What was Russian foreign policy at the beginning of the seventeenth century? The Northern War - the struggle over the coast of the Baltic Sea - this is the main and most important event of those years. The battle lasted twenty-one years. Some call it the Great Northern War, and some call it Twenty. In general, this battle between the coalition of the European northern states and the Swedish empire began in 1700, and ended in 1721.
Countries fought for the possession of the Baltic territories. Unfortunately, the battle ended in defeat for Sweden. But the war ended, because sooner or later everything would end, and a young Russian empire was formed in Europe. She owned a powerful fleet and an impressive army. Its capital was St. Petersburg. He was on the shore of the Baltic Sea.
So, at the initiative of the King of Poland Augustus II and the Saxon Elector, the Northern Union was created. It was this organization that initially declared war on Sweden. Russia, headed by Peter I, and the Norwegian-Danish kingdom, headed by King Christian the Fifth, also entered the Northern Union.
After a series of swift Swedish victories in 1700, the Northern Union collapsed. Then Denmark left the battlefield in 1700, and Saxony retired in 1706. The Russian state had to fight the Swedes on their own, but by 1709 the Northern Union was restored. The stages of the Northern War are different from each other: after all, Prussia, then Holland, or Hanover fought on the side of Russia. And Sweden first helped England in the battles (from Great Britain since 1707), then Holstein and the Ottoman Empire.
The Ukrainian Cossacks, together with the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, split up and to some extent supported the Turks and Swedes, but mainly contributed to the Russian troops. As a result, Russia managed to regain control of the ancient Russian estates in the Baltic States, lost in an alarming time.
Why did the war begin?
What are the most important causes of the Northern War? Try to get an answer to this question. It is known that at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Swedish Empire was the dominant country in the Baltic Sea. In addition, she was considered one of the leading countries in Europe. This state owned a solid part of the Baltic coast: it included the present Baltic, the entire coast of the Gulf of Finland, part of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea.
Interestingly, in 1697, the head of Sweden was appointed the fifteen-year-old Charles the Twelfth. The neighbors of Sweden drew attention to his young age and hoped for an easy victory: the Norwegian-Danish kingdom, Saxony and Russia thus tried to make claims against Sweden about its territories. It was these three powers that created the Northern Union, the founder of which was King of Poland and Elector of Saxony August II. This man wanted to subjugate Livonia (Livonia), which is part of Sweden, which would help strengthen his power in the Commonwealth. By the way, Livonia found itself in the hands of Sweden in accordance with the Olive Peace Treaty of 1660.
What prompted Denmark to conflict with Sweden? Of course, the long-standing desire to dominate the Baltic Sea. It is known that in 1658, Karl X Gustav defeated the Danes during a campaign in Jutland. He also captured several provinces in the south of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Denmark had to refuse to collect duties from ships that passed through the Sound of the Sound. By the way, the two powers vied with each other for control of Denmark’s southern neighbor, the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein.
The reasons for the Northern War also lie in the following: the Russian sovereign Peter I, after negotiations with Augustus, entered the Northern Union last. This event was framed in the form of the Transfiguration Treaty. Russia's land claims against Sweden included Ingria and Karelia: these countries were seized during the Time of Troubles by Sweden in accordance with the Stolbovsky Treaty of 1617. Russia was also not averse to annexing the lands of Livonia to itself, because in the eleventh century they remembered their subservience to Russia from the annals - the territory was considered the ancient "homeland" of Russian rulers.
Interestingly, in the process of hostilities of 1656-1658, the Russian army was able for some time to occupy the eastern part of Livonia and Ingria. The Russians captured Noteburg, Nyenschanz and Dinaburg, besieged Riga. But the war with the Commonwealth was renewed, and Russia had to conclude a peace Cardis Treaty - all the conquered lands were returned to Sweden.
It is very interesting to study the causes of the Northern War - this is the key to understanding impressive battles. So, the Russian power ensured trade relations with Europe with the help of Arkhangelsk - the only port on the White Sea. There was heavy and irregular navigation, which greatly complicated the trade. And in the field of shipbuilding and navigation on the White Sea, there was a significant lag. In general, gaining access to the Baltic Sea was considered the most important economic task for Russia.
