Name	Winner
	First Swedish Crusade	Novgorod Republic
	Hike to the capital city Sigtuna	Novgorod Republic
	Second Swedish Crusade	Novgorod Republic
	Third Swedish Crusade
	Swedish-Novgorod war	Novgorod Republic
	4th Swedish Crusade
	Minor border armed conflicts
	Russo-Swedish war	Grand Duchy of Moscow
	Russo-Swedish war
	Russo-Swedish war
	Russo-Swedish war
	Russo-Swedish war
	Great North War
	Russo-Swedish war
	Russo-Swedish war
	Finland war

The beginning of the wars with Sweden

Wars with Novgorod

The beginning of the wars between Sweden and Russia dates back to the middle of the 13th century. At that time, the coast of the Gulf of Finland was controversial, which both Novgorodians and Swedes sought to seize.

A flotilla of ships with Novgorod, Izhora and Karelian soldiers secretly passed through the Swedish skerries to Sigtuna.

The Swedish capital was taken by storm and burned.

These gates of the cathedral are the trophy of the Novgorodians who walked by sea in 1187 to Sigtuna.

Several times were imprisoned between warring parties peace treaties, but they were not observed for long.

In the 20s. XIV century. Prince Yuri Danilovich clears the northern borders by a number of campaigns, sets up a city on the Neva on Orekhovy Island and concludes a profitable peace with the Swedish king Magnus.

V Time of Troubles Swedes, under the command De la gardie, occupied Ladoga; Novgorodians summoned the Swedish prince to the throne and surrendered Novgorod to the Swedes.

By the time of the accession of Mikhail Feodorovich, Ingermanlandia and part of the Novgorod lands were in the hands of the Swedes.

The Northern Alliance also included the Danish-Norwegian kingdom, headed by King Christian V, and Russia, headed by Peter I.

In 1700, after a series of quick Swedish victories, the Northern Alliance fell apart, Denmark withdrew from the war in 1700 and Saxony in 1706.

After that, until 1709, when the Northern Alliance was restored, the Russian state fought with the Swedes mainly on its own.

They also took part in the war at different stages: on the side of Russia - Hanover, Holland, Prussia; on the side of Sweden - England (since 1707 - Great Britain), the Ottoman Empire, Holstein. The Ukrainian Cossacks, including the Zaporozhye Cossacks, divided and partially supported the Swedes and Turks, but mostly Russian troops. During the campaign, the Russian troops managed to capture Noteburg , as a result of which in 1703 St. Petersburg was founded.

In 1704, Russian troops captured Dorpat and Narva.

The war ended the Swedish great power and established Russia as a new power in Europe.

Russian-Swedish war under Elizaveta Petrovna

Started during the reign of the princess Anna Leopoldovna(-). The Swedish king, incited by the French government, planned to return the provinces lost during the Northern War to his power, but, not ready for war, gave Russia time to make peace with the Ottoman Port.

Russian-Swedish war under Empress Catherine II

Achievements of the 2nd turkish war alarmed the Versailles cabinet; England, dissatisfied with the establishment of armed neutrality, also wanted to stop the successes of Russian weapons. Both powers began to incite neighboring sovereigns against Russia, but only the Swedish king Gustav III succumbed to their incitement. Counting on the fact that most of Russian forces diverted to the south, he hoped not to meet serious resistance in Finland. The armament of the Russian squadron assigned for operations in the Mediterranean served as a pretext for war. On June 21, 1788, a detachment of Swedish troops crossed the border, broke into the outskirts of Neishlot and began to bombard the fortress.

Simultaneously with the outbreak of hostilities, the king made the following demands to the empress:

1. the punishment of our ambassador, Count Razumovsky, for his alleged intrigues, which tended to break the peace between Russia and Sweden;

2. cession to Sweden of all parts of Finland acquired under the Nystadt and Aboss treaties;

3. acceptance of Swedish mediation for the conclusion of peace with the Port;

4. disarmament of our fleet and the return of ships that left for the Baltic Sea.

