Detailed description. Battle of Poltava

Kingdom of Russia Commanders Charles XII
Carl Gustav Rehnschild Peter I
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov Strengths of the parties General forces :
26,000 Swedes (about 11,000 cavalry and 15,000 infantry), 1,000 Wallachian hussars, 41 guns, about 2 thousand Cossacks

Total: about 37,000. 30 thousand Swedes, 6 thousand Cossacks, 1 thousand Vlachs.

Forces in battle:
8270 infantry, 7800 dragoons and reiters, 1000 hussars, 4 guns

Did not take part in the battle: Cossacks

General forces :
about 37,000 infantry (87 battalions), 23,700 cavalry (27 regiments and 5 squadrons), 102 guns (according to other sources, 302 guns)

Total: about 60,000 (according to modern data, 80,000). of which 8 thousand were Skoropadsky Cossacks.

Forces in battle:
25,000 infantry, 9,000 dragoons, Cossacks and Kalmyks, another 3,000 Kalmyks came to the end of the battle

Poltava garrison:
4200 infantry, 2000 Cossacks, 28 guns

Military losses 6700-9234 killed and wounded,
2874 prisoners during the battle and 15-17 thousand at Perevolochna 1345 killed, 3290 wounded

Northern War (1700-1721)

Battle of Poltava- the largest battle of the Northern War between Russian troops under the command of Peter I and the Swedish army of Charles XII. It took place on the morning of June 27 (July 8), 1709, 6 versts from the city of Poltava on Russian lands (Left Bank of the Dnieper). The decisive victory of the Russian army led to a turning point in the Northern War in Russia's favor and ended Sweden's dominance as one of the leading military forces in Europe.

Background

In October 1708, Peter I became aware of the betrayal and defection of Hetman Mazepa to the side of Charles XII, who negotiated with the king for quite a long time, promising him, if he arrived in Ukraine, up to 50 thousand Cossack troops, food and comfortable wintering. On October 28, 1708, Mazepa, at the head of a detachment of Cossacks, arrived at Charles’s headquarters. After this, Peter I amnestied and recalled from exile (accused of treason due to Mazepa’s slander) Ukrainian colonel Semyon Paliy ( real name Gurko); Thus, the tsar secured the support of the Cossacks.

From the many thousands of Ukrainian Cossacks (registered Cossacks numbered 30 thousand, Zaporozhye Cossacks - 10-12 thousand), Mazepa managed to bring only about 10 thousand people, about 3 thousand registered Cossacks and about 7 thousand Cossacks. But they soon began to flee from the camp of the Swedish army. King Charles XII did not dare to use such unreliable allies, of whom there were about 2 thousand, in battle, and therefore left them in the baggage train.

Charles XII, having received information about the imminent approach of a large Kalmyk detachment to the Russians, decided to attack Peter’s army before the Kalmyks completely disrupted his communications (an alleged defector from the Germans was sent to the Swedes. He said that not today, but tomorrow he would come to Tsar Peter’s aid a detachment of Kalmyk cavalry numbering 18 thousand sabers). Wounded during a reconnaissance on June 17, the king transferred command to Field Marshal K. G. Renschild, who received 20 thousand soldiers at his disposal. About 10 thousand people, including Mazepa’s Cossacks, remained in the camp near Poltava.

On the eve of the battle, Peter I toured all the regiments. His short patriotic appeals to soldiers and officers formed the basis of the famous order, which demanded that soldiers fight not for Peter, but for “Russia and Russian piety...”

Charles XII also tried to raise the spirit of his army. Inspiring the soldiers, Karl announced that tomorrow they would dine in the Russian convoy, where great booty awaited them.

Progress of the battle

Swedish attack on the redoubts

According to Englund, the greatest losses were suffered by two battalions of the Uppland Regiment, which were surrounded and completely destroyed (out of 700 people, 14 remained alive).

Losses of the parties

Church at the site of the battle

In the battle, the Swedes lost over 11 thousand soldiers. Russian losses amounted to 1,345 killed and 3,290 wounded.

