The beginning, stages and causes of the Northern War. Results of the Northern War

What was Russian foreign policy in the beginning of the seventeenth century? The Northern War - the struggle for the Baltic Sea coast - 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 the Twenties. In general, this battle between the coalition of 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 the defeat of Sweden. But the war ended, because everything sooner or later comes to an end, and in Europe a young Russian empire was formed. She owned a powerful fleet and an impressive army. Its capital was St. Petersburg. He was on the shore of the Baltic Sea.

So, on the initiative of the King of Poland August II and the Saxon Elector, the Northern Union was created. It was this organization that initially declared Sweden a war. The Northern Union also included Russia, headed by Peter I, and the Norwegian-Danish kingdom, headed by King Christian Fifth.

After a series of lightning Swedish victories in 1700, the Northern Union disintegrated. Further, Denmark left the battlefield in 1700, and Saxony retired in 1706. The Russian state had to fight with the Swedes independently, but by 1709 the Northern Alliance was restored. The stages of the Northern War differ from each other: after all, on the side of Russia, there fought Prussia, then Holland, then Hanover. And Sweden in the battles was first helped by England (from 1707 - Great Britain), then Holstein and the Ottoman Empire.

The Ukrainian Cossacks, together with the Zaporozhye Cossacks, split up and to some extent supported the Turks and Swedes, but mostly contributed to the Russian troops. As a result, Russia managed to regain control over the ancient Russian patrimonies in the Baltics, lost in troubled times.

Why did the war begin?

What are the main causes of the Northern War? We will 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 on 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 whole coast of the Gulf of Finland, part of the southern shore of the Baltic Sea.

It is interesting that in 1697 the head of Sweden was appointed fifteen-year-old Carl the Twelfth. Neighbors of Sweden drew attention to his young age and counted on an easy victory: the Norwegian-Danish kingdom, Saxony and Russia thus tried to make claims to Sweden over its territories. It was these three powers that created the Northern Alliance, founded by the Polish king and elector of Saxony Augustus II. This man wanted to subjugate Livonia (Livonia), which is part of Sweden, which would contribute to strengthening his power in the Commonwealth. By the way, Livonia was in the hands of Sweden in accordance with the Olive Peace Treaty of 1660.

What prompted Denmark to a conflict with Sweden? Of course, a long-standing desire to dominate the Baltic Sea. It is known that in 1658 Carl X Gustav defeated the Danes during a march to 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 competed among themselves 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 Tsar Peter I, after negotiations with Augustus, entered the Northern Alliance last. This event was formalized in the form of the Transfiguration Treaty. Russia's land claims against Sweden included Ingria and Karelia: these countries were captured in the Troubled Time by Sweden in accordance with the Stolbov Treaty of 1617. Russia also was not averse to annexing the lands of Livonia, because they were remembered by their chronicles in the eleventh century - the territory was considered an ancient "paternity" of Russian rulers.

It is interesting that during the military operations of 1656-1658 the Russian army was able to occupy for some time the eastern part of Livonia and Ingria. The Russians captured Noteburg, Nyenskans and Dinaburg, besieged Riga. But the war with the Rzeczpospolita was resumed, and Russia had to conclude a peaceful Treaty of Kardis - 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 the impressive battles. So, the Russian state provided trade relations with Europe with the help of Arkhangelsk, the only port on the White Sea. Here there was a heavy and irregular navigation, which greatly complicated the trade. And in the field of shipbuilding and navigation in the White Sea, there was a significant lag. In general, the acquisition of access to the Baltic Sea was considered the most important economic task for Russia.

Is not it true that the reasons for the Northern War are rather serious? By the way, the secondary factor in Russia's entry into the battle was the end of the war with Turkey. The Treaty of Constantinople was concluded on July 3, 1700, and on August 18, the final peace was declared with Turkey. Finally, on August 19, Russia declared war on Sweden. Immediately, all Swedish goods in Moscow were confiscated according to the newly issued decree. They were seized in favor of the Russian treasury. At the same time, the Swedish envoy was arrested in Moscow.

The reason for declaring war was various troubles, especially the personal insult of 1697. After all, it was then that Peter I, who was traveling around Europe, was met with cold in Riga by the Swedes. At the same time, land claims were not mentioned.

The beginning of the battle

Participants of the Northern War Distinguished by their outstanding abilities. For example, the eighteen-year-old King of Sweden Carl XII was "in love with the war". He had an outstanding tactical talent. Therefore, the Swedes in the first hostilities were able to win a series of important victories. However, brave warrior Charles XII was a very bad politician: he outlined for himself and his army the unrealizable goals of the war.

His main enemy, Peter I, was a highly gifted commander, strategist and military organizer. In addition, he was considered a very astute and talented diplomat. Of course, he was haunted by setbacks at the beginning of the battle, but in the end the enterprise was completed successfully. After all, Charles XII made too many mistakes.

