During the reign of Peter I (1682–1725), Russia faced two complex problems, associated with access to the Black and Baltic seas. Azov campaigns 1695–1696, which ended with the capture of Azov, did not allow the issue of access to the Black Sea to be completely resolved, since Kerch Strait remained in Turkish hands.
Peter I's trip to the countries of Western Europe convinced him that neither Austria nor Venice would become Russia's allies in the war with Turkey. But during the “great embassy” (1697–1698), Peter I realized that a favorable situation had developed in Europe for solving the Baltic problem - getting rid of Swedish rule in the Baltic states. Denmark and Saxony, whose elector Augustus II was also the Polish king, joined Russia.
During the Northern War of 1700–1721. Russia fought against Sweden for the return of lands seized by Sweden and access to Baltic Sea. The first years of the war turned out to be a serious test for the Russian army. The Swedish king Charles XII, having a first-class army and navy in his hands, brought Denmark out of the war and defeated the Polish-Saxon and Russian armies. In the future, he planned to capture Smolensk and Moscow.
In 1701–1705 Russian troops gained a foothold on the coast Gulf of Finland, in the Baltic states. Peter I, anticipating the advance of the Swedes, took measures to strengthen the northwestern borders from Pskov to Smolensk. This forced Charles XII to abandon his attack on Moscow. He took his army to Ukraine, where, counting on the support of the traitor Hetman I.S. Mazepa, intended to replenish supplies, spend the winter, and then, joining the corps of General A. Levengaupt, move to the center of Russia. However, on September 28 (October 9), 1708, Levengaupt’s troops were intercepted near the village of Lesnoy by a flying corps (corvolant) under the command of Peter I. In order to quickly defeat the enemy, about 5 thousand Russian infantrymen were mounted on horses. They were assisted by about 7 thousand dragoons. The corps was opposed by Swedish troops numbering 13 thousand people, who guarded 3 thousand carts with food and ammunition.
The Battle of Lesnaya ended in a brilliant victory for the Russian army. The enemy lost 8.5 thousand people killed and wounded. Russian troops captured almost the entire convoy and 17 guns, losing more than 1,000 people killed and 2,856 people wounded. This victory testified to the increased fighting strength of the Russian army and contributed to the strengthening of its morale. Peter I later called the battle at Lesnaya “the Mother of the Poltava Battle.” Charles XII lost much-needed reinforcements and convoys. Overall, the Battle of Lesnaya had a great influence on the course of the war. It prepared the conditions for a new, even more majestic, Russian victory. regular army near Poltava.
March of the main forces Swedish army headed by Charles XII into Russia ended with their defeat in the Battle of Poltava on June 27 (July 8), 1709. Then Russian troops expanded their conquests in the Baltic states, ousted the Swedes from part of the territory of Finland, together with the Poles pushed the enemy back to Pomerania, and the Russian Baltic Fleet won brilliant victories at Gangut (1714) and Grengam (1720). The Northern War ended with the Peace of Nystadt in 1721. Victory in it provided Russia with access to the Baltic Sea.
Battle of Poltava June 27 (July 8), 1709 – Day military glory(victory day) of Russia
The Battle of Poltava June 27 (July 8), 1709 - a general battle between the Russian and Swedish armies during the Northern War of 1700–1721.
During the winter of 1708–1709. Russian troops, avoiding a general battle, exhausted the forces of the Swedish invaders in separate battles and clashes. In the spring of 1709, Charles XII decided to resume the attack on Moscow through Kharkov and Belgorod. In order to create favorable conditions To carry out this operation, it was planned to first capture Poltava. The city garrison under the command of the commandant Colonel A.S. Kelina numbered only 4.2 thousand soldiers and officers, who were supported by about 2.5 thousand armed townspeople, the cavalry that approached the city, Lieutenant General A.D. Menshikov and Ukrainian Cossacks. They heroically defended Poltava, withstanding 20 assaults. As a result, the Swedish army (35 thousand people) was detained under the walls of the city for two months, from April 30 (May 11) to June 27 (July 8), 1709. The persistent defense of the city made it possible for the Russian army to prepare for a general battle.
Peter I at the head of the Russian army (42.5 thousand people) was located 5 km from Poltava. In front of the position of the Russian troops stretched a wide plain, bordered by forests. On the left there was a copse through which the only possible way for the offensive of the Swedish army. Peter I ordered the construction of redoubts along this route (6 in a line and 4 perpendicular). They were quadrangular earthworks with ditches and parapets, located one from the other at a distance of 300 steps. Each of the redoubts housed 2 battalions (more than 1,200 soldiers and officers with 6 regimental guns). Behind the redoubts there was cavalry (17 dragoon regiments) under the command of A.D. Menshikov. Peter I's plan was to exhaust the Swedish troops at the redoubts and then deal them a crushing blow in a field battle. IN Western Europe Peter's tactical innovation was applied only in 1745.
The Swedish army (30 thousand people) was built in front at a distance of 3 km from the Russian redoubts. Its battle formation consisted of two lines: the first - infantry, built in 4 columns; the second is cavalry, built in 6 columns.
Early in the morning of June 27 (July 8), the Swedes went on the offensive. They managed to capture two unfinished forward redoubts, but were unable to take the rest. During the passage of the Swedish army through the redoubts, a group of 6 infantry battalions and 10 cavalry squadrons was cut off from the main forces and captured by the Russians. With heavy losses, the Swedish army managed to break through the redoubts and reach the open. Peter I also withdrew troops from the camp (with the exception of 9 reserve battalions), who prepared for decisive battle. At 9 o'clock in the morning, both armies converged and hand-to-hand combat began. The right wing of the Swedes began to press the center of the combat formation of the Russian troops. Then Peter I personally led a battalion of the Novgorod regiment into battle and closed the emerging breakthrough. The Russian cavalry began to cover the Swedes' flank, threatening their rear. The enemy wavered and began to retreat, and then fled. By 11 o'clock the Battle of Poltava ended in a convincing victory for Russian weapons. The enemy lost 9,234 soldiers and officers killed and 19,811 captured. The losses of Russian troops amounted to 1,345 people killed and 3,290 people wounded. The remnants of the Swedish troops (more than 15 thousand people) fled to the Dnieper and were captured by Menshikov’s cavalry. Charles XII and Hetman Mazepa managed to cross the river and leave for Turkey.
Most of the Swedish army was destroyed on the Poltava field. The power of Sweden was undermined. The victory of Russian troops near Poltava predetermined the victorious outcome of the Northern War for Russia. Sweden was no longer able to recover from the defeat.
IN military history In Russia, the Battle of Poltava rightfully stands on a par with Battle on the ice, Battle of Kulikovo and Borodino.
Russo-Turkish War (1710–1713)
Russo-Turkish War 1710–1713 took place during the Northern War of 1700–1721. Russia with Sweden and ended unsuccessfully for Russia (see Prut campaign of 1711). Russia was forced to return Azov to Turkey and demolish the fortifications on the Azov coast.
