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 with the defeat of Sweden. The main role in the victory belongs to Russia. This gave her a leading military position among European states.
First year of the war
The beginning of the war for Sweden was very successful. It had a strong navy and a first-class army. Initially, Sweden attacked its closest neighbors - Poland, Denmark, Russia. The troops managed to seize many lands, which caused huge protest and discontent. All this led to the fact that the offended neighbors, having picked 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 win back the areas adjacent to the B altic Sea.
Allied responses
The beginning of the war was supposed to be next. Taking advantage of the youth of King Charles XII, the allies were going to attack Sweden from three sides. But, having learned about the danger thatthreatens him, Charles XII decided to defeat the opponents one at a time. As a result, the beginning of the war went very differently. The Swedish squadron bombed Copenhagen and forced the army to capitulate. 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, began the siege of Narva. However, on November 20, 1700, Charles XII de alt a crushing blow with his army. Russian troops suffered huge losses. This defeat seriously worsened Russia's position in the international arena.
Charles XII miscalculation
Thus, the beginning of the war for the Allies was extremely unfavorable. Sweden too quickly wrote off Russia, believing that the only enemy in this war was the Commonwe alth. Failure only hardened the character of Peter. He began purposeful preparations for battle. He builds defenses and 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 provide Saxony with an army of twenty thousand and one hundred thousand rubles annually.
Having prepared well, the allies started fighting. A series of victories over Sweden has passed. They were of great importance, as they raised morale and mood after the defeat near Narva. It also helped contain the outbreak of civil war.
Regularly replenishing troops and preparing for battles, Peter tried to improve relations with Sweden and proposed a truce. However, Sweden did not want to recognize Russia's rights to the won access to the B altic Sea. In addition, England and its allies were wary of Russia. They, in turn, feared that if the war ended, Sweden would intervene in the battles for the Spanish inheritance and side with France.
As a result, the Northern War continued for many more years and claimed thousands of lives. Russia won an unconditional victory. She not only regained previously lost territories, but also conquered new ones.