Russian troops on the Swedish border managed to collect only about 14 thousand (some of the newly recruited); against them stood an enemy army of 36,000, under the personal leadership of the king. Despite this inequality of power, the Swedes have nowhere found decisive success; their detachment, besieging Nyshlot, was forced to retreat, and in early August 1788 the king himself, with all his troops, withdrew from the Russian borders. On July 6, near Gokhland, a clash of the Russian fleet with the Swedish fleet, commanded by the Duke of Südermanland, took place; the latter was forced to take refuge in the Sveaborg port, and lost one ship. Admiral Greig sent his cruisers westward, interrupting all communication between the Swedish fleet and Karlskrona.

There were no big battles on the dry road this year, but the Russian army, reinforced to 20 thousand, was not limited to defensive actions alone. During the summer, she managed to occupy a fairly significant part of Swedish Finland, and in August the Prince of Nassau-Siegen made a successful landing near Friedrichsgam.

On May 2, 1790, the Swedish fleet, under the command of the Duke of Südermanland, attacked Chichagov, who was stationed in the Revel roadstead, but, having lost two ships, withdrew for the islands of Nargen and Wulf. The king himself led 155 rowing ships to Friedrichsgam, where part of the fleet of the Prince of Nassau-Siegen spent the winter. On May 4, a naval battle took place here, and the Russians were driven back to Vyborg. The squadron of Vice Admiral Kruse, heading to join Chichagov, met on May 23, at the longitude of the island of Seskar, with the fleet of the Duke of Südermanland. After a two-day battle, the Swedes were forced to lock themselves in the Vyborg Bay, where the Swedish rowing flotilla was located, and on May 26 they were surrounded by the united squadrons of Chichagov and Kruse. After standing for about a month in Vyborg Bay and suffering a lack of everything, the Swedes decided to break through the Russian fleet. On June 21 and 22, after a bloody battle, they managed to make their way to the open sea, but at the same time they lost 6 ships and 4 frigates.

The pursuit lasted two days, and the Prince of Nassau-Siegen, who recklessly burst into the Svenska Sound bay, came under fire from batteries and was defeated, losing 55 ships and up to 600 people captured. This victory did not bring any benefit to Sweden, especially since the Swedes won no success against the Russian army led by Count Saltykov on the dry road. A murmur began in Stockholm, and Gustav III finally decided to ask for peace.

On August 3, 1790, the so-called Verelsky Treaty was signed, according to which both sides returned all the places occupied by the troops of one or the other power in the possession of the enemy.

Russian-Swedish war under Alexander I

The Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809 and the continental blockade of Great Britain - a system of economic and political sanctions organized by Napoleon. Also, the Danish kingdom intended to join the blockade. In response, in August 1807, Great Britain launched an attack on the capital of the Kingdom of Copenhagen and captured the entire Danish navy. Gustav IV rejected these proposals and embarked on a course of rapprochement with England, which continued to fight Napoleon, a hostile to him. There was a gap between Russia and Great Britain - the embassies were mutually recalled, and a sluggish war began. On November 16, 1807, the Russian government again turned to the Swedish king with a proposal for assistance, but for about two months no response was received. Finally, Gustav IV commented that the treaties of 1780 and 1800 cannot be started while the French occupy the harbors. Baltic Sea... Then it became known that the Swedish king was preparing to help England in the war with Denmark, trying to recapture Norway from her. All these circumstances gave Emperor Alexander I an excuse to conquer Finland in order to ensure the safety of the capital from the close proximity of the hostile power to Russia.

Where everyone hoped for a peaceful resolution of misunderstandings: the king himself did not trust the news of the concentration of Russian troops in pursuit of Klingspor, but the general; almost at the same time, the fortified cape was occupied., Gustav IV Adolf was deposed, and royalty passed into the hands of his uncle, the Duke of Südermanland, and the aristocracy surrounding him.

When the Riksdag gathered in Stockholm proclaimed the Duke of Südermanland king Charles XIII, the new government was inclined to the proposal of General Count Wrede to push the Russians out of Estherbothnia; hostilities resumed, but the successes of the Swedes were limited only to the capture of several transports; their attempts to institute against Russia people's war failed.

After a successful case for the Russians, Gernefors again signed a truce, partly due to the need for the Russians to provide themselves with food.