Results

As a result of the Battle of Poltava, the army of King Charles XII was so drained of blood that it could no longer conduct active offensive operations. Menshikov, having received reinforcements of 3,000 Kalmyk cavalry in the evening, pursued the enemy to Perevolochna on the banks of the Dnieper, where about 16,000 Swedes were captured.

During the Battle of Poltava, Peter used tactics that are still mentioned in military schools. Shortly before the battle, Peter dressed the experienced soldiers in the uniform of the young ones. Karl, knowing that the form of experienced fighters is different from the form of young ones, led his army against the young fighters and fell into a trap.

Cards

Memory of an event

Museum-reserve "Field of the Poltava Battle"

At the site of the battle at the beginning of the 20th century, the museum-reserve “Field of the Poltava Battle” (now the National Museum-Reserve) was founded. A museum was built on its territory, monuments to Peter I, Russian and Swedish soldiers were erected, on the site of the camp of Peter I, etc.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava (which took place on the day of St. Sampson the Host) in 1735, the sculptural group “Samson Tearing the Lion’s Jaw,” designed by Carlo Rastrelli, was installed in Peterhof. The lion was associated with Sweden, whose coat of arms contains this heraldic beast.
In honor of the Battle of Poltava, the Sampsonievsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg and the Sampsonievsky Church in Poltava were built.
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava, a medal “In memory of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava” was established.

Monument at the resting place of Peter I after the battle
Monument to Colonel Kelin and the valiant defenders of Poltava.

On coins

In honor of the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava, the Bank of Russia issued the following on June 1 commemorative coins made of silver (only reverses are shown):

In fiction

In the novel “Poltava Peremoga” by Oleg Kudrin (shortlist for the “Nonconformism-2010” award, “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, Moscow), the event was “replayed” in the genre of alternative history.

In music

The Swedish heavy power metal band Sabaton dedicated their song “Poltava” from the album Carolus Rex to the Battle of Poltava. The song was recorded in two versions: in English and Swedish.

Images

Documentary films

Feature films

In philately

Notes

A. A. Vasiliev. About the composition of the Russian and Swedish armies in the Battle of Poltava. Military-historical magazine. 1989. No. 7.]
see Krotov P. A. The Battle of Poltava: on the 300th anniversary. St. Petersburg: Historical illustration, 2009. 416 p.
All the wars of world history, according to the Harper's Encyclopedia military history R. Dupuis and T. Dupuis with comments by N. Volkovsky and D. Volkovsky. St. Petersburg, 2004, book 3, p. 499
The Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of Victory over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava is celebrated not on the 8th, but on the 10th of July. The date of the battle fell on the day of remembrance of the Venerable Sampson the Stranger, who is rightfully considered the heavenly patron of the Battle of Poltava; in memory of which the Sampsonievskaya Church near Poltava and the Sampsonievsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg were built. And the day of remembrance of Sampson the Stranger Orthodox Church honors annually not on the 8th, but on the 10th of July.
No documentary evidence has been preserved about the details of Mazepa’s preliminary proposals to Karl. However, it is known that negotiations took quite a long time. As T. G. Tairov-Yakovlev reports in his book “Mazepa”, replete with clerical errors and inaccuracies, he revealed himself to his associates on September 17, 1707. In her book, Tairova-Yakovlevna cites Mazepa’s statement, recorded by his faithful follower, clerk Orlik: “I did not want and did not want Christian bloodshed, but I intended, having come to Baturin with the Swedish king, to write a letter of gratitude to the Tsar’s Majesty for his protection, describing everything in it. our grievances..." Thus, there were plans to bring Karl to Baturin. In addition, in the agreement signed later with Karl, Mazepa undertakes to give him, among other cities, Baturin (which has already been completely burned and is not suitable for these purposes) as a base for the duration of the war. Apparently, the agreement itself was prepared before the burning of Baturin.
Sergey Kulichkin. Peter the First. Historical portrait of the commander.
According to the research of P. A. Krotov, based on a comparison of archival documents, there were significantly more guns in the battle - 302 , see Krotov P. A. The Battle of Poltava: on the 300th anniversary. St. Petersburg, 2009
All wars of world history, according to the Harper Encyclopedia of Military History by R. Dupuis and T. Dupuis with comments by N. Volkovsky and D. Volkovsky. St. Petersburg, 2004, book 3, pp. 499-500
Vitaly Slinko. Battle of Poltava. Orthodox news agency "Russian Line"
V. A. Artamonov The Battle of Poltava and Eastern Europe - , Magazine “Golden Lion” No. 213-214 - publication of Russian conservative thought
Englund P. Poltava: A story about the death of one army. - M: New Book Review, 1995. - 288 with ISBN 5-86793-005-X
According to P. Englund, out of 8,000 Swedish infantry, 2,000 died during the assault on the redoubts, and approximately 2,000 separated with Roos.
Vladimir Lapin Poltava // "Star". - 2009. - V. 6.