Doesn’t it, the rather serious causes of the Northern War are listed? By the way, the completion of the war with Turkey served as a secondary factor in entering the battle of Russia. The Treaty of Constantinople was concluded on July 3, 1700, and on August 18, final peace was announced with Turkey. Finally, on August 19, Russia declared war on Sweden. Immediately all Swedish goods located in Moscow began to be confiscated in accordance with the newly issued decree. They were seized in favor of the Russian treasury. Then the Swedish envoy was arrested in Moscow.
Various troubles were considered a reason for declaring war, in a particularly personal offense of 1697. After all, it was then that Peter I, who wandered through Europe, the Swedes coldly met in Riga. However, land claims were not mentioned.
The beginning of the battle
Participants of the Northern War distinguished by outstanding abilities. For example, the eighteen-year-old king of Sweden, Charles XII, was "in love with the war." He possessed outstanding tactical talent. Therefore, the Swedes in the first hostilities managed to win a series of major victories. However, the brave warrior Charles XII was a very bad politician: he outlined for himself and his army the unrealistic goals of the war.
His main enemy, Peter I, turned out to be a highly gifted commander, strategist, and military organizer. In addition, he was considered a very insightful and talented diplomat. Of course, he was haunted by setbacks at the start of the battle, but in the end the enterprise was successful. After all, Charles XII made too many mistakes.
The battles of the Northern War were in some way supported by Ayuka Khan. This Kalmyk ruler was born in the Dzungaria. He migrated at the age of twelve to the Volga region, where he was proclaimed the first secret of the Kalmyk horde. The Russian authorities started negotiations with the Kalmyks, during which they managed to make friends with them. Russia at that time strongly encouraged Ayuka's policies. In return, he allowed her to use his army in the battles of the Northern War.
Danish Campaign
Participants in the Northern War, namely the troops of Saxony, February 12, 1700 besieged Riga. However, the dreams of Augustus II were not destined to be fulfilled: the Livonian nobility did not side with the advancing, and the units of Augustus did not succeed. King of Denmark Frederick IV in August of that year raided the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in the southern part of the state. However, ten thousand Swedish soldiers, led by Charles XII, took the Danes by surprise, landing at Copenhagen. Denmark was forced to break the alliance with Augustus II: on August 7th she had to sign the Peace Treaty of Travendale.
Russian campaign on Ingermanland
Now consider the main events of the Northern War. It is known that Peter received a message on August 18 about the conclusion of a peace treaty of Constantinople. No one informed him that Denmark had ceased hostilities, and therefore on August 19 he declared war on Sweden. As a result, Russian troops went on the offensive.
Earlier, Russia entered into an alliance agreement with August II, according to which it was supposed to get Ingermanland (aka Swedish Ingria). This country was the size of the current Leningrad region.
It is interesting that on the border between Estonia and Ingermanland, an impressive city and the largest Swedish fortress in the region, Narva, was located. This fortress turned into a target for Russian commanders.
Is it true that the stages of the Northern War are very diverse and picturesque? Consider a trip to Narva. It was organized by fall, completely unsuccessfully. There was little food, the soldiers were starving. Horses carrying equipment were fed so badly that their mortality began. Among other things, it began to rain, the condition of roads deteriorated, carts regularly broke at the wagon train.
In general, Peter I wanted to gather more than sixty thousand soldiers near Narva. Unfortunately, the army was moving too slowly into the area and disrupted the king’s plans and terms. As a result, the siege of Narva began on October 14, in which only 40 thousand soldiers participated.
Siege of narva
What else is the Northern War famous for? Briefly consider the siege of Narva. This event was not organized successfully. Cannon bombardment of the city was ineffective, since the Russian army used lightweight guns. Moreover, there was only enough ammunition for a couple of weeks.
Narva is a fortress doubled with neighboring Ivangorod. Therefore, Peter I, who personally planned the siege, had to stretch the Russian troops as far as possible, while simultaneously encircling both fortresses. Such an arrangement for the Russian forces was very unsuccessful: during the next battle at Narva, it weakened their combat effectiveness.