Since the Swedes stubbornly refused to cede the Aland Islands to Russia, Barclay allowed the new chief of the northern detachment, Count Kamensky, to act at his own discretion.

The Swedes sent two detachments against the latter: one, Sandels, was supposed to attack from the front, the other, an airborne one, to land at the village of Ratan and attack Count Kamensky from the rear. Due to the bold and skillful orders of the count, this enterprise ended in failure; but then, due to the almost complete depletion of military and food supplies, Kamensky went to Piteo, where he found a transport with bread and again moved forward, to Umeo. Already at the first transition, Sandels appeared to him with the authority to conclude a truce, which he could not refuse due to the lack of supply of his troops with everything necessary.

September 5, 1809

Thus to Russia withdrew all of Finland, which marked the end of centuries of wars between The Russian state and Sweden.

Russian claims on the territory, lost under the Stolbovo peace treaty after the Russian-Swedish war of 1610-1617. (Ivangorod, Ostrov, Koporye, Oreshek, Korela, Ingria), as well as the spread of Swedish influence in Poland, conquered by Russian troops during the military campaigns of 1654-1655. (The Swedes swore an oath to King Karl X Gustav a number of cities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and offered the same oath for Little Russia). An attempt by Denmark to take revenge for the unsuccessful war with Sweden in 1643-1645. Austria's diplomatic efforts aimed at Russia and Denmark, concerned about the growing influence of Sweden in Eastern Europe in connection with her victory over Poland during the military campaign of 1655 (Polish-Swedish war 1655-1660).

Preparing for war in Russia

In November 1655, Russia suspended hostilities with Poland, and in February 1656 concluded an armistice with her.

The state of the Russian army

Russian troops combined two forms of military organization: "national", based on various types of militias, and European - with permanent regular formations: soldiers, reitars, dragoons. The Russian army used numerous cavalry detachments of Cossacks, Kalmyks, Tatars, and, just like in the Swedish, there was a significant number of European mercenaries. For the war in Livonia, the Russians used the necessary supplies, well-established communications and military contingents, which had recently been involved in the western and northwestern directions of the Russian-Polish war. In Livonia, the troops, assembled in Polotsk, based on Vitebsk, Nevel and Druya ​​were supposed to operate. In Estland - troops gathered in Pskov. In Karelia - in Novgorod and Olonets.

The state of the Swedish army

The main part of the regular Swedish army operated in Poland and Pomerania. Soldiers and dragoons of the garrison service, as well as various types of militia, mainly from local German nobles and townspeople, were stationed in the Baltic States. Swedish fortresses were reliably protected by all the laws of European fortification of the time, including a sufficient amount of artillery.

Reason for war

The mistake of the Swedish diplomats in the royal title during the 3rd ratification of the Stolbovo peace in 1655.

Objectives of Russia

Preservation of its influence in the territories taken from Poland during the military campaigns of 1654-1655; the return of lost lands after the Russian-Swedish war of 1610 - 1617; seizure of Swedish territories in the Baltic states - Livonia and Estonia.

Command of the Russian army

Tsar Alexei I Mikhailovich, Prince Yakov Kudenetovich Cherkassky, Prince Alexei Nikitich Trubetskoy, Prince Ivan Andreevich Khovansky, Vasily Borisovich Sheremetev, Peter Ivanovich Potemkin.

Command of the Swedish army

Gustav Adolph Leuvenhaupt, Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, Gustav Evertson Horn.

War zone

The territory of Poland (the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) in the middle reaches of the Western Dvina (Latgale). The territory of Sweden - Livonia (south and northeast), Estonia, Ingria, Karelia. The territory of Russia is the Pskov district.

Periodization of the Russian-Swedish War 1656-1658

Campaign of 1656

During the campaign, Russian troops operated in three directions: in Livonia, Estonia and Ingria. In Polish Livonia (Latgale) Dinaburg was taken, in Swedish Livonia - Kokenhausen, Riga was besieged, in Estonia - Derpt, in Ingria - Noteburg and Nyenskans. The siege of Riga was lifted.