Literature

Krotov P. A. The Battle of Poltava: on the 300th anniversary. - St. Petersburg: Historical illustration, 2009. - 416 p.
Krotov P. A. Peter I and Charles XII in the fields near Poltava (comparative analysis of military leadership) // Problems of war and peace in the era of New and Contemporary times (to the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit): Materials of the international scientific conference. St. Petersburg, December 2007 - St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House, 2008. - P. 48-57.
Krotov P. A. The military leadership of Peter I and A. D. Menshikov in the Battle of Poltava (To the 300th anniversary of the Poltava victory) // Menshikov readings - 2007 / Responsible. ed. P. A. Krotov. - St. Petersburg: Historical illustration, 2007. - P. 37-92.
Moltusov V. A. Battle of Poltava: Lessons of military history. - M.: OR Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation; Kuchkovo field, 2009. - 512 p. ISBN 978-5-9950-0054-9
Poltava: To the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava. Collection of articles. - M.: Kuchkovo Pole, 2009. - 400 p. ISBN 978-5-9950-0055-6
Pavlenko N. I., Artamonov V. A. June 27, 1709. - M.: Young Guard, 1989. - 272 p. - ( Memorable dates history). - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-235-00325-X(region)
Englund Peter. Poltava: A story about the death of one army = Englund P. Poltava. Berattelsen om en armés undergång. - Stockholm: Atlantis, 1989. - M.: New Book Review, 1995. - ISBN 5-86793-005-X

Links

During the entire Northern War there were no more important battle than the Battle of Poltava. In short, she completely changed the course of that campaign. Sweden found itself at a disadvantage and had to make concessions to a strengthened Russia.

Events the day before

He started a war against Sweden in order to gain a foothold on the Baltic coast. In his dreams, Russia was a great maritime power. It was the Baltic states that became the main theater of military operations. In 1700 Russian army, which had just begun to experience reforms, lost. King Charles XII took advantage of his success to take on his other opponent - the Polish monarch Augustus II, who supported Peter at the beginning of the conflict.

While the main ones were far in the west, the Russian Tsar transferred the economy of his country to a war footing. In a short time he managed to create new army. This modern army, trained in European style, carried out several successful operations in the Baltic states, including in Courland and on the banks of the Neva. At the mouth of this river, Peter founded the port and future capital of the empire, St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, Charles XII finally defeated the Polish king and took him out of the war. In his absence, the Russian army occupied a large part of Swedish territory, however, so far she has not had to fight the main enemy army. Charles, wanting to deal a mortal blow to the enemy, decided to head straight to Russia in order to gain a decisive victory in the long conflict. That is why the Battle of Poltava happened. Briefly speaking, the site of this battle was far from the previous position of the front. Karl moved south - to the Ukrainian steppes.

Mazepa's betrayal

On the eve of the general battle, Peter learned that the hetman Zaporozhye Cossacks Ivan Mazepa went over to the side of Charles XII. He promised the Swedish king assistance in the amount of several thousand well-trained cavalrymen. The betrayal infuriated the Russian Tsar. Detachments of his army began to besiege and capture Cossack towns in Ukraine. Despite Mazepa's betrayal, some of the Cossacks remained loyal to Russia. These Cossacks chose Ivan Skoropadsky as the new hetman.

