). It decided to finish some with the coalition by completing Poland with Klissow, in July 1702. It was made main from all Poland, détrôna Auguste, in the place of which it put Stanislas Leszczyński, continued its enemy until in his States of Saxony, and the Paix of Altranstâdt in 1706 forced it to sign by which it renonçait with the crown of Poland: the Polish king Auguste II had to yield his kingdom to Stanislas Leszczyński, one of the candidates of Charles XII.

He however had not finished any with the Russia. From Saxony, Charles XII, to the head of an army of 43.000 men, moved on Moscow. He overcame again the tsar with Holovczin in July 1708. At this time, Charles XII was without any doubt one of the most powerful kings of Europe.

Continuation of the war with Russia

The tsar Pierre Large the had seized the Ingrie and had made there build in 1703 a new capital, Saint-Pétersbourg. Charles XII started a campaign then, having for goal to seize Moscow and to force Pierre the Large one to yield immense territories to Sweden, as to sign a treaty of alliance suédo-Russian which would ensure for very a long time the Swedish domination on Northern Europe.

But the army of king de Suède did not have any more the same power but with Narva or Holovczin: deprived of an important convoy of supply on which it counted, Charles diverted his offensive towards the south, through the Ukraine. But, in spite of the assistance of certain cossacks revolted against the tsar (Mazeppa), the Swedes underwent the rigors of the winter of 1709, which was particularly hard, in addition to the Russian ambushes, combined with the Politique of the burned ground. The Swedish artillery, however quite higher than that of the Russians, had been in near total given up because of the intense cold. The moral one of Swedish troops was sapped by the horrible climatic conditions.

The July 8th 1709, the Swedish troops arrived, exhausted, in front of Poltava, a city of which they undertook the seat.

When Pierre the Large one melted on the sides of the Swedish army with an army fresh, equipped well and much more, with Poltava, the July 8th 1709, the battles turned to the rout for Charles XII who, wounded little before by the ball of a Russian rifleman, had had to delegate his command. The Swedes were crushed and Charles XII was constrained with the escape towards the Ottoman Empire, where there remained five years.

Consequences of the wars of Charles XII

The battle was revolving in the history of Sweden, because, as soon as the other European powers had wind of the Swedish defeat, a new coalition was formed, including/understanding this time Denmark, Poland, Russia, the Saxony, the Prussia (ex-Brandebourg), the England and the United Provinces. Each one wanted a share of the Swedish empire.

During his absence, Auguste went up on the throne of Poland, Pierre entered in Livonie, and Frederic, king de Danemark, invades the Scanie. However Charles, to some extent captive of the Turkish S, caused the Door against the tsar. Peace having been concluded between the two powers, one wanted to force it to leave its retirement: it was cut off in its house, defended oneself there (1713) with some servants against an army corps, and went only when the house was on fire.

It left finally, and, taking the costume of a simple German officer, it crossed to horse the States of the emperor, and arrived after sixteen days and sixteen nights of walk at Stralsund (1714). Taken for a Prussian, it was asked him why it was in Swedish territory. It had been threatened to be given to Pierre the Large one. Besieged in this city by a combined Dane army, the Saxon ones, Prussians and Russians, it made wonders of value there; but, the place not being able more to hold, it was withdrawn with Lund in Scanie.

Returned to Sweden even, helped of the councils of the Baron de Goertz, he had managed to restore his business. He decided, to thwart the coalition, to attack the Norway and to make use of it like rampart against his multiple adversaries. At the time of the seat of the extremely Norwegian first, Fredriksten which was going to make it main of the remainder of the country, Charles XII lost the life following a Norwegian bombardment of response, in 1718.

Firmness, the value, the love of justice, dominated in the character of this prince; but it outraged these beautiful qualities and made them often disastrous to its people and itself. With his death, the baron de Gœrtz, his principal minister, was decapitated. After him, its country disappeared from the number of the great powers. Dr. Göran Anders Nordberg wrote in Swedish a history of Charles XII which was translated into French by Carl Gustav Warmholtz. The History of Charles XII by Voltaire, although less complete, is not less exact and offers more interest; it is one of the books best written our language.

Gustaf Cederström painted its funeral in 1878, work shows the drama of dead of Charles XII. Several soldiers carrying the body on a stretcher in snow.

See too

List of the kings de Suède

External bonds

a chart of the kingdom of Sweden (1658-1721)

Partial source

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