Prut campaign (1711)
The Prut campaign of 1711 was undertaken by the Russian army under the leadership of Peter I into Turkish possessions on the Danube during the Russian-Turkish war of 1710–1713. The Russian command hoped to approach the Danube before the Turks and capture the crossings, as well as to rebel against the Turks local population. The Turkish army managed to prevent the Russian troops from reaching the Prut and actually encircled them. IN decisive moment The Turks did not dare to attack and agreed to peace negotiations. On July 12, 1711, Peter I was forced to sign the Prut Peace Treaty, which was unfavorable for Russia.
Battle of Gangut July 27 (August 9), 1714 – Day of Military Glory (victory day) of Russia
After the victory at Poltava, the Russian army during 1710–1713. expelled Swedish troops from the Baltic states. However, the Swedish fleet continued to operate in the Baltic Sea. During the Northern War of 1700–1721. Russian rowing fleet with 15 thousand. army (99 galleys; Admiral General F.M. Apraksin) followed to Abo. Near the Gangut Peninsula (Hanko), his path was blocked by the Swedish fleet (15 battleships, 3 frigates and a detachment of rowing ships; Vice Admiral G. Vatrang). Having learned that Peter I was preparing a portage, Vatrang sent a squadron (1 frigate, 6 galleys, 3 skerries) under the command of Rear Admiral N. Ehrenskiöld to Rilaksfjord.
On July 26, the vanguard of the Russian fleet (35 galleys) bypassed the Swedish fleet by sea and blocked the squadron in the fjord. After the main forces (Apraksin) broke through to the vanguard and the Swedes refused to surrender, the naval Battle of Gangut began on July 27, 1714. Skillfully using the advantage of rowing ships over line ships sailing ships enemy in the conditions of a skerry area and no wind, 23 scampaways under the command of Peter I defeated the enemy squadron, captured his ships and captured Ehrenskiöld.
The Battle of Gangut - the first major naval victory in the history of the Russian fleet, which ensured freedom of action for the Russian fleet in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, the success of troops in Finland and the occupation of the Aland Islands. Since 1995 – Day of Military Glory of Russia.
Battle of Grenham 1720
The most striking episode last campaign Northern War 1700–1721 Between Russia and Sweden there is a naval battle off the island of Grengam in the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea.
On July 24, 1720, the Russian galley flotilla (61 galleys and 29 boats, which carried 10,941 landing troops) under the command of Chief General Prince M.M. Golitsyna went to sea, trying to reach the Åland archipelago. Two days later, near the island of Lemland, Russian ships met the Swedish squadron of Vice Admiral K. Sheblad, reinforced by the ships of K. Wachmeister's squadron, a total of 14 pennants. The Russian galleys anchored, waiting for the moment to attack. But the wind did not subside, and at the military council they decided to wait for calm weather and then give the Swedes battle.
As soon as the Russian ships began to leave the cover of Redshare Island, they were attacked by Swedish ships. Using the shallow draft of the galleys, Golitsyn began to move away from the enemy in shallow water. Four Swedish frigates, carried away by the pursuit, entered a narrow strait, where they could not maneuver and were poorly controlled. Realizing that in the excitement of pursuit the Swedes had driven themselves into a trap, Golitsyn ordered his galleys to stop and attack the enemy. The Swedes tried to turn around and retreat. Only the flagship succeeded. The frigates Wenkern (30 guns) and Shtorphoenix (34 guns) ran aground and were immediately surrounded. Neither the high sides nor the anti-boarding nets stopped the rush of the Russian sailors who captured the Swedish ships. Two other frigates, Kiskin (22 guns) and Danskern (18 guns), tried to escape into the open sea, but the flagship’s unsuccessful maneuver battleship didn't let them do it. They were also boarded.
Trophies M.M. Golitsyn consisted of 4 enemy frigates and 407 crew members. 103 Swedes died in the battle. The Russians lost 82 people killed and 246 wounded.
The victory at Grenham had a great influence on further move war. She significantly weakened the Swedish naval forces, and the Russians, having strengthened themselves in the zone of the Åland archipelago, were able to successfully operate on the enemy’s sea communications.
The Swedish captured frigates were brought to St. Petersburg, and in honor of the victory a medal was struck with the inscription: “Diligence and courage exceed strength.”
The battle of the Russian rowing fleet at Gangut in 1714, the Ezel naval battle in 1719, and the victory of the Russian rowing fleet at Grengam in 1720 finally broke the power of Sweden at sea. On August 30, 1721, a peace treaty was signed in the city of Nystadt. As a result Peace of Nystadt The shores of the Baltic Sea (Riga, Pernov, Revel, Narva, Ezel and Dago islands, etc.) were returned to Russia. She was among the largest European countries and from 1721 officially became known as the Russian Empire.
North War |
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Eastern, Central Europe |
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Victory of the anti-Swedish coalition |
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Territorial changes: |
Nystadt Peace |
Opponents |
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Ottoman Empire (1710-1713) |
Zaporozhian Army (in 1700-1708 and 1709-1721) |
Crimean Khanate (in 1710-1713) |
Moldavia (in 1710-1713) |
Rzeczpospolita (in 1705-1709) |
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Zaporozhian Army (in 1708-1709) |
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Prussia Hanover |
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Commanders |
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Peter I the Great |
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A. D. Menshikov |
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Devlet II Giray |
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Ivan Mazepa (in 1708-1709) |
Frederick IV |
Kost Gordienko |
Ivan Mazepa (in 1700-1708) |
Ivan Skoropadsky (in 1709-1721) |
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Strengths of the parties |
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Sweden - 77,000-135,000 Ottoman Empire - 100,000-200,000 |
Russia - 170,000 Denmark - 40,000 Poland and Saxony - 170,000 |
Military losses |
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Sweden - 175,000 |
Russia - 30,000 killed, 90,000 wounded and shell-shocked Denmark - 8,000 killed Poland and Saxony - 14,000-20,000 |
North War(1700-1721) - the war between the Russian kingdom and Sweden for dominance in the Baltic, also known as Great Northern War. Initially, Russia entered the war in a coalition with the Danish-Norwegian kingdom and Saxony - as part of the so-called Northern Union, but after the outbreak of hostilities the alliance fell apart and was restored in 1709. On different stages also took part in the war: on the side of Russia - England (from 1707 Great Britain), Hanover, Holland, Prussia, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; Hannover is on the Swedish side. The war ended with the defeat of Sweden in 1721 with the signing of the Treaty of Nystadt.
Causes of the war
By 1700, Sweden was the dominant power on the Baltic Sea and one of the leading European powers. The country's territory included a significant part of the Baltic coast: the entire coast of the Gulf of Finland, the modern Baltic states, and part of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. Each of the countries of the Northern Alliance had its own motives for entering the war with Sweden.