Campaign of 1657

During the campaign, Swedish troops invaded the Pskov district, but were defeated at Gdov. In Livonia, Russian troops were defeated at Valka.

Campaign of 1658

During the campaign in Ingria, Russian troops captured Yamburg and laid siege to Narva. Swedish troops, going on the offensive, unblocked the narva and took Yamburg and Nyenskans.

The end of the Russian-Swedish war 1656-1658

Poland in June 1658 renewed the war with Russia. On August 22, 1658, the Russian-Swedish peace negotiations began and a temporary truce was concluded. In the same year, Denmark was defeated in the war with Sweden, having lost Skane (the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula). On December 20, 1658, the Valiesar truce was concluded with Sweden for a period of three years, according to which Russia retained a part of the conquered Livonia and Estonia (Kokenhausen, Dorpat, Anzl, Neuhausen, Marnauz, Dinaburg, Lyutin and Marienburg). According to the Peace Treaty of Kardis in 1661, Russia returned to Sweden all the conquered during the war of 1656-1658. cities and territories, having received the right to keep their trade missions in Stockholm, Riga, Revel and Narva.

Golitsyn N. S. Russian military history. SPb., 1878. Part II. S. 616 - 622.

Sweden is the largest state in Northern Europe. In the past, it dominated its region and in certain periods of its history could well be considered one of the great European powers. Among the kings of Sweden there were many great generals - such as, for example, the "Lion of the North" Gustav II Adolf, Peter the Great's rival Charles XII, as well as a former French marshal and founder of the now ruling Swedish royal dynasty Bernadotov Karl XIV Johan. The victorious wars of Sweden, which the state waged for several centuries, allowed it to create a rather vast empire in the Baltic Sea basin. However, in addition to major interstate conflicts, Swedish military history also knows several internal ones - for example, at the end of the 16th century in Sweden broke out Civil War between the supporters of two monarchs: Sigismund III and Charles IX.

An important event combining Swedish and Russian history, became the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721. The underlying reasons for this 20-year conflict lay in Russia's desire for a strategic outlet to the Baltic Sea. The start of the war against Russia and its allies, which was quite successful for the Swedes, still could not provide this northern power final victory... The final results were disappointing for Sweden: with the defeat in this war, the country's gradual decline as a great power began. With a certain degree of convention, we can assume that the military history of Sweden ended in 1814, when the country waged its last war.
However, even today the Scandinavian kingdom has a highly developed defense industry and, albeit a small, but superbly equipped and trained army. In a special section of the portal, the site contains articles of authorship and editorial materials dedicated to the rich military history Sweden and today her armed forces.

Scheme for the exam.

In 1808, Russian troops invaded Finland, this was the beginning of the Russian-Swedish war, which ended in 1809. As a result, Russia annexed Finland and the Aland Islands. The military plans were implemented in a short time.

In the course of history, there are 18 wars, which since the crusades led by the Russian principalities, and then Russia, against Sweden. The struggle was fought for the territory of Ladoga, the Karelian Isthmus, Finland, access to the Baltic. The last was the war of 1808-1809, largely provoked by France, with which Russia signed. However, Alexander II also had his own interest - Finland, which completely ceded to the Russian Empire under the terms of the Peace of Friedrichsgam, putting an end to the centuries-old confrontation between the two states.

Preconditions for the war

The Peace of Tilsit in 1807 made Russia and Napoleonic France allies. Alexander I was forced to join the continental blockade of England, which Denmark was ready to support. In response, Hyde-Parker, admiral of the British fleet, attacked Copenhagen and captured the Danish fleet.

A confrontation began between Russia and England, which in fact turned into a sluggish war. Alexander I counted on the support of Gustav IV, the Swedish king. However, he leaned towards Great Britain, for he had his own interest - Norway, which he hoped to win from Denmark. This allowed the Russian Empire to continue its territorial claims against Sweden.

Causes of hostilities

Three groups of reasons can be distinguished:

Sweden's reluctance to join Napoleon's economic and political sanctions against England, with which allied relations were built. Gustav IV refused to close his ports to the ships of the British fleet. Russia sought to get Sweden to comply with the treaties of 1790 and 1800, according to which European ships could not freely use the Baltic Sea, and to make it an ally in the fight against Great Britain.