Mazepa's help was extremely necessary for Charles XII. Monarch with his northern army went too far from his own territory. The army had to continue the campaign in unusual conditions. Local Cossacks helped not only with weapons, but also with navigation, as well as provisions. The shaky mood of the local population forced Peter to refuse to use the remnants of the loyal Cossacks. Meanwhile, the Battle of Poltava was approaching. Briefly assessing his situation, Charles XII decided to lay siege to an important Ukrainian city. He hoped that Poltava would quickly capitulate to his significant army, but this did not happen.

Siege of Poltava

Throughout the spring and early summer of 1709, the Swedes stood near Poltava, unsuccessfully trying to take it by storm. Historians have counted 20 such attempts, during which about 7 thousand soldiers died. The small Russian garrison held out, hoping for royal help. The besieged undertook bold forays for which the Swedes were not prepared, due to the fact that no one thought about such fierce resistance.

Basics Russian army under the command of Peter approached the city on June 4. At first, the king did not want a “general battle” with Charles’s army. However, it was becoming more and more difficult to drag out the campaign with each passing month. Only a decisive victory could help Russia consolidate all its important acquisitions in the Baltic states. Finally, after several military councils with his entourage, Peter decided to fight, which became the Battle of Poltava. It was too imprudent to prepare briefly and quickly for it. Therefore, the Russian army collected reinforcements for several more days. Skoropadsky's Cossacks finally joined. The tsar also hoped for a Kalmyk detachment, but it never managed to approach Poltava.

There was a conflict between the Russian and Swedish armies. Due to unstable weather, Peter gave the order to cross water artery south of Poltava. This maneuver turned out to be a good decision - the Swedes were not prepared for such a turn of events, expecting the Russians in a completely different area of combat operations.

Karl could still turn back and not give a general battle, which was the Battle of Poltava. Brief description the Russian army, which he received from a defector, also did not give the Swedish generals optimism. In addition, the king did not receive help from Turkish Sultan, who promised to bring him an auxiliary detachment. But against the backdrop of all these circumstances, the bright character of Charles XII was reflected. The brave and still young monarch decided to fight.

Condition of the troops

On June 27, 1709 according to the new style), the Battle of Poltava took place. Briefly, the most important thing was the strategy of the commanders-in-chief and the size of their troops. Charles had 26 thousand soldiers, while Peter had some quantitative advantage (37 thousand). The king achieved this thanks to the exertion of all the forces of the state. In just a few years, the Russian economy has come a long way from an agricultural economy to a modern one. industrial production(at that time). Guns were cast, foreign goods were purchased firearms, soldiers began to receive military education according to the European model.

What was surprising was the fact that both monarchs themselves directly commanded their armies on the battlefield. In the modern era, this function passed to the generals, but Peter and Charles were exceptions.

Progress of the battle

The battle began with the Swedish vanguard organizing the first attack on the Russian redoubts. This maneuver turned out to be a strategic mistake. The regiments, separated from their convoy, were defeated by the cavalry, commanded by Alexander Menshikov.

After this fiasco, the main armies entered the battle. In the mutual infantry confrontation for several hours, the winner could not be determined. The decisive attack was the confident attack of the Russian cavalry on the flanks. She crushed the enemy and helped the infantry put the squeeze on the Swedish regiments in the center.

Results

The enormous significance of the Battle of Poltava (it is quite difficult to describe it briefly) was that after its defeat, Sweden finally lost the strategic initiative in the Northern War. The entire subsequent campaign (the conflict continued for another 12 years) took place under the sign of the superiority of the Russian army.

The moral results of the Battle of Poltava were also important, which we will now try to briefly describe. News of the defeat of the hitherto invincible Swedish army shocked not only Sweden, but also the whole of Europe, where they finally began to look at Russia as a serious military force.

Russia's main opponent in the struggle for supremacy in the Baltic Sea was Sweden. After the signing of a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire in August 1700, a thirty-five thousand strong Russian army led by Peter I advanced to Narva. Despite their four-fold superiority, on September 30 the Russian army was completely defeated by the Swedes and was forced to retreat.