For Russia, gaining access to the Baltic Sea was the most important foreign policy and economic task during this period. In 1617, according to the Stolbovo Peace Treaty, Russia was forced to cede to Sweden the territory from Ivangorod to Lake Ladoga and, thus, completely lost the Baltic coast. During the war of 1656-1658, part of the territory in the Baltic states was returned. Nyenskans, Noteburg and Dinaburg were captured; Riga is besieged. However, the resumption of the war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forced Russia to sign the Treaty of Kardis and return all conquered lands to Sweden.
Denmark was pushed into conflict with Sweden by long-standing rivalry for dominance in the Baltic Sea. In 1658, Charles X Gustav defeated the Danes during a campaign in Jutland and Zealand and seized part of the provinces in the south of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Denmark has refused to collect duties for ships passing through the Sound Strait. In addition, the two countries competed intensely for influence over Denmark's southern neighbor, the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein.
Saxony's entry into the union was explained by the obligation of Augustus II to return Livonia to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth if he was elected king of Poland. This province fell into Swedish hands under the Treaty of Oliva in 1660.
The coalition was initially formalized by a 1699 treaty between Russia and Denmark, with Russia undertaking to enter the war only after peace had been concluded with Ottoman Empire. In the fall of the same year, representatives of Augustus II joined the negotiations, concluding the Preobrazhensky Treaty with Russia.
Beginning of the war
The beginning of the war is characterized by a continuous series of Swedish victories. On February 12, 1700, Saxon troops besieged Riga, but were unsuccessful. In August of that year, the Danish king Frederick IV launched an invasion of the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp in the south of the country. However, the troops of the 18-year-old Swedish king Charles XII unexpectedly landed near Copenhagen. Denmark was forced to conclude the Treaty of Travendal on August 7 (18) and renounce the alliance with Augustus II (the alliance with Peter was not yet known at that time, since Russia had not begun hostilities).
On August 18, Peter received news of the conclusion of the Constantinople Peace Treaty with the Turks and on August 19 (30), also not yet knowing about Denmark’s withdrawal from the war, he declared war on Sweden under the pretext of revenge for the insult shown to Tsar Peter in Riga. On August 22, he marched with troops from Moscow to Narva.
Meanwhile, Augustus II learned about coming out soon Denmark lifted the siege of Riga from the war and retreated to Courland. Charles XII transferred his troops by sea to Pernov (Pärnu), landing there on October 6 and headed towards Narva, besieged by Russian troops. On November 19 (30), 1700, the troops of Charles XII inflicted a heavy defeat on the Russians in the Battle of Narva. After this defeat, for several years in Europe, the opinion about the complete incapacity of the Russian army was established, and Charles received the nickname of the Swedish “Alexander the Great.”
The Swedish king decided not to continue active military operations against the Russian army, but to deliver the main blow to the troops of Augustus II. Historians disagree whether this decision of the Swedish king was due to objective reasons(the inability to continue the offensive, leaving the Saxon army in the rear) or personal hostility towards Augustus and disdain for Peter’s troops.
Swedish troops invaded Polish territory and inflicted several major defeats on the Saxon army. In 1701 Warsaw was taken, in 1702 victories were won near Torun and Krakow, in 1703 - near Danzig and Poznan. And on January 14, 1704, the Sejm deposed Augustus II as king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and elected the Swedish protege Stanislav Leszczynski as the new king.
Meanwhile, there were no large-scale military operations on the Russian front. This gave Peter the opportunity to regain his strength after the defeat at Narva. Already in 1702, the Russians again switched to offensive operations.
During the campaign of 1702-1703, the entire course of the Neva, guarded by two fortresses, was in the hands of the Russians: at the source of the river - the Shlisselburg fortress (Oreshek fortress), and at the mouth - St. Petersburg, founded on May 27, 1703 (in the same place, at the confluence of the Okhta River in the Neva there was the Swedish fortress of Nyenschanz, taken by Peter I, which was later dismantled for the construction of St. Petersburg). In 1704, Russian troops captured Dorpat and Narva. The assault on the fortresses clearly demonstrated the increased skill and equipment of the Russian army.
The actions of Charles XII caused discontent in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Sandomierz Conference, which met in 1704, united supporters of Augustus II and announced the non-recognition of Stanislav Leszczynski as king.
On August 19 (30), 1704, the Narva Treaty was concluded between Russia and representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on an alliance against Sweden; according to this agreement, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth officially entered the war on the side of the Northern Union. Russia, together with Saxony, launched military operations on Polish territory.
In 1705, a victory was won over Leszczynski's troops near Warsaw. At the end of 1705, the main Russian forces under the command of Field Marshal Georg Ogilvy stopped for the winter in Grodno. Unexpectedly, in January 1706, Charles XII sent large forces in this direction. The allies expected to fight after the arrival of Saxon reinforcements. But on February 2 (13), 1706, the Swedes struck crushing defeat the Saxon army at the Battle of Fraustadt, defeating three times the enemy forces. Left without hope of reinforcements, the Russian army was forced to retreat in the direction of Kyiv. Due to the spring thaw, the Swedish army was stuck in the Pinsk swamps and the king abandoned the pursuit of Ogilvy's army.
Instead, he threw his forces into the destruction of cities and fortresses where Polish and Cossack garrisons were located. In Lyakhovichi, the Swedes locked up a detachment of Pereyaslavl Colonel Ivan Mirovich. In April 1706, by order "Zaporozhian troops of both sides of the Dnieper hetman and the glorious rank of the holy Apostle Andrew Cavalier" Ivan Mazepa sent the regiment of Semyon Neplyuev to the Lyakhovichi to rescue Mirovich, which was supposed to unite with the Mirgorod regiment of the Zaporozhye Army, Colonel Daniil Apostol.
As a result of the battle at Kletsk, the Cossack cavalry, succumbing to panic, trampled Neplyuev’s infantry. As a result, the Swedes were able to defeat the Russian-Cossack troops. On May 1, Lyakhovichi surrendered to the Swedes.
But Charles again did not follow Peter’s troops, but, having devastated Polesie, in July 1706 deployed his army against the Saxons. This time the Swedes invaded the territory of Saxony itself. On September 24 (October 5), 1706, Augustus II secretly concluded a peace agreement with Sweden. According to the agreement, he renounced the Polish throne in favor of Stanislav Leszczynski, broke the alliance with Russia and pledged to pay an indemnity for the maintenance of the Swedish army.
However, not daring to announce betrayal in the presence of the Russian army under the command of Menshikov, Augustus II was forced with his troops to participate in the Battle of Kalisz on October 18 (29), 1706. The battle ended with the complete victory of the Russian army and the capture of the Swedish commander. This battle was the largest involving the Russian army since the beginning of the war. But despite brilliant victory, Russia was left alone in the war with Sweden.