The desire of the Russian Empire to secure its northern borders, pushing them away from St. Petersburg, with the aim of capturing Finland, the Gulf of Bothnia and Finland.

Pushing Russia towards aggression by Napoleon, who wanted to weaken his main enemy in Europe - Great Britain. He actually authorized the seizure of Swedish territory by Russia.

War goals

Reason for war

Alexander I considered the return of the highest award of the state by Gustav IV insulting. Earlier, the Swedish monarch was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, but returned it when it became known that Russia had awarded a similar award to Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as representatives of his entourage.

In addition, in February, the UK pledged to pay Sweden 1 million pounds sterling annually in the event of the start of a military campaign against Russia, by signing an appropriate agreement.

The course of hostilities

Russian troops crossed the border with Finland on February 9, but only on March 16, 1808, the war against Sweden was officially declared ... This is due to the order of Gustav IV to arrest representatives of the Russian embassy.

Commanders

The balance of power, the actual start of the war

Before the outbreak of hostilities Russian army located between Neishlot and Friedrichsgam. Dispersed along the border 24 thousand people... Sweden, counting on the support of England, in every possible way delayed the moment of the armed conflict. In Finland, the Swedish army numbered 19 thousand people and did not receive instructions for a transfer to martial law. After the Russian troops crossed the Finnish border, the task was set before her - not to get involved in fighting holding Sveaborg.

This allowed the Russian troops to fortify in Svartholm in March, occupy the Aland Islands and Cape Gangut. 20.03. the manifesto came out Russian emperor on the accession of Finland. In April 1808 Sveaborg fell. 7.5 thousand Swedish soldiers and 110 ships were captured by the victors.

Failures of the tsarist army

The Russian army was unable to consolidate its success at the first stage for a number of reasons:

In northern Finland, the enemy had a superiority of forces, which led to the defeat at Siikayoki, Revolax and Pulkila. Russian troops withdrew to Kuopio.

The Finns launched a partisan struggle against Russian army.

In May, the English corps arrived in Gothenburg, and only the lack of coordination with the monarch of Sweden did not allow him to play a decisive role in the military campaign. However, thanks to the efforts of the Anglo-Swedish fleet, the Russians lost Gotland and the Aland Islands.

Fracture

By the summer, Russia had managed to assemble an army of 34 thousand people while V. M. Klingspor was inactive. This led to a number of victories in August - early September: at Quortan, Salmi, Oravais. In mid-September, the Anglo-Swedish fleet attempted to land an assault force in southern Finland in the amount of 9 thousand people, but after the defeat of one of the detachments at Gelsinga, concluded an armistice. Alexander I did not approve of him, but at the end of November a new treaty, according to which Sweden was obliged to leave Finland, was approved.

The successes of the Russian army

Before Knorring, the emperor in 1809 set the task of transferring the theater of military operations to Swedish territory in order to induce Gustav IV to peace. The army crossed the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia in three columns. After capturing the Aland Islands, Umeå, Torneo and reaching Grisselgam (Kulnev's vanguard), Russian troops panicked the Swedish capital. In March, a coup took place in the country, as a result of which GustavIVwas deposed, and his uncle (Charles XIII) ascended the throne, who concluded a truce with Russia.

Dissatisfied with the suspension of hostilities, Alexander I appointed Barclay de Tolly at the head of the army. The last clash, where the Swedes suffered a crushing defeat, was the battle of Ratan (August 1809).

Peace treaty

All military actions on the part of Sweden against Russia and the allies ceased.

All of Finland up to the Torneo River passed into the possession of the Russian Empire in the status of a Grand Duchy. She was granted broad autonomy.

Sweden closed harbors for the British, joining the continental blockade.

Results and historical significance of the war

This war was the last in the confrontation between Russia and Sweden, which ceased to claim territories lost during the Northern War. Its military result was the unprecedented "Ice Campaign", during which, for the first time in history, the Gulf of Bothnia was overcome on ice.