The battle of the Northern War in some way supported and Ayuka-khan. This Kalmyk ruler was born in Dzungaria. He migrated to the Volga region at the age of twelve, where he was proclaimed the first taisha 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 policy. In return, he allowed her to use her army in the battles of the Northern War.

Campaign of Denmark

Participants in the Northern War, namely the troops of Saxony, on February 12, 1700 besieged Riga. However, the dreams of Augustus II were not to be fulfilled: the Livonian nobility did not side with the advancing, and August's divisions did not succeed. King of Denmark Frederick IV in August of the same year raided the Holstein-Gottorp Duchy in the southern part of the country. However, ten thousand Swedish soldiers led by Charles XII were surprised by the Danes, landing at Copenhagen. Denmark was forced to break off the alliance with Augustus II: on August 7, she had to sign a peaceful Travendal Treaty.

Russian trek to Ingermanland

And now we will consider the main events of the Northern War. It is known that on the conclusion of a peaceful Treaty of Constantinople, Peter received a message on August 18. No one informed him that Denmark had ceased hostilities, and therefore on August 19 he declared war on Sweden. As a result, Russian troops launched an offensive.

Earlier, Russia entered into a union agreement with Augustus II, according to which it was to receive Ingermanland (otherwise the Swedish Ingria). This country corresponded in size to the present Leningrad region.

Interestingly, on the border between Estlandia and Ingermanlandia was located an impressive city and the biggest fortress of Sweden in the region - Narva. This fortress turned into a target for Russian commanders.

Is not it true that the stages of the Northern War are very diverse and picturesque? Let's consider a trip to Narva. It was organized by the fall, quite unsuccessfully. The food was scarce, the soldiers were starving. The horses carrying the equipment were fed so badly that their fall began. Among other things, the rains have gone, the condition of the roads has deteriorated, carts have regularly broken down at the train.

In general, Peter I wanted to collect over sixty thousand soldiers near Narva. Unfortunately, the army moved to this area too slowly and frustrated the plans and terms of the king. As a result, the siege of Narva began on October 14, in which only 40,000 soldiers participated.

The siege of Narva

What else is famous for the Northern War? Let's briefly consider the siege of Narva. This event was organized unsuccessfully. Cannon shelling of the city was ineffective, as the Russian army used small weapons. Moreover, there was enough ammunition for only a couple of weeks.

Narva is a fortress, coupled with the neighboring Ivangorod. Therefore, Peter I, who personally planned the siege, had to maximally stretch the Russian troops, simultaneously encircling both fortresses. This arrangement for the Russian forces proved to be very unfortunate: during the next battle at Narva, it weakened their fighting efficiency.

What did August II do? Having received information about the rapid withdrawal from the Danish war, he, having immediately removed the Riga siege, retreated to Courland. 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 Pernou (Pärnu). He landed there on October 6 and headed for Narva, besieged by the Russian horde.

Further, on the night of November 18, General Field Marshal Count Golovin left with the army of Peter I - they went to Novgorod. The king entrusted the high command to the elder in the rank of foreigner the Duke de Croat. The army of Charles XII on November 19, 1700, caused a severe defeat to the Russian army in the battle of Narva. It is interesting that the Swedish army numbered 25 thousand people, and the Russian army - about 40 thousand.

Years of the Northern War are interesting actions of the cowardly Duke de Croix, who even before the decisive battle surrendered to Charles XII. But he surrendered not alone, but together with his headquarters, consisting of strangers. After all the losses, the Russian army still outnumbered Sweden. But by November 21, its main part capitulated on the orders of the Duke de Croa.

It should be noted that the Life Guards Semyonovsky and the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were firmly defended by the Swedes. They not only managed to prevent shameful surrender, but also covered the retreat of part of the Russian troops, thereby protecting him from the final rout. For the courage shown in this battle, the regiment soldiers in 1700-1740 were awarded red stockings: in memory of the fact that "they stood knee-deep in blood in this battle."

Campaign Outcome

The battles of the Northern War ended in different ways. For example, the result of military operations near Narva for the Russian side was terrible: the death toll, wounded, deserted, drowned, died from frost and hunger amounted to eight to ten thousand people. In addition, seven hundred people, including ten generals and fifty-six officers, found themselves in captivity, 179 of 184 guns were lost. It was a disaster.

The reasons for the defeat of the Russian army

Some of the battles of the Northern War ended in defeat. Let's consider the reasons for the defeat of the Russian army in the battle of Narva. First, the army was disgustingly prepared for war with a strong opponent. Moreover, it was in the reorganization stage. 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 different and obsolete. In fact, at that time she had more than twenty-five different calibers - this nuance made her supply of ammunition catastrophically difficult. And, finally, the most important moment: the Russian army lacked its own national command structure. After all, all the main command posts were occupied by foreign officers.

For several years in Europe, after this failure, they believed that the Russian army was completely incompetent. At the same time, Charles XII was nicknamed the Swedish Alexander Macedonian.

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 troops. Now they accounted for only a third of the total number of officers in the unit.