What did Augustus II do? Having received information about the quick exit from the Danish war, he, instantly lifting the siege of Riga, retreated to Kurland. The course of the Northern War was changed: thanks to the actions of Augustus II, Charles XII was able to transfer part of his army by sea to Pernov (Pärnu). He landed there on October 6 and headed for Narva, besieged by Russian hordes.
Then, on the night of November 18, Field Marshal Count Golovin left the army with Peter I - they went to Novgorod. The king entrusted the highest command to the senior in the rank - a foreigner to the Duke de Croix. The army of Charles XII on November 19, 1700 inflicted a grave defeat on the Russian army in the battle of Narva. Interestingly, the Swedish army totaled 25 thousand people, and the Russian - about 40 thousand.
The years of the Northern War are interesting in the actions of the cowardly Duke de Croix, who, before the decisive battle, surrendered to Charles XII. But he did not surrender alone, but with his headquarters, consisting of strangers. After all the losses, the Russian army was still superior to the Swedish in numbers. But by November 21, its bulk surrendered by order of the Duke de Croix.
It should be noted that the Life Guards Semyonovsky and the Life Guards Preobrazhensky regiments were stubbornly defending themselves from the Swedes. They not only managed to prevent shameful capitulation, but also covered up the retreat of part of the Russian army, thereby protecting it from the final defeat. For the courage shown in this battle, the soldiers of the regiment in 1700-1740 were awarded red stockings: in memory of the fact that "they stood in this battle knee-deep in blood."
Campaign Outcome
The battles of the Northern War ended in different ways. For example, the result of hostilities near Narva for the Russian side was terrible: the loss of mortally wounded, killed, deserted, drowned, died of frost and hunger amounted to eight to ten thousand people. In addition, seven hundred people, including ten generals and fifty-six officers, were captured, 179 out of 184 guns were lost. It was a disaster.
The reasons for the defeat of the Russian army
Some battles of the Northern War ended in defeat. Let's look at the reasons for the defeat of the Russian army in the battle of Narva. Firstly, the army was disgustingly prepared for war with a strong enemy. Moreover, it was in the process of reorganization. Secondly, the army was weakly armed and did not know how to fight according to the laws of linear tactics, to carry out reconnaissance tasks. The artillery was mixed and outdated. In fact, at that time she had more than twenty-five different calibers - this nuance catastrophically hindered her supply of ammunition. And, finally, the most important moment: the Russian army lacked its own national command structure. After all, all the main command posts were held by foreign officers.
In Europe, after this failure, for several years it was believed that the Russian army was completely unworkable. At the same time, Charles XII was nicknamed the Swedish Alexander the Great.
What were the main events of the Northern War after the defeat of the Russian army near Narva? Peter I took the next step: he limited the number of foreign officers in the army. Now they made up only a third of the total number of officers of the unit.
It is noteworthy that the defeat near Narva played a huge role in the development of the Russian army and the history of the state. The historian M.N. Pokrovsky noted that all Russian interests in the war were reduced to gaining access to the sea, to trade and gaining control of the Baltic trading ports. That is why Peter at the initial stages of the conflict paid special attention to the Baltic ports - Riga and Narva. Unfortunately, he suffered a crushing defeat near Narva and was driven back to the area of modern St. Petersburg. Peter decided to build a new port and city at the mouth of the Neva - the future capital of the Russian Empire.
Russian campaign
So the Northern War continued. The Russian campaign is briefly described below, but succinctly. Of course, Peter I appreciated the reasons why the Russian troops were defeated near Narva. Now he has directed all his potential to preparing the country and troops for the war with Sweden. He creates a new regular army, improves its organizational structure, system of training and education, acquires the latest weapons.
He updates the artillery - reduces the number of calibers, now there are only 12. By the order of Peter I, three hundred new guns were cast in a minimum period of time. It should be noted that some of the guns were made from church bells seized in the treasury and remelted. As a result, Peter regained strength after the failure near Narva and resumed the offensive in the north.
Battles in Ingermanland
How did the Northern War last? Briefly examine the subsequent course of events. It is known that the main forces of Sweden participated in the battles in Saxony and the Commonwealth. Taking advantage of the moment, Peter in 1701 ordered a new offensive launched in the north. Then Russian troops were commanded by Boris Sheremetev: they attacked Ingermanland (Ingria), then owned by Sweden, and on December 30, 1701, in the battle of Erestfer they won their first victory in the Northern War.
At that time, the Swedish army was commanded by General Schlippenbach. And in July 1702, in the battle of Gummelshof, the Russian army defeated his hordes for the second time.
As a result, by the beginning of 1703, the entire course of the Neva was controlled by the Russians.
Battles in Estonia and Livonia
In general, 1703 had a great influence on the outcome of the Northern War - by its completion, Russia controlled almost all the lands of Ingermanland. In 1704, the Russian army continued its offensive. She, under the command of Boris Sheremetev, by the summer of 1704 entered Livonia and besieged Dorpat. The fortress was taken in July 1704 with the personal participation of Peter I.
After these events, the second group of the Russian army besieged Narva and entered Estonia. Then the soldiers were commanded by General Ogilvy. And Peter came from Dorpat, and by the end of the summer this fortress was taken. Agree, the assault on the fortresses was great! In this operation, the Russian army demonstrated its increased skill and excellent equipment.
Polish campaign
During the years of the Northern War, Charles XII had to make a huge amount of decisions. He decided to abandon active military operations against the Russian army. And he wanted to deliver the main blow to the army of Augustus II. In general, the Swedish king wanted in Poland to elevate to the throne a profitable monarch instead of Augustus II. He decided to create a buffer zone from the Commonwealth between the Russians and the Swedes.
Further, the Swedish troops in July 1701, not meeting a proper rebuff, crossed the Dvina and captured Livonia. Interestingly, the Polish campaign ended with the capture of the commander of Sweden and the victory of the Russian army.
The invasion of Russia
The results of the Northern War are interesting to everyone who cares about history. But consider first the year 1707 - all this year the Swedes army was in Saxony. During this period, Charles XII managed to cover the losses and significantly strengthen the army. And at the beginning of 1708, the Swedes headed for Smolensk. Some believe that initially they planned to deliver a major blow in the Moscow direction. Peter I did not have the enemy’s plans: the situation of the Russians became more complicated every day.
Military Council in the Oldies
The significance of the Northern War is very interesting, every nuance influenced its outcome. For example, on September 11-13, 1708, a military council of the Swedish king with his generals took place in a small Smolensk village. This was the extreme eastern point of the army of the Swedes during the invasion of Russia.
The military decided the question of further movements of the Swedish army. Some suggested going to Moscow via Smolensk, while others wanted to move south, to Ukraine. Unfortunately, the Swedish army needed a rest: the soldiers ran out of food and worn out ammunition, most of them were sick. However, the hetman Ivan Mazepa assured the Swedes of the support of the Ukrainian population, and they chose the movement to Ukraine.
Poltava
Of course, the historical significance of the Northern War very large for Russians. They won on June 27, 1709 in the battle of Poltava, which the Swedes besieged in vain and with solid losses.
It is known that after this grandiose battle, Charles XII hid in the Ottoman Empire, where he persuaded Sultan Ahmed III to start military operations against Russia. Menshikov, one of the brave men who defeated the royal army of Sweden, Sovereign Peter I for the participation in the Poltava battle awarded the rank of Field Marshal.
The outcome of the war
The results of the Northern War hazy and priced completely differently. Some point out that in order to defeat Sweden, especially as part of a powerful coalition (Saxony, Denmark, the Commonwealth), and ensure the Russians had access to the Baltic Sea for twenty years, it was not at all necessary.
Many admit that the war fundamentally changed the balance of power in the Baltic: Russia now enjoyed the greatest influence in this area. The key task set by Peter I, of course, was solved - Russia got access to the sea and began to establish maritime trade with Europe.
How did the Northern War influence Peter's reform activity? Reforms, thanks to her, only gained some acceleration. It should be noted that Peter did not stop his reform activity for one second. All of his ongoing reforms were due to military problems.
By the way, the Northern War of 1700-1721 influenced Russia quite strongly - the country experienced a serious economic and demographic crisis. And in the history of Finland, the most difficult period of the war - from 1714 to 1721 - went under the name Great hatred. Sweden has lost its former power and has become a secondary state.