Finally, the fate of Finland was decided in 1815, which secured the decision of the Friedrichsgam Peace Treaty.

After the Sejm in Finland, at which autonomy within Russia was proclaimed and the system of internal self-government was preserved, the Finns reacted positively to the changes. The abolition of individual taxes, the disbandment of the army and the right to dispose of their own budget, without transferring it to the income of the empire, contributed to the formation of friendly, good-neighborly relations with The Russian empire... During the war of 1812, a Finnish regiment fought against Napoleon from among the recruited volunteers.

National identity was growing in the country, which would play its role when the tsarist autocracy took a course towards reducing the autonomy rights of the Grand Duchy.

Used Books:

1. Butakov Yaroslav. Finland with us and without us. [Electronic resource] / "Century" Copyright © Stoletie.RU 2004-2019. - Access mode: http://www.stoletie.ru/territoriya_istorii/finlyandiya_s_nami_i_bez_nas_2009-03-19.htm
2. Russian-Swedish wars. [Electronic resource] / Great Russian Encyclopedia. - Electron. text data. - BDT 2005-2019. - Access mode: https://bigenc.ru/military_science/text/3522658

Northern War (1700-1721)

If you say that war is the cause of evil, then peace will be their healing.

Quintilian

The Northern War between Russia and Sweden lasted 21 long years from 1700 to 1721. Its results were very positive for our country, because as a result of the war, Peter managed to "cut a window to Europe." Russia has achieved its main goal - to gain a foothold in the Baltic Sea. However, the course of the war was very ambiguous and the country had a hard time, but the result was worth all the suffering.

Causes of the Northern War

The formal reason for the start of the Northern War was the strengthening of Sweden's positions in the Baltic Sea. By 1699, a situation had developed in which almost all coastline sea ​​was under the control of Sweden. This could not but cause concern for her neighbors. As a result, in 1699, the Northern Alliance was concluded between the countries concerned about the strengthening of Sweden, which was directed against the rule of Sweden in the Baltic. The members of the Union were: Russia, Denmark and Saxony (whose king was at the same time the ruler of Poland).

Narva confusion

The Great Northern War for Russia began on August 19, 1700, but the beginning of it for the Allies was simply horrible. Taking into account that Sweden was still ruled by a child Karl 12, who was barely 18 years old, it was expected that the Swedish army did not pose a threat and would be easily defeated. In fact, it turned out that Charles 12 was a strong enough commander. Realizing the absurdity of a war on 3 fronts, he decides to defeat the opponents one by one. Within a few days, he inflicted a crushing defeat on Denmark, which effectively withdrew from the war. After that, it was the turn of Saxony. August 2 at this time besieged Riga, which belonged to Sweden. Charles II inflicted a terrible defeat on his opponent, forcing him to retreat.

Russia actually remained in the war one on one with the enemy. Peter 1 decided to defeat the enemy on his territory, but in no way took into account that Charles 12 had become not only a talented, but also an experienced commander. Peter sends troops to Narva, a Swedish fortress. The total number of Russian troops is 32 thousand people and 145 artillery pieces. Charles 12 sent an additional 18,000 soldiers to help his garrison. The battle was fleeting. The Swedes hit the joints between the Russian units and broke through the defenses. Moreover, many foreigners, whom Peter valued so much in the Russian army, fled to the side of the enemy. Modern historians call this defeat the "Narva confusion".

As a result of the Narva battle, Russia lost 8 thousand people killed and all the artillery. It was a nightmare result of the confrontation. At this moment, Karl 12 showed nobility, or made a mistake. He did not pursue the retreating Russians, believing that without artillery and with such losses, the war for Peter's army was over. But he was wrong. The Russian tsar announced a new recruitment into the army and began to rebuild the artillery at a hasty pace. For this, the bells of churches were even melted down. Peter also took up the reorganization of the army, because he clearly saw that at the moment his soldiers could not fight on equal terms with the opponents of the country.

Battle of Poltava

V this material we will not dwell in detail on the course of the Poltava battle. since it is historical event detailed in the corresponding article. It should only be noted that the Swedes were stuck for a long time in the war with Saxony and Poland. In 1708, the young Swedish king actually won this war, inflicting a defeat on August 2, after which there was no doubt that the war was over for the latter.

