Great War of North

Of 1700 with 1721, the Great War of North or second war of North saw the confrontation of the Sweden and a coalition joining together the Russia, the Denmark - Norway and the Saxony - Poland (to which united also the Prussia and Hanover, as from 1715).

Sweden made wonders but finally Russia became the capacity dominating over the the Baltic and a major participant in the concert of the European nations.

Antagonism Russo-Swedish

Between 1560 and 1660, Sweden conquered a Baltic empire centered on the Golfe of Finland and including/understanding the provinces of Karelia, Ingrie, Estonia, Livonie. During the War Thirty Year old, it conquered territories in Germany including the west of the Poméranie, Wismar, Bremen and Verden. For the same period, the south of Sweden was taken again in Denmark. This series of victory was especially obtained thanks to an army particularly well trained which could maintain a firepower quite higher. In 1617 by the Traité of Stolbova Russia loses its access to the Baltic and of the internal struggles prevented it from being in position to dispute it. Sweden controlled the outlet of the Russian and Polish products thus. But the come to power of Pierre Ier changed the situation in particular with alliance known mentioned.

The Swedish offensive

Frederic IV opens the hostilities by invading the the Schleswig-Holstein, whose duke is a brother-in-law of Charles XII, and besieges Toenningen. Patkul and they his besiege Rīga. The Russians, them launch out against Narva. Charles XII whose army includes/understands many French officers beats the Danes with Copenhagen the August 8th. He imposes on Denmark the Paix of Travendal restoring the duke of Holstein-Gottorp. The Swedes cross the Baltic by sea and unload in Livonie mid-October. The Saxon ones raise the head office of Riga. Charles XII then starts a race with forced march towards Narva. The November 30th the Russian army including/understanding 23,000 men is crushed with the Bataille of Narva by 8,000 Swedes.

Charles then makes a campaign against Saxony. The Saxon ones are concealed constantly with the combat so that Charles XII penetrates in Poland. He asks to the Poles détrôner Auguste II of Saxony. The May 27th 1702, the Swedes take Warsaw then move on Cracow. Charles XII and Rhenskiöld with 12,000 Swedes beat 16,000 Saxon and 6,000 Poles with the Bataille of Kliszow what enables them to take Cracow the August 7th 1702. The Russians, during this time, start an offensive in Livonie and Ingrie. The fortress of Nöterborg is taken with the autumn 1702 then that of Nienschantz in May 1703. The tsar chooses the mouth of the Neva to build the fortress of Pierre-and-Paul who will give rise to the town of Saint-Petersbourg.

The July 12th 1704, the king of Sweden imposes the election of Stanislas Leszczynski as king de Pologne. When new king de Pologne was crowned, the two sovereigns sign the Traité of Warsaw the November 28th 1705 by which Poland maintained its territorial integrity and left the conflict. Charles XII continues his advantage against Saxony in August 1706. The September 24th 1706 is signed the Traité of Altranstädt between Sweden and Saxony by which Auguste II gives up the Polish crown and alliance with the tsar. Charles XII can from now on launch out against his main adversary, the tsar Pierre Large the.

The turning of the war

During these Pierre years had rebuilt an army based on the principles of its adversary. The tsar made evacuate Poland in order to protect the two roads which led to Moscow, by Novgorod and Smolensk. The tsar was well decided to practice the scorched earth policy in order to starve the Swedish army on his territory. Charles XII awaited the reinforcement of the general Levenhaupt but this last taken of the delay so that the king of Sweden moved towards the south in direction of the Ukraine in order to go to seek the support of the Cosaques of the hetman Ivan Mazepa and to take the road of Moscow by the south. The October 9th 1708, the army of the tsar gains a victory with Lesnaja over the Levenhaupt general thus depriving the army of Charles XII of any supply.

Once arrived in Ukraine, Charles XII, extremely of the support of Mazepa, seeks to obtain an intervention of the Sultan. He starts sits it of the fortress of Poltava in order to carry the decision of this last. The July 8th 1709, the Russians gain the victory of Poltava against the Swedes and make 10,000 prisoners. The king of Sweden manages to escape with the hetman and the Cossacks. He left troops to the back but they capitulated the July 11th 1709 with Perevolotjana. Charles XII takes refuge in Bender on the territory of the sultan.

The elimination of the Swedish power

Even if this decisive defeat did not finish the war it decided on its result. The tsar launches the offensive against the Livonie which it conquers and the Poland and restores Auguste II of Saxony on the throne. The Denmark joined Russia and Saxony and launches the offensive in the south of Sweden but it is stopped by Stenbock. The November 20th 1710, the sultan declares the war in Russia, pushed by Charles XII and the France. The Russian army of Pierre Large the is forced to move towards the south. It enters in Moldavie but it is surprised by an army made up of Turks, Tatares, Pole and Cossacks on Right Bank of the Pruth. The July 20th 1711, the Russian army goes without fighting. Pierre is constrained to sign the Traité of Pruth by which it returns Azow to the Ottoman Empire and engages with destroyed all the fortresses of Dniepr and not to intervene more in the Polish businesses.

Pierre made build a powerful navy in his new town of Saint-Pétersbourg, which parfin to gain a first naval victory against Sweden before invincible, as of July 1714 with the Bataille of Gangut (close to current the Hanko). The Russians occupy most of Finland. Charles returned from exile and gained the fortress of Stralsund but is to see the entry in war against him in 1715 of two new nations, the Prussia and the Hanover, which had already occupied respectively Stettin and Verden.

The last years were very painful for the population civil of current the Finland, completely occupied by the Russian armies. This period (1714 - 1721) is known so much under the name of Grande Rage the Russian armies broke out on the inhabitants, burning the cities and the villages and forcing with the forced labors of the thousands of peasants. A series of Danish and Russian operations of unloading on the metropolitan territory of Sweden completed to seal its total defeat. Starlsund ends up falling, followed by Wismar. In 1718, Charles XII launches the offensive in Norway but he dies the November 30th 1718 at the time of the seat of Fredrikshald.

Peace treaties

Sweden obtained a peace separated with the Hanover from Georges Ier by signing the Traité from Stockholm from November 1719. By this treaty, Sweden yields the duchies of Bremen and Verden. By the Treated of Stockholm of February 1720, Sweden yields to Prussia the Western Poméranie with Stettin. Freedom of movement on the Oder is granted. The July 3rd 1720 is signed the Traité of Frederiksborg between Denmark and Sweden. Denmark seizes the ducal part of the Schleswig but returns the fortresses of Wismar, Stralsund, Wolgast and the island of Rügen.

Sweden then signs with Russia the Traité of Nystad (1721) by which it yields the Karelia, the Ingrie, the Estonia, the Livonie as well as the islands of Dagö and Ösel. This treaty sees Sweden losing all the possessions overseas which it had conquered in the century and half preceding, marginalizing it definitively. Sweden will not have of cease to try to recover these territories, at the time of the Guerre of the hats as at the time of the Guerre of Gustave III, without success until the collapse of 1809 following the Guerre of Finland. Contrary, Russia of Pierre the Large one becomes the power impossible to circumvent in Eastern Europe. This rise to power of Russia starts to worry the western powers, such Great Britain and France.

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