The Russian emperor drew the right conclusions from this shameful defeat and began military reform according to European canons. The results were not long in coming. Two years later, the fortresses of Noteburg and Nyenschanz were conquered, and in the fall of 1704, the cities of Narva and Dorpat. Thus, Russia achieved the long-awaited access to the Baltic Sea.

Peter I made a proposal to end the Great Northern War by signing a peace treaty, but this state of affairs did not suit the Swedish king Charles XII. Charles launched a campaign against Russia in 1706, trying to regain lost positions, and was quite successful in this, capturing the cities of Minsk and Mogilev and entering Ukraine in October 1708. It was at this time that Peter received an unexpected blow in the back from his former associate, Hetman of the Zaporozhye Army Ivan Mazepa. Despite his previous exceptional merits (Mazepa was a holder of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - the highest state award Russia), he openly went over to the side of the Swedish king. For betrayal of the military oath and betrayal, Ivan Mazepa was deprived of titles and awards, subjected to church anathema, and a civil execution was carried out on him.

Peter I, government leaders and senior military commanders took a bold and creative move: they launched the so-called “war of manifestos.” IN short terms Peter issued several manifestos to the Ukrainian people, in which he announced the betrayal of Mazepa, his plans to transfer Little Russia to Poland, as well as the election of a new hetman. In addition, in order to gain the support of all segments of the population, the Russian Tsar abolished some of the taxes established by Mazepa, which positioned him as a father and protector Ukrainian people. Let us note that Peter did not forget to “kindle” the higher clergy, who were promised “the highest mercy.”

Ukraine was divided: the smaller part was under the occupation of the Swedes, the larger part was under the rule of Moscow. The public, prepared by Peter's manifestos, greeted the Swedish army with hostility. The population resisted the demands of the occupiers to provide them with housing, food and fodder, which was followed by mass repressions. The Swedes mercilessly destroyed cities and villages such as Krasnokutsk, Kolomak, Kolontaev. The answer was predictable: it started guerrilla warfare, as a result of which the invaders had to expend a lot of energy to fight the people on whose support they were counting so much.

The position of Charles XII was complicated by the absence military assistance from Poland, Turkey and Crimea. Nevertheless, he decided to attack Moscow. Charles XII decided to move through the cities of Kharkov, Belgorod and Kursk. The main stumbling block was Poltava, a small city with a population of about 2,600 people. In the spring of 1709, Poltava was besieged by thirty-five thousand Swedish soldiers. The city was defended by a Russian garrison of 4.5 thousand people under the command of Colonel Alexei Kelin, the cavalry of General Alexander Menshikov and Ukrainian Cossacks. Having repulsed several enemy assaults, the defenders of Poltava managed to pin down the forces of the Swedish army, preventing it from moving further towards Moscow. During this time, the main Russian forces managed to approach Poltava and prepare for the main battle.

Progress of the Battle of Poltava

The date of the general battle was set by Peter for June 27, 1709. Two days before the deadline, 42 thousand Russian soldiers were located in a fortified camp six miles from Poltava near the village of Yakovtsy. In front of the camp there was a wide field, which was covered on the flanks by dense thickets, and was fortified by a system of redoubts - engineering structures designed for all-round defense. Two battalions of soldiers were located in the redoubts, followed by seventeen cavalry regiments under the command of Alexander Menshikov. Peter's tactical move was to exhaust the enemy forces on the line of redoubts, and then finally finish them off with the help of cavalry.

The Swedish army, instead of Charles XII, who was wounded on reconnaissance, was commanded by Field Marshal Renschild. The number of Swedes was approximately 30 thousand soldiers (of which about 10 thousand were in reserve).

The battle began at 3 a.m. with a clash of Russian and Swedish cavalrymen at the redoubts. Two hours later, the Swedish cavalry attack fizzled out, but the infantry occupied the first two Russian redoubts. Peter, following the chosen tactics, ordered Menshikov to retreat. The Swedes, rushing after the Russians, fell into a trap set: their right flank was fired upon by rifle and cannon fire from a fortified camp. They, having suffered significant losses, retreated to the village of Malye Budishchi. At the same time, the Swedish troops on the right flank