These events sent Karl back to Russia, since it was necessary to finish off the last enemy. Here he met worthy resistance, which resulted in the Battle of Poltava. There Karl 12 was literally defeated and fled to Turkey, hoping to persuade her to go to war with Russia. These events have made a turning point in the situation of the countries.

Prut campaign

After Poltava, the Northern Union was again relevant. After all, Peter inflicted a defeat that gave a chance for overall success... As a result, the Northern War continued with the fact that Russian troops captured the cities of Riga, Revel, Korel, Pernov and Vyborg. Thus, Russia actually conquered the entire eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

Charles 12, who was in Turkey, even more actively began to persuade the Sultan to oppose Russia, since he understood that a great danger was hanging over his country. As a result, Turkey entered the war in 1711, which forced Peter's army to loosen its grip in the North, as the Northern War now forced him to fight on two fronts.

Peter personally decided to conduct Prut hike to beat the enemy. Not far from the Prut River, Peter's army (28 thousand people) was surrounded by the Turkish army (180 thousand people). The situation was simply disastrous. The tsar himself was surrounded, as well as all his entourage and the Russian army in full force. Turkey could have ended the Northern War, but did not do it ... This should not be regarded as a miscalculation of the Sultan. In the murky waters of political life, everyone catches soybeans. To smash Russia meant to strengthen Sweden, and to strengthen it very strongly, creating out of it the strongest power on the continent. For Turkey, it was more profitable for Russia and Sweden to continue to fight, weakening each other.

Let's return to the events brought by the Prut campaign. Peter was so shocked by what was happening that when sending his ambassador to negotiate for peace, he told him to agree to any conditions except the loss of Petrograd. A huge ransom was also collected. As a result, the Sultan agreed to a peace, under which Turkey would get Azov back, Russia destroys the Black Sea fleet and does not prevent King Charles 12 from returning to Sweden. In response, Turkey completely released the Russian troops, in full gear and with banners.

As a result, the Northern War, the outcome of which after the Battle of Poltava seemed a foregone conclusion, received new round... This made the war more difficult and took much longer to win.

Naval battles of the Northern War

Simultaneously with the land battles, the Northern War was fought at sea. Naval battles were also quite massive and bloody. An important battle of that war took place on July 27, 1714 at Cape Gangut. In this battle, the Swedish squadron was almost completely destroyed. The entire fleet of this country, which took part in the battle at Gangut, was destroyed. It was a terrible defeat for the Swedes and a splendid triumph for the Russians. As a result of these events, Stockholm was almost completely evacuated, since everyone feared an invasion of Russia deep into Sweden. In fact, the victory at Gangut was the first major naval victory for Russia!

The next significant battle also took place on July 27, but already in 1720. It happened not far from Grengam Island. This naval battle also ended in an unconditional victory for the Russian fleet. It should be noted that British ships were represented in the Swedish flotilla. This was due to the fact that England decided to support the Swedes, since it was clear that the latter could not hold out for a long time alone. Naturally, England's support was not official and she did not enter the war, but she "kindly" presented her ships to Charles 12.

Nishtad peace

Russia's victories at sea and on land forced the Swedish government to go to peace negotiations, agreeing to virtually all the demands of the winner, since Sweden was on the verge of complete defeat. As a result, in 1721, an agreement was concluded between the countries - the Peace of Nishtad. The Great Northern War after 21 years of hostilities was over. As a result, Russia received:

• the territory of Finland to Vyborg
• the territories of Estland, Livonia and Ingermanland

In fact, Peter 1 with this victory secured the right of his country to enter the Baltic Sea. Long years wars paid off in full. Russia won an outstanding victory, as a result of which many political tasks of the state were solved, which faced Russia since the time of Ivan 3. Below is presented detailed map northern war.

The Great Northern War allowed Peter to "cut a window to Europe," and the Nishtad peace officially secured this "window" for Russia. In fact, Russia confirmed its status as a great power, creating the preconditions for all European countries to actively listen to the opinion of Russia, which by that time had already become an Empire.