The Great Northern War was fought between Sweden and a coalition of northern states. It lasted more than twenty years, from 1700 to 1721, and ended in the defeat of Sweden. The main role in the victory belongs to Russia. This ensured her a leading martial law among European states.
First year of war
The beginning of the war for Sweden was very successful. She possessed a strong navy and a first-class army. Initially, Sweden attacked its closest neighbors - Poland, Denmark, Russia. The troops managed to capture many lands, which caused great protest and discontent. All this led to the fact that offended neighbors, picking up a convenient moment, formed an alliance against Sweden. It is generally accepted that this is the beginning of the Northern War. The motives were extremely simple: to return the former territories, while Russia wanted to regain the area adjacent to the Baltic Sea.
Allied response
The beginning of the war was supposed to be as follows. Taking advantage of the youth of King Charles XII, the Allies were about to attack Sweden from three sides. But, learning about the danger that threatens him, Charles XII decided to defeat the opponents one at a time. As a result, the start of the war went very differently. The Swedish squadron bombed Copenhagen and forced the army to surrender. It was the only ally of Russia that had a fleet, which significantly crippled the forces of the combined forces.
Russia was forced to urgently do something. Her army, numbering 35 thousand people, launched a siege of Narva. However, on November 20, 1700, Charles XII with his army dealt a crushing blow. Russian troops suffered huge losses. This defeat seriously worsened Russia's position in the international arena.
Miscalculation of Charles XII
Thus, the outbreak of war for the Allies was extremely unfavorable. Sweden too quickly wrote off Russia, believing that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the only enemy . Failure only tempered Peter's character. He began focused preparation for the battles. He builds defenses, recruits and trains soldiers.
Saxony has become a reliable ally in the fight against Sweden for Russia. Peter actively supported the king. In gratitude, he promised to put at the disposal of Saxony a twenty-thousand army and a hundred thousand rubles annually.
Well prepared, the Allies embarked on hostilities. A series of victories over Sweden has passed. They were of great importance, as they raised morale and mood after the defeat near Narva. In addition, it helped hold back the outbreak of civil war.
Regularly replenishing troops and preparing for battle, Peter tried to establish relations with Sweden and proposed a truce. However, Sweden did not want to recognize Russia’s right to gain access to the Baltic Sea. In addition, Russia and its allies were wary of Russia. They, in turn, were afraid that if the war ended, Sweden would intervene in the battles for the Spanish inheritance and take the side of France.
As a result, the Northern War continued for many more years and claimed thousands of lives. An unconditional victory was won by Russia. She not only regained the previously lost territories, but also conquered new ones.