Invasion of Russia
During 1707, the Swedish army was in Saxony. During this time, Charles XII managed to make up for losses and significantly strengthen his troops. At the beginning of 1708, the Swedes moved towards Smolensk. It is generally accepted that they initially planned the main attack in the direction of Moscow. The position of the Russians was complicated by the fact that Peter I did not know the enemy’s plans and the direction of his movement.
On July 3 (14), 1708, Karl won the Battle of Golovchin over Russian troops under the command of General Repnin. This battle was the last major success Swedish army.
Further advance of the Swedish army slowed down. Through the efforts of Peter I, the Swedes had to move through devastated terrain, experiencing an acute shortage of provisions. By the autumn of 1708, Charles XII was forced to turn south towards Ukraine.
On September 28 (October 9), 1708, in the battle near the village of Lesnoy, the troops of Peter I defeated Levengaupt’s corps, moving from Riga to join main army Carla. This was not just a victory over selected Swedish troops - for the first time a victory was won over superior enemy forces. Tsar Peter called her mother Poltava Victoria. Pyotr Alekseevich personally commanded one of the two columns of the “flying” corps of the Russian army - the corvolant. Under his command were the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, a battalion of the Astrakhan regiment and three dragoon regiments. The other column (left) was commanded by General A.D. Menshikov. The enemy corps was overtaken near the village of Lesnoy. The Swedish military leader had to take on the battle, which began with a Russian attack. Peter I, with the arrival of fresh dragoon cavalry, cut off the enemy’s road to Propoisk and intensified the pressure on the Swedes. In the evening, the battle stopped due to the onset of dusk and the onset of a blizzard, which blinded the eyes. Levengaupt had to destroy the remains of his huge convoy (most of it became Russian booty), and his corps, pursued by the Russian cavalry, managed to reach the royal camp.
The total losses of the Swedes amounted to 8.5 thousand killed and wounded, 45 officers and 700 soldiers were captured. The trophies of the Russian army were 17 guns, 44 banners and about 3 thousand carts with provisions and ammunition. General Levenhaupt was able to bring only about 6 thousand demoralized soldiers to the king.
In October 1708, it became known that Hetman Ivan Mazepa had switched to the side of Sweden, who was in correspondence with Charles XII and promised him, if he arrived in Ukraine, 50 thousand Cossack troops, food and a comfortable winter quarters. On October 28, 1708, Mazepa, at the head of a detachment of Cossacks, arrived at Charles’s headquarters.
Of the many thousands of Ukrainian Cossacks, Mazepa managed to bring only about 5 thousand people. But they soon began to flee from the camp of the Swedish army. King Charles XII did not dare to use such unreliable allies, of which there were about 2 thousand, in the battle of Poltava.
In November 1708, at the All-Ukrainian Rada in the city of Glukhov, a new hetman was elected - Starodub colonel I. S. Skoropadsky.
Despite the fact that the Swedish army suffered greatly during cold winter 1708-1709 (the coldest in Europe in the last 500 years), Charles XII was eager for a general battle. It happened on June 27 (July 8), 1709 near Poltava, which was besieged by the Swedes.
The Russian army had a numerical advantage in manpower and artillery. After personal reconnaissance of the area, Peter I ordered the construction of a line of six redoubts across the field, at a distance of a rifle shot from each other. Then the construction of four more began perpendicular to their front (two earthen redoubts were not completed by the start of the battle). Now, in any case, the Swedish army had to move under enemy fire during the attack. The redoubts constituted the advanced position of the Russian army, which was a new word in the history of military art and a complete surprise for the Swedes.
The redoubts housed two battalions of soldiers and grenadiers. Behind the redoubts stood 17 regiments of dragoon cavalry under the command of A.D. Menshikov. Behind them were the infantry and field artillery. At 3 o'clock in the morning there was a clash between the Russian and Swedish cavalry, and two hours later the latter was overturned. The advancing Swedish troops ran into transverse redoubts, which they did not know about, and suffered heavy losses. The Swedish infantry tried to break through the line of redoubts, but managed to capture only two of them.
The 20,000-strong Swedish army (about 10,000 more people, including the Mazeppians - Serdyuks and Cossacks - remained in the siege camp to guard it), advanced with 4 columns of infantry and 6 columns of cavalry. The plan conceived by Peter I was a success - two Swedish right-flank columns of generals Ross and Schlippenbach, when breaking through the line of redoubts, were cut off from the main forces and were destroyed by the Russians in the Poltava Forest.
At 6 o'clock in the morning, Tsar Peter I lined up the Russian army in front of the camp in two lines: infantry in the center, dragoon cavalry on the flanks. Field artillery was in the first line. 9 infantry battalions remained in the camp as a reserve. Before the decisive battle, the Russian sovereign addressed his soldiers with the words:
The Swedish army also adopted a linear battle formation and launched an attack at 9 a.m. In a fierce hand-to-hand fight, the Swedes managed to push back the Russian center, but at that moment Peter I personally led the second battalion of the Novgorod regiment into a counterattack and restored the situation. During this battle, one Swedish bullet pierced his hat, another got stuck in the saddle, and the third, hitting his chest, was flattened on his pectoral cross.
Menshikov's cavalry was the first to engage in battle with the advancing royal army on the line of redoubts. When Charles XII decided to bypass the redoubts from the north along the edge of the Budishchensky forest, he was met here again by Menshikov, who managed to transfer his cavalry here. In a fierce battle, Russian dragoons “slashed with broadswords and, having driven into the enemy line, took 14 standards and banners.”
After this, Peter I, who commanded the Russian army in the battle, ordered Menshikov to take 5 cavalry regiments and 5 infantry battalions and attack the Swedish troops, who were separated from their main forces on the battlefield. He brilliantly coped with the task: General Schlippenbach's cavalry ceased to exist, and he himself was captured.
The Russian dragoon cavalry began to go around the flanks of the royal army, and the Swedish infantry, seeing this, wavered. Then Peter I ordered a signal for a general attack. Under the onslaught of the Russians, who were advancing with bayonets, the Swedish troops fled. Charles XII tried in vain to stop his soldiers; no one listened to him. The runners were pursued all the way to the Budishchensky forest. By 11 o'clock the Battle of Poltava was over complete defeat Swedish army. The Battle of Poltava had great value to establish Russia as strong power. The country has forever secured access to the Baltic Sea. The European powers, which had hitherto despised Russia, now had to reckon with her and treat her as an equal.
After the defeat near Poltava, the Swedish army fled to Perevolochna, a place at the confluence of the Vorskla and the Dnieper. But it turned out to be impossible to transport the army across the Dnieper. Then Charles XII entrusted the remnants of his army to Levengaupt and, together with Mazepa, fled to Ochakov.