It is noteworthy that the defeat near Narva played a tremendous role in the development of the Russian army and the history of the state. The historian MN Pokrovsky noted that all Russian interests in the war amounted to gaining access to the sea, to trading and gaining control over the Baltic trade ports. That is why Peter at the initial stages of the conflict paid special attention to the ports of the Baltic - Riga and Narva. Unfortunately, he suffered a crushing defeat near Narva and was thrown back into the area of modern St. Petersburg. Peter decided to build a new port and city in 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 it is capacious. Of course, Peter I evaluated the reasons why the Russian troops were defeated near Narva. Now he has directed all the potential to prepare the country and troops for the war with Sweden. He creates a new regular army, improves its organizational structure, the system of education and upbringing, acquires the latest weapons.

He updates the artillery - reduces the number of calibers, there are now only 12. On the orders of Peter I, for a minimum period, three hundred new guns were cast. It should be noted that some of the implements were made from church bells, confiscated and re-melted. As a result, Peter recovered his strength after the failure at Narva and resumed the offensive in the north.

Battles in Ingermanland

How did the Northern War last? Let us briefly study the subsequent course of events. It is known that the main forces of Sweden participated in the battles in Saxony and Rzeczpospolita. Taking advantage of the moment, Peter in 1701 ordered in the north to launch a new offensive. Then the Russian troops commanded Boris Sheremetev: they attacked Ingermanland (Ingria), then owned by Sweden, and December 30, 1701 in the Battle of Erestrafer won in the Northern War, his first victory.

At that time, the Swedish army was commanded by General Schlippenbach. And in July 1702 in the battle of Hummelsgoth the Russian army won the second time of his hordes.

As a result, by the beginning of 1703 the whole course of the Neva was controlled by the Russians.

Battles in Estland and Livonia

In general, the outcome of the Northern War was greatly influenced by 1703 - to its completion, Russia controlled almost all the lands of Ingermanlandia. In 1704 the Russian army continued its offensive. Under the command of Sheremetev Boris, by the summer of 1704, she 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 Estland. Then the soldiers were commanded by General Ogilvy. And Peter came from Derpt, and by the end of the summer this fortress was taken. Agree, the storming of the fortresses was magnificent! The Russian army in this operation demonstrated its increased skill and excellent equipment.

The Polish campaign

During the Northern War, Charles XII had to make a huge number of decisions. He decided to abandon active military operations against the Russian army. And he wanted to inflict the main blow on the army of Augustus II. In general, the Swedish king wished in Poland to elevate the monarch favorably to him instead of Augustus II. He decided to create a buffer zone between the Russians and the Swedes from Rzeczpospolita.

Then the Swedish troops in July 1701, not met with a proper rebuff, crossed the Dvina and captured Livonia. It is interesting that the Polish campaign ended with the capture of the commander of Sweden and the victory of the Russian army.

Invasion of Russia

The results of the Northern War are interesting to every person who cares about history. But first consider the year 1707 - this whole year the army of the Swedes was in Saxony. During this period, Charles XII managed to cover losses and significantly strengthen the army. And in the beginning of 1708 the Swedes went to Smolensk. Some believe that initially they planned to inflict the most important blow in the Moscow direction. Peter I did not have the plans of the enemy: the position of the Russians became more complicated with each passing day.

The Military Council in Starish

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 was held in a small Smolensk settlement. This was the extreme eastern point of the movement of the army of the Swedes in the invasion of Russia.

The military decided the question of further movements of the Swedish army. Some suggested going to Moscow through Smolensk, and others were willing to move to the south, to Ukraine. Unfortunately, the army of Sweden needed rest: the soldiers ran out of food and ammunition worn out, most of them were ill. However, hetman Ivan Mazepa assured the Swedes of supporting the Ukrainian population, and they chose the movement to Ukraine.

Poltava

Of course, the historical significance of the Northern War Is very large for the Russians. They defeated June 27, 1709 in the Battle of Poltava, which the Swedes besieged in vain and with considerable losses.

It is known that after this grand 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, the Emperor Peter I, for his part in the Battle of Poltava, honored the title of Field Marshal General.

The outcome of the war

Results of the Northern War Vague and are estimated in completely different ways. Some point out that for the defeat of Sweden, especially as part of a powerful coalition (Saxony, Denmark, Rzeczpospolita), and securing the Russians' exit to the Baltic Sea was not required for twenty years.

Many recognize that the war radically changed the balance of power in the Baltic: now Russia in this area enjoyed the greatest influence. The key task set by Peter I, of course, was solved - Russia got access to the sea and began to establish sea trade with Europe.

How did the Northern War influence the reform efforts of Peter? Reforms, thanks to it, only acquired some acceleration. It should be noted that Peter did not cease his reform activities for one second. All of his reforms were due to military problems.

By the way, the Northern War of 1700-1721 had a strong impact on Russia - 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 - came under the name of Big Hatred. Sweden lost its former power and turned into a secondary state.