Great Northern War
1700-1721

Historical Overview

by Gustav Bergman


Introduction

The Great Northern War was a large and long conflict which affected the whole of northern Europe during the two first decades of the 18th century. So far it has been little noticed by the wargamer community but it seems like more and more interest is emerging. Osprey, for instance, has quite recently issued two titles about Peter's the Great army and about the 1709 Poltava campaign.

The period has everything you could possibly ssrant as a wargamer: colourful uniforms and banners, challenging scenarios and diverse interesting troop types. It is also interesting because it is the clash between two different tactical doctrines: The Swedish which was based on charges with cold steel from both infantry and cavalry, and the continental linear doctrine which was based on repeated volleys in slowly advancing lines.

This article is the first of a series about the GNW and will give an overview of the origins and course of the war, the powers which played a major role and something about the different tactical doctrines which were used. My good friend, Cory Ring, will supplement this historical text with a review of the miniatures and rule-sets which are available on the market today.

The situation around the Baltic at the end of the 17th century

In 1699 the situation around the Baltic sea is as follows:

Sweden has after a long series of wars created an empire which comprises today's Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Livonia, Pomerania, and some other smaller areas and cities northern Germany. The old king Charles XI has just died and the reign has been taken over by his son, Charles XII who is only 17 years old.

Denmark has lost much territory in the wars against Sweden during the 17th century, and is eager for compensations. The Danish king wants to expand southwards, but is hindered by the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp which has strong connections to Sweden in that the Duke is married to Charles's XII's sister.

August of Saxony , ("The Strong") is ruler over one of the richest land in Germany. He has also been elected king of Poland which is one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. The Saxons and Poles have been fighting against the Turks, but this war has come to an end and August is looking for a new enterprise.

Peter the Grezt of Russia is begining to organise an army based on western European lines. He is still involved in the Turkish wars where he has failed to capture any trading ports on the B1ack Sea. Instead he is turning his eyes on the Baltic coast where all Russian trade must pass by the Swedish ports in Livonia and Estonia.

These states and rulers will be the protagonists of the conflict soon to come. Other states which are to be involved are:

Brandenburg, which is to become the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701, will follow a neutral line during the first years of the conflict but after the destruction of the Swedish army, it will try to take some bites out of the Swedish cake.

The Sea Powers, or England/Holland, are allies to Sweden at the start of the war but will later on be involved in the war of the Spanish succession against France and its allies. This conflict will run more or less in parallel with the GNW, but the two wars will affect each other surprisingly little.

Turkey, has fought a long and bitter war against Poland and Russia and is therefore a potential ally of Sweden's.

Start of the war

Denmark makes the first moves and sends embassies to the courts for Saxony and Russia . A secret pact is signed in Dresden in September. I699, after some time of negotiations. The plan is to make a combined attack against Sweden and its allies. Denmark will invade Holland, Saxony, Livonia and Russia Estonia. Peter joins the alliance with some hesitation, hence he has some affairs to settle with the Turks.

1700

Feb 2 The Saxon/Polish army assaults the Swedish held city of Riga In Livonia. The attacks have little success due to the meticulous preperations of the Swedish commander, Erik Dahlberg. The Saxons occupy some fortresses and the left bank of the Duna river.

Mar 28 Denmark invades the Swedish ally Holskin-Gottorp in Northern Germany which cannot put up much resitance. Charles mobilizes the Swedish army and decides to counter-attack his enemies one at a time.

Jul 24 Charles XII lands with 10,000 men at Humbbaek north of Copenhagen. The Swedes are supported by a considerable naval force of Engish and Dutch ships. The Danes surrender after a short fight since their capital is threakned and the main army is off in Holstein-Gottorp.

Aug 8 The Treaty of Traventhal is signed between Denmark and Sweden and one of Sweden's enemies is pacified (for the moment).

Aug 19 Russia declares war against Sweden.

Sep 9 The Russians attack the Swedish fortress of Narva in Estonia but the assault fails and a siege is initiated.

Oct 6 Chades XII lands with the Swedish army at Pernau in Estonia. Since the Saxons have withdrawn most of their troops at the moment, he decides to march against the Russians at Narva .

Nov 20 Battle of Narva. The Swedish Army under Charks XII (10,500 men) defeat the Russian army under Charles Eugene von Croy (33 000 effective). The Russian army is totally routed but the Swedes have do not have the capacity to care for all the prisoners and let most of them return home to Mother Russia.

1701

Jul 21 The Duna crossing. 7000 Swedes cross the Duna River north of Riga and storm the Saxon held fortifications. Charles XII tries to capture the Polish/Saxon army but the Saxon commander Skinau is able to make an orderly retreat back to Poland. Since Russia seems to be totally pacified at the moment, Charles decides to seek a decisive battle with August before he takes any further measures against Tsar Peter.

1702

The Campaign in Poland begins.

Jan Charles XII marches into Poland with the Swedish main army.

May Warsaw falls to the Swedes.

Jul 9 Battle of Kliszov. The Swedish army under Charles XII (12,000 men) defeats the Saxon/Polish army under August of Saxony (16,000 Saxons, 8000 Poles)

Jul 31 Krakow falls to the Swedes.

In the autumn, Russian forces start to raid the Swedish Baltic provinces, but Charles concentrates only on the war in Poland.

1703

The war in Poland continues.

Mar Action of Pultusk. A Saxon cavalry force is destroyed by the Swedes.

Oct The strong fortress of Thorn surrenders to the Swedes. During the siege more than 1000 Saxons lost their lives.

The Russian army conquers the Swedish fortress Nyeskans on the Neva River. The name is changed to Petersburg which later will be the capital of Russia.

1704

Jul 2 Charles XII forces the Polish diet to remove August of Saxony from the Polish throne and elect Stanislav Leszczynski as the new king. King Stanislav is however dependent on the presence of Swedish troops in the country.

Narva and Dorpat is taken by the Russians.

1705

While the Svvedish main army is holding back a Saxon army which is threatening Poland from the west, the Russians are entering the eastern part of the country. Another force under Sjeremetjev is marching on Riga, but is stopped short by a Swedish force under l.ewenhaupt at Gemauerthof . Jul 16 Battle of Gemauerthof The Swedish army under Lewenhaupt (7000 men) defeats a Russian army (14000 men) under Sjeremetjev. The Russian threat against Riga is elimi-nated (for the moment). 1706 While Charles is chasing the Russian army in eastern Poland, the Saxons advance into western Poland which is protected by a Swedish force under General Renskjold. Feb 3 Battle of Fraustadt A Swedish army under Renskjold (10000 men) defeats a Saxon/ Russian army under von der Schulenburg (18000 men) Aug Charles marches into Saxony. August surrenders. Sep 14 Treaty of Altranstadt. August renounces all his claims on the Polish throne and nullifies the alliance with Russia and Denmark. Sep Marlborough visits Charles XII in his camp at Altranstadt. The Swedish king assures him that the Svvedes vvill not interfere in the war of the Spanish succession. 1707 Two of Sweden's enemies have now been soundly defeated. There is only Russia left to deal with now that two of Sweden's enemies are out of the vvay. Aug 27 Challes Xll breaks up with 40000 men from Altrallstadt in Saxony to deal with Peter the Great in Russia wllo has occupied the east of Poland again. 1708 The retreating Russian army burns all villages and destroys everything which could serve as supply for the advancing Swedes. Thousands of men and horses starve to death. Jul 3 Battle of Holowczin Swedish army (]7000 men) under Charles XII defeats the Russian army (28000) men under Tsar Peter. Sep 28 Battle of Lesnaja Swedish supply force under Lewenhaupt (12000 men) is defeated by Peter the Great. 1000 wagons are lost by the Swedes. Oct 8 Charles and Levvenhaupt unite. The converged army marches on the Ukraine. Nov 2 Menshikov crushes a Ukrainian Cossack revolt led the Swedish ally Mazeppa. 1709 The winter in Ukraine is the coldest for many years and thousands of Swedes freeze to death. Jun 28 Battle of Poltava Russian army under Peter the Great (40000 men) defeats the Swedish army (16000 men) under Charles XII Remnants of the Swedish army retreat towards the river Dniepr. Charles XII escapes over the river with his closest escorts and continues to Turkey. The rest or the army have no possibility to cross and... Jul 1 Lewenhaupt vvho is in command of the remaining Swedish army surrenders at Perovolocna with 13500 men and 10000 camp followers. A great part of the army is later deported to Siberia. 1710 After the destruction of the Swedish main army, many of Sweden's Baltic dominions fall into Russian hands including Riga, Reval and Viborg. Denmark sees the new opportunity that has opened and declares war against Sweden again in Oct 1709 after 9 years of peace. A Danish army is shipped over to the Swedish mainland and occupies the province of Scania. The Swedish commander Stenbock manages to gather a new army during the winter and marches south to meet the Danes. Feb 28 Battle of Helsingborg Swedish army under Stenbock (16000 men) defeats the Danish army under Rantzau (15000 men). The Danes are thrown out of Sweden.

Charles XII stays in Turkey for six years. He is promised a strong Turkish force to escort him home to Sweden, but while he is waiting, he tries to persuade the Sultan to go to war with Russia again.

He is planning a combined attack including Turkey, the Tartars of Crimea, and the Swedish forces in Pomerania together with the Poles under king Stanislav. After one year he succeeds and...

Nov 21 Turkey declares war with Russia.

1711

Jul 10 Action at Prut A Russian army under Peter the Great (50 000 men) is surrounded at the river Prut in Moldavia by a Turkish army led by Grand Vizier Mehemet Baltadji. The army totals over 100,000 men and contains a large contingent Tartars as well as some Polish elements. After long negotiations, the Russians manage to bargain themselves out. Charles XII arrives at the Turkish camp on Jul 13 only to see the Russians march away with a Turkish escort to protect them against the disappointed tartars.

1712

After many delays Stenbock manages to ship a Swedish army to Pomerania in order to start an offensive against Russia through Poland.

Dec 9 Battle of Gadesbusch. A Swedish army under Stenbock (14000 men, 30 guns) defeats the Danish army under von Scholten (16000 men, 13 guns). Stenbock is driven back by strong Saxon and Russian forces however, to the Holstein fortress Tonningen where he surrenders with his starved army to the Danish king in 1713.

1713-1721

Gadesbuch was the last major land battle of the war but the hostilities continue for another nine years.

Charles returns to Sweden in November 1714. The Russians have occupied all the Baltic dominions of Sweden as well as Finland. Russian ships are raiding the Swedish coast, but Charles refuses to sue for peace; instead he organises a new army and marches against Norway in 1716. The invasion fails but a new attack is made again in 1718. This time the king is killed by a stray bullet at the siege of Fredriksten.

The war is ended by the treaty of Nystadt where Sweden has to renounce the Baltic provinces of Livonia, Estonia and Ingermanland to Russia, the city of Bremen to Hannover and a part of Pomerania to Prussia.

Results of the War

The war put an end to Sweden as a great power and saw Russia rise from an underdeveloped country in the far east, to one of the major players in the future of European history. Other winners of the war were Prussia and Hannover, which with little effort, had won strategically important conquests. Saxony and Denmark, although on the winning side, had gained very little and lost a great deal of prestige.

Apart from Sweden, the greatest loser was Poland who had paid an enormous amounts in terms of human lives and destruction of the country. The war had also shown that due to its political system it was a country which could not defend itself. This would have severe consequences during the rest of the 18th century and beyond.

Great Northern War Section

Related Articles

Back to MWAN #85 Table of Contents
© Copyright 1997 Hal Thinglum

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com