On June 30 (July 11), 1709, the demoralized Swedish army was surrounded by troops under the command of Menshikov and capitulated. Charles XII took refuge in the Ottoman Empire, where he tried to convince Sultan Ahmed III to start a war against Russia.
In the history of the Northern War, General Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov has the honor of accepting the surrender of the Royal Swedish Army defeated near Poltava. On the banks of the Dnieper near Perevolochna, 16,947 demoralized enemy soldiers and officers, led by General Levengaupt, surrendered to the Russian 9,000-strong detachment. The trophies of the winners were 28 guns, 127 banners and standards, and the entire royal treasury.
For his participation in the Battle of Poltava, Emperor Peter I awarded Menshikov, one of the heroes of the defeat of the Royal Swedish Army, with the rank of Field Marshal. Before this, only one B.P. Sheremetev had such a rank in the Russian army.
The Poltava victory was achieved with “little blood.” The losses of the Russian army on the battlefield amounted to only 1,345 people killed and 3,290 wounded, while the Swedes lost 9,234 people killed and 18,794 prisoners (including those captured at Perevolochna). Tested on hikes Northern Europe royal army Sweden ceased to exist.
Military operations in 1710-1718
After the victory at Poltava, Peter managed to restore the Northern Alliance. On October 9, 1709, a new alliance treaty with Saxony was signed in Toruń. And on October 11, a new alliance treaty was concluded with Denmark, according to which it undertook to declare war on Sweden, and Russia - to begin military operations in the Baltic states and Finland.
During the military campaign of 1710, the Russian army managed to take seven Baltic fortresses (Vyborg, Elbing, Riga, Dünamünde, Pernov, Kexholm, Revel) with little loss of life. Russia completely occupied Estonia and Livonia.
At the end of 1710, Peter received a message about preparations Turkish army to war with Russia. At the beginning of 1711, he declared war on the Ottoman Empire and began the Prut campaign. The campaign ended in complete failure. Peter, by his own admission, barely escaped capture and the defeat of his army. Russia ceded Azov to Turkey, destroyed Taganrog and ships on the Black Sea. However, the Ottoman Empire did not enter the war on the side of Sweden.
In 1712, the actions of the partners Northern Union were aimed at conquering Pomerania - Sweden's possession in south coast Baltic in northern Germany. But due to disagreements between the allies, significant successes were not achieved. According to Peter I, “ the campaign was in vain».
On December 10, 1712, the Swedes under the command of Field Marshal Stenbock inflicted a major defeat on the Danish-Saxon troops at the Battle of Gadebusch. The Russian army under the command of Menshikov did not have time to come to the aid of the allies.
In 1712-1713, the creation of a fleet in the Baltic, which began immediately after the founding of St. Petersburg, noticeably intensified. Peter I not only actively builds, but also instructs his agents in London and Amsterdam (Saltykov and Prince Kurakin) to buy warships. In 1712 alone, 10 ships were acquired.
On September 18, 1713, Stetin capitulated. Menshikov concludes a peace treaty with Prussia. In exchange for neutrality and monetary compensation, Prussia receives Stetin, Pomerania is divided between Prussia and Holstein (an ally of Saxony).
In the same year 1713, the Russians began the Finnish campaign, in which big role The Russian fleet began to play for the first time. On May 10, after shelling from the sea, Helsingfors surrendered. Then Breg was taken without a fight. On August 28, a landing force under the command of Apraksin occupied the capital of Finland - Abo. And July 26-27 (August 6-7), 1714 in Battle of Gangut the Russian fleet won the first big victory on the sea. On land, Russian troops under the command of Prince M.M. Golitsyn defeated the Swedes near the river. Pyalkane (1713), and then under the village. Lappola (1714).
Expelled from the Ottoman Empire, Charles XII returned to Sweden in 1714 and focused on the war in Pomerania. Stralsund becomes the center of military operations.
On May 1, 1715, in response to the demand for the return of Stetin and other territories, Prussia declared war on Sweden. The Danish fleet wins the battle at Ferman and then at Bulka. Admiral General Wahmeister is captured, and the Danes capture 6 Swedish ships. After this, Prussia and Hanover, having captured the Swedish possessions of Bremen and Verden, conclude an alliance treaty with Denmark. On December 23, Stralsund capitulates.
In 1716, the famous campaign of the united fleets of England, Denmark, Holland and Russia took place under the command of Peter I, the purpose of which was to stop Swedish privateering in the Baltic Sea.
In the same year, 1716, Charles XII invaded Norway. On March 25, Christiania was taken, but the assault on the border fortresses of Fredrikshald and Fredriksten failed. When Charles XII was killed in 1718, the Swedes were forced to retreat. Clashes between the Danes and Swedes on the border with Norway continued until 1720.
Final period of the war (1718-1721)
In May 1718, the Åland Congress opened, designed to work out the terms of a peace treaty between Russia and Sweden. However, the Swedes delayed the negotiations in every possible way. This was facilitated by the position of other European powers: Denmark, fearing the conclusion of a separate peace between Sweden and Russia, and England, whose king George I was also the ruler of Hanover.
On November 30, 1718, Charles XII was killed during the siege of Fredrikshald. His sister, Ulrika Eleonora, ascended the Swedish throne. England's position at the Swedish court strengthened.
In July 1719, the Russian fleet under the command of Apraksin carried out landings in the Stockholm area and raids on the suburbs of the Swedish capital.
On November 9, 1719, Sweden signed a treaty of alliance with England and Hanover. Bremen and Ferden were ceded to the latter. Norris's English squadron entered the Baltic Sea with the order to destroy the Russian fleet.
Throughout 1720, the Swedes signed peace treaties with their opponents in Stockholm:
- On January 7, 1720, peace was concluded with Saxony and Poland.
- On February 1, 1720, Sweden made peace with Prussia and finally ceded its possessions in Pomerania.
- On July 14, 1720, the Swedes made peace with Denmark, which received small territories in Schleswig-Holstein, monetary indemnity and resumed collecting duties from Swedish ships for passage through the Sound Strait.
However, in 1720, the raid on the Swedish coast was repeated in the Mangden area, and on July 27, 1720, a victory was won over the Swedish fleet in the battle of Grengam.
On May 8, 1721, new peace negotiations with Russia began in Nystadt. And on August 30, the Nystad Peace Treaty was signed.
Results of the war
The Great Northern War completely changed the balance of power in the Baltic.
Russia became a great power, dominating the Eastern Europe. As a result of the war, Ingria (Izhora), Karelia, Estland, Livonia (Livonia) and South part Finland (to Vyborg), St. Petersburg was founded. Russian influence firmly established in Courland.
It was decided key task the reign of Peter I - providing access to the sea and establishing maritime trade with Europe. By the end of the war, Russia had a modern, first-class army and powerful fleet in the Baltic.
The losses from this war were very high.
