Peter The Great of Russia vs. The Swedish Empire
Elite Swedish troops went up against the fortified Russian army at the battle of Poltava.
Would Charles XII of Sweden be remembered as the luckiest commander in Swedish military history or would his troops be captured and sent to Siberia? The Battle of Poltava marked a turning point in what was later called the “Great Northern War.” This war started in the early 1700s and would determine the balance of power in northern Europe.
Before we get to the Battle of Poltava you will need to know some background info. Sweden had their own little Alexander the Great at the time — one Charles XII who was born in 1682.
The boy wonder took command of the Swedish armies at the mere age of 15. Sweden was beginning to be attacked by its neighbors at that time. Charles quelled a Russian attack in the Swedish-owned Baltic states and defeated the entire Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with a measly number of troops. However, while he was busy in modern-day Poland, his arch-rival Peter the Great of Russia set his sights on what would later be known as the great city of St. Petersburg.
It was St. Peterburg’s fault
Charles XII was reckless and extremely lucky. In contrast, Peter the Great preferred…