Sweden lost its power and became a minor power. Not only the territories ceded to Russia were lost, but also all of Sweden's possessions on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Memory of the war
- Samson (fountain, Peterhof)
- Sampsonievsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg
- In Riga, on the island of Lucavsala there is a monument to Russian soldiers who died heroically during the Northern War. Installed in 1891.
- On August 4, 2007, a holiday dedicated to the victories of the Russian fleet in the Northern War of 1700-1721 was held in Peterhof. It was called "The Day of Gangut and Grengam."
- In the museum in the village. Bogorodsky exhibits chess, the Northern War,
- A lion erected in Narva in memory of Swedish soldiers from the Northern War
- Monument of Glory in honor of the victory over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava in 1709.
Sculptural group "Peace and Victory" ( Summer garden St. Petersburg), installed in front of the southern facade of the Summer Palace, symbolizes the victory of Russia over Sweden in the Northern War and is an allegorical image of the Peace of Nystadt.
After the Battle of Krasny Kut on February 22, 1709, when Charles XII almost died or was captured (but before Battle of Poltava), the Swedish king for the first time agreed to discuss the possibility of peace with Peter the Great. The negotiations did not end in anything, since Karl not only did not want to give up St. Petersburg, but also demanded an indemnity. After the completion of the negotiations, the Swedish representative conveyed Karl’s personal request to the Russians: “his troops cannot provide themselves with provisions, many soldiers are sick, and the Allied Poles are asking prohibitively high prices for supplies, and therefore he would be grateful if the Russians found an opportunity to sell to Swedish foragers grain, wine and necessary medicines, as well as as much gunpowder and lead as possible, but at a reasonable, moderate price.” (!) The Russian Tsar, naturally, did not arm the enemy, but fed and gave him something to drink: he immediately sent the Swedes three free convoys of grain, a convoy of wine and “three carts of various pharmacies, ... in the name of human condolences to the sick and the Lord’s alms.”
Chronology
- 1700 - 1721 North War.
- 1700 Defeat of Russia near Narva.
- 1703 Foundation of St. Petersburg.
- 1709 Battle of Poltava.
- 1711 Establishment of the Senate.
- 1721 Establishment of the Synod.
- 1721 Conclusion of the Peace of Nystad to Russia.
- 1725 - 1727 Reign of Catherine I.
- 1726 - 1730 Activities of the Supreme Privy Council.
- 1727 - 1730 Reign of Peter II.
- 1730 - 1740 The reign of Anna Ioannovna.
In 1700, Russia, in alliance with Saxony and Denmark, declared war on Sweden and began the siege of Narva. However, King Charles XII landed troops near Copenhagen and in August 1700 forced Denmark to make peace with him. Charles XII urgently transferred the freed 12 thousand soldiers to Narva. On November 19, the Swedes suddenly attacked Russian troops and achieved victory.
The defeat at Narva revealed Russia's backwardness economically and militarily. Having won, Charles XII considered Russia out of the war. In Russia, they began to prepare for war more seriously, taking into account the mistakes made during the Battle of Narva.
Having recovered from the defeat, the Russian troops began to win a number of serious victories. By May 1703, the entire course of the Neva was in Russian hands. At the mouth of this river on May 16, 1703, the Peter-Pavel's Fortress, which laid the foundation for St. Petersburg, which 10 years later became the capital of the state. In 1704, the Swedish garrisons in Narva and Dorpat capitulated. At this time, Charles XII occupied Warsaw, therefore, in order not to lose its last ally, Russia decided to provide assistance to the Polish king. The Russian army entered the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but failed to save its ally.
From that time on, the entire burden of the fight against a strong enemy fell on the shoulders of Russia alone.
After victories in Poland and Saxony, the army of Charles XII in the spring of 1708 began its march to the borders of Russia. The Russian army, avoiding a general battle, slowly retreated to the east, but Charles XII refused straight path to Moscow via Smolensk and turned to Ukraine, counting on the support of Hetman Mazepa.
The general battle began in the early morning of June 27, 1709 and ended with the defeat of the Swedish army. Military operations were now transferred to the Baltic states. In 1714, at Cape Gangut, the Russian fleet won a major victory over the Swedes. From this moment, diplomatic preparations for concluding peace began, but the death of Charles XII in 1718 delayed this moment.
Russian command three times in 1719 - 1721. organized successful landing operations in Sweden.
In 1719, the Russian fleet defeated Swedish troops near the island of Ezel, and in 1720 - near the island of Gregam. Only after this did Sweden decide to make peace.
In May 1721, peace was concluded in Nystadt (Finland). The coast of the Baltic Sea from Vyborg to Riga was assigned to Russia, and Finland was regained by Sweden. Thus, Russia received the long-awaited access to the Baltic Sea. This victory meant that Russia had become a great European power. This was achieved as a result of reforms that covered all aspects of the state and brought the country out of technical, economic and cultural backwardness. In 1721, the Senate solemnly presented Peter I with the title of emperor.
Russia began to be called the Russian Empire.
In the first quarter of the 18th century, Europe was shaken by a protracted and bloody war, which completely changed the balance of power in the region. For our country, this conflict, despite heavy losses, brought huge territorial gains and a special status, which Russia retained for several more centuries.
Causes of the war
Historians list the reasons for the start of the Northern War as follows:
- The struggle for control of the Baltic Sea;
- Russia's desire to expand its possessions in the west and build a navy;
- The desire of the Russian Tsar to establish direct trade relations with Western countries.
The Northern War was for Russia one of the episodes of the long-standing, centuries-old confrontation with Sweden. Both powers sought to establish their control over the Baltic Sea. Russia did not always have access to the Baltic, so the acquisition of coastal territories was one of the priority foreign policy tasks for many Russian tsars. In the second half of the 16th century, Ivan IV the Terrible during Livonian War tried to open free access to the Baltic Sea for Russia. However, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden, which entered this war, not only managed to oust the army of Ivan the Terrible from the occupied lands, but also deprived the Moscow Tsar of several original Russian Baltic citadels. As a result of the Livonian War, Sweden captured the fortresses of Oreshek, Yam and Koporye, completely cutting off Russia from the Baltic for more than a century.
The Troubles and the elimination of its consequences distracted the Russian tsars from the Baltic Sea for a long time. Tsar Peter I Alekseevich, who began his independent reign in 1689, began to think about creating a Russian fleet and developing maritime shipping. He planned that the fleet would be based on the Black Sea, which at that time was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. However, the Russian Tsar could not find allies in the fight against the Turks: all of Europe was preparing for a war for spanish inheritance. Then Peter I decided to make the struggle for the Baltic the main direction of foreign policy.
Sweden's dominion in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe did not suit not only the Russian Tsar. A coalition was created against the Swedish king, which, in addition to Russia, included Denmark, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The time to strike Sweden, according to the allies, was very opportune: the Swedish king, Charles XII, was only 18 years old. His foreign policy was risky and adventurous, so the allies hoped to quickly defeat the young king.
Move
Initial stage, Narva disaster
The war began on February 12, 1700, when Saxon troops besieged Riga, which at that time belonged to Sweden. Since the city did not surrender, the Polish king came to the aid of the Saxon elector. However, Charles XII turned out to be much more insightful and cunning than his opponents thought. He understood that Sweden would not be able to fight on several fronts, so he decided to quickly defeat his rivals one by one.
In the summer of the same year, Denmark was withdrawn from the war, then a blow was struck against Saxony. The Allies also failed to take Riga. In August, Russia entered the war. By original plan, the Russian army was supposed to operate only in the Karelia region, but due to failure near Riga it was decided that Russia would attack Swedish fortress Narva. At the end of October 1700, regular shelling of the fortress began, but due to the poor state of Russian artillery, the Swedish garrison in Narva suffered almost no damage. The decisive Battle of Narva took place in November. The Russian army was much weaker than the Swedish one, it was not as disciplined and did not have large reserves. In addition, many foreign officers who served the Russian Tsar fled to the camp of Charles XII the day before. The Swedes were the first to attack and were able to push back the Russian right flank. The retreaters rushed to the bridge over the Narva River, which collapsed under the weight human bodies. The left flank also succumbed to panic. The Swedes could easily kill most fugitives, but the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky Guards regiments came out to meet them. At the cost of enormous efforts, the guards managed to hold back the Swedish pressure until nightfall. The next morning, Charles XII did not dare to continue the battle. Negotiations began, and the Russians received the right to leave the battlefield. The Swedish king decided that the backward Russian army would refuse further military action, and continued the war in Europe.
Charles XII considered the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to be his main enemy. His troops, supported by many representatives of the Polish and Lithuanian nobility, invaded the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Charles XII was removed from the throne Polish king Augustus II and put the pro-Swedish-minded Stanislav Leszczynski in his place.
Actions of the parties on land, the Battle of Poltava and the Prut Campaign
While the Swedish king was pursuing the fleeing Augustus II throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Peter I began reorganizing the army. The defeat at Narva not only did not break the active king, but also, it seemed, served for him additional motivation. During the military reforms of Peter I:
- recruitment into the army was legalized, which made it possible to increase the number of troops;
- the creation of the Baltic Fleet began;
- discipline was improved;
- was created new system troop control, many European methods of warfare were adopted;
- new types of uniforms began to be used;
- Widespread production of artillery pieces began.
Thanks to these changes, Russia was able to resume military operations. While Charles II was fighting in the Eastern and Central Europe, Peter I launched an offensive in the Baltic states. The following were taken: the Oreshek fortress (renamed Shlisselburg), Noteburg and Nyenschanz. In 1704, the Russian army laid siege to Narva again. This time the fortress was taken. The city of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter I in 1703, became a symbol of Russian dominance in the Baltic.
Despite the weakness of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Saxony, Charles XII spent several years subjugating them. Therefore, the Russian campaign of the Swedish army began only in 1708. The path of Charles XII lay through Ukraine. He had long been in secret correspondence with Hetman Ivan Mazepa, who wanted to separate Little Russia from the Moscow state. Swedish king and Ukrainian hetman They planned to unite and strike the Russian army together.
Following Charles XII, a detachment of General Levengaupt hurried, carrying ammunition and food with them. In September 1708, Russian soldiers defeated Levengaupt's detachment near the village of Lesnoy and captured his carts. Therefore, in the spring of 1709, the Swedish army approached Poltava exhausted and without the necessary equipment. Here another unpleasant surprise awaited Charles XII: Peter I managed to suppress the Cossack anti-Russian uprising, so Mazepa lost most of his supporters. He was unable to prepare for the Swedish king not only the promised apartments, fodder and food, but also the Cossack army.
The Swedes besieged Poltava. By June, Alexander Menshikov, Peter I and Count Sheremetyev arrived here. Redoubts were built in front of the Russian army. The Swedish army with great difficulty broke through the redoubts after many hours of fighting, but behind this line a barrage of artillery fire awaited them. After this, the offensive of the Russian troops began, hand-to-hand combat ensued, but after a few hours the Swedes were broken and began to flee. Many were captured, but Charles XII and Ivan Mazepa managed to leave the battlefield and flee to the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Poltava became a real triumph for Peter I; it raised the international authority of Russia to previously unknown heights.
To overtake the Swedish king and the traitor-hetman, Peter I entered into conflict with the Ottoman Empire. As part of the Prut campaign of 1711, the Russian Tsar invaded Turkey. However, the campaign was unsuccessful; the Janissaries surrounded the Russian army. In order to preserve the army, Peter I had to abandon the coast previously conquered from Turkey Sea of Azov and not prevent the return of Charles XII to Sweden.
In 1714, Charles XII left the Ottoman Empire and immediately continued military operations in Europe. During his absence, Russian diplomats managed to revive the anti-Swedish bloc, which also included such players as Prussia and Hanover.
Naval battles and the end of the war
The Northern War took place not only on land, but also at sea. One of the key naval battles occurred in 1714 near Cape Gangut. During this battle, the Russian squadron destroyed the entire Swedish fleet, which was considered one of the best in the world. This was Russia's first victory at sea in the entire history of the country.
The streak of failures that followed the defeat at Gangut and the murmurs of the Swedish aristocracy, dissatisfied with the protracted, difficult war, forced Charles XII to think about peace, however, in 1718, the king was killed during the siege of a Norwegian fortress. After Karl's death XII queen His younger sister, Ulrika-Eleanor, became Sweden. She wanted to bring the war to a victorious end, following her orders, the Swedish military leaders continued to resist the anti-Swedish bloc.
In 1720, a second important naval battle took place, this time off Grengam Island. Since Sweden had no warships left, it used English ships. The Russian sailors also emerged victorious from this battle, and the Swedish queen was forced to sit down at the negotiating table.
Results of the war
Since 1720, Sweden began to sign peace treaties With European countries. Thus:
- Prussia and Hanover received part of Swedish territories;
- Denmark received Schleswig;
- Augustus II again became the Polish king.
Sweden concluded the last agreement with Russia. Its signing took place in August 1721 in Nystadt. Under this agreement, Russia returned Finland to Sweden and paid monetary compensation, but in return received Livonia, Ingria, Estland and a number of other territories.
More broadly, the end of the Northern War led to:
- Russia's opening of a "window to Europe", now Sweden could not prevent Russian rulers from establishing diplomatic and trade relations with other countries;
- strengthening of Russia in the Baltic;
- changing the balance of power in Europe: from now on Western countries, including former allies, began to fear the growing power of Russia and began to make attempts to contain it. 6 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)
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Northern War (1700 - 1721) - the war of Russia and its allies against Sweden for dominance in the Baltic Sea.
In 1699, Peter I, Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Fredrick IV, King of Denmark, formed the Northern League; Russia intended to take away Ingria and Karelia from the Swedes, Poland - Livonia and Estland, Denmark laid claim to the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, allied with Sweden.
The war began in the winter of 1700 with the invasion of the Danes in Holstein-Gottorp and the Polish-Saxon troops in Livonia. However, in July 1700, the Swedish king Charles XII, relying on the support of the Anglo-Dutch fleet, landed troops on the island of Zealand, bombarded Copenhagen and forced Fredrick IV to surrender.
On August 18 (August 28, old style) August 1700, the Peace of Travendal was signed: Denmark was forced to recognize the sovereignty of Holstein-Gottorp and withdraw from the Northern League.
After the conclusion of the Peace of Constantinople with the Ottoman Empire on July 13 (23), 1700, Peter I declared war on Sweden and besieged Narva at the end of August, but on November 19 (29), 1700, Charles XII inflicted a crushing defeat on the Russian army near Narva, despite its threefold numerical superiority .
In the summer of 1701, Charles XII invaded the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the main forces and conquered Courland; in July 1702, the Swedes occupied Warsaw and defeated the Polish-Saxon army near Kliszow (near Krakow). Charles XII intervened in internal political struggle in Poland and achieved in July 1704 the deposition of Augustus II by the Polish Sejm and the election of his candidate Stanislav Leszczynski to the throne. Augustus II did not recognize this decision and took refuge in Saxony. In 1705, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entered into a military alliance with Sweden against Russia.
Taking advantage of the fact that Charles XII was “stuck,” in the words of Peter I, in Poland, the Russians launched active offensive actions on the Baltic coast. At the end of 1701, Field Marshal Sheremetev defeated General Schlippenbach at Erestfer, and in July 1702 he defeated him at Gummelsgof and made a successful campaign in Livonia. In October 1702, Russian troops took Noteburg (Shlisselburg), and in April 1703 Nyenschanz at the mouth of the Neva, where St. Petersburg was founded in May; in the same year they captured Koporye and Yamburg, and in 1704 Dorpat (Tartu) and Narva: thus, the “window to Europe” was cut through.
In 1705, Peter I transferred military operations to the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Field Marshal Sheremetev captured Mitava and expelled the Swedes from Courland; Field Marshal Ogilvy entered Lithuania and occupied Grodno. However, at the beginning of 1706, Charles XII pushed Russian troops beyond the Neman, captured most of Volhynia and in July invaded Saxony, forcing Augustus II to the humiliating Peace of Altranstedt on September 13 (24): Augustus II renounced the Polish crown, broke the alliance with Russia, surrendered to the Swedes Krakow and other fortresses. Peter I, left without allies, offered peace to Charles XII on the terms of transferring the mouth of the Neva to Russia, but was refused.
Having decided to launch a large-scale invasion of Russia, the Swedish king began to push Russian troops towards Polish border. In June 1708, Charles XII crossed the Berezina and went to Mogilev. Having crossed the Dnieper in August, Charles XII moved to Ukraine, counting on the help of Hetman Mazepa. On September 28 (October 9), 1708, the Russians defeated Levengaupt’s 16,000-strong corps near the village of Lesnoy (southeast of Mogilev), which was marching to join the main forces of the Swedes. Hetman Mazepa was able to bring only a two-thousand-strong detachment of Cossacks to Charles XII, and the food and weapons supplies he had stockpiled in Baturyn were destroyed by Alexander Menshikov’s raid. The Swedish army failed to break through to the east to Belgorod and Kharkov; caused significant damage to her harsh winter 1708-1709 and partisan actions of the local population.
At the end of April 1709, the Swedish king besieged Poltava. In June, the main forces of the Russian army, led by Peter I, approached the city. In the Battle of Poltava that took place on June 27 (July 8), Charles XII suffered a crushing defeat, losing more than 9 thousand killed and 3 thousand captured. On June 30 (July 11), Menshikov forced the remnants of the Swedish army under the command of Levenhaupt to capitulate on the Dnieper; Charles XII managed to escape to the Ottoman Empire.
The Battle of Poltava marked a decisive turning point in the war. The Northern League was revived: Fredrick IV violated the Treaty of Travendal, Augustus II violated the Treaty of Altransted; The Danes invaded Holstein-Gottorp, the Saxons invaded Poland. Stanislav Leszczynski took refuge in Pomerania.
In February 1710, the Danes attempted to land in Sweden, but failed. In June 1710, Peter I took Vyborg, in July Riga, in September Revel (Tallinn), establishing full control over Estland, Livonia and Western Karelia.
In the autumn of 1710, Charles XII, with the support of France, convinced Turkish Sultan Akhmet III declare war on Russia.
On June 12 (23), 1711, Peter I was forced to conclude the difficult Treaty of Prut with the Ottoman Empire, pledging to return Azov to it, demolish all the fortresses he had built on the Sea of Azov and break the alliance with Poland.
In 1712-1714, Russia's allies, with its support, won a number of victories in European theater military actions. In 1713-1714, Russia occupied part of the territory of Finland; in August 1714, the Russian galley fleet defeated the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut and moved to Abo. In July 1717, troops landed on the island of Gotland, and on land the Russian army reached Luleå. In August 1717, Russia transferred military operations to the territory of Sweden, whose human and financial resources were depleted.
In 1718, Peter I began negotiations with Charles XII (Aland Congress), which, however, were interrupted after the death of the king during the siege of the Norwegian fortress Fredriksgald in December 1718. Karl's sister Ulrika-Eleanor, who ascended the throne, and the party that supported her began to seek an agreement with Western allies Russia. In 1719, Sweden entered into an alliance with Hanover, ceding Bremen and Ferden to it, in 1720 - with Prussia, selling it Stettin and the mouth of the Oder, with Denmark, pledging to pay a duty for the passage of ships through the Sound Strait and not to provide support to the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, and also with England.
However, the Swedes failed to achieve a turning point in the war with Peter I. Russian troops periodically landed on the Swedish coast. In 1719, the Swedish fleet was defeated off the island of Ezel (Saaremaa), and on July 27 (August 7), 1720, off the island of Grengam; the English squadron's attempt to intervene in the course of hostilities ended in failure. In 1721, a Russian detachment landed in the Stockholm area, which forced the British to leave the Baltic.
After five months of negotiations in the city of Nystadt (Uusikaupunki) in Finland, on August 30 (September 10), 1721, a peace treaty was signed, according to which Sweden ceded the Baltic states and southwestern Karelia to Russia, retaining Finland. As a result, Sweden lost its possessions on the eastern shore of the Baltic and a significant part of its possessions in Germany, retaining only part of Pomerania and the island of Rügen.
As a result of the Northern War, Russia gained access to the Baltic Sea, solving one of its main historical tasks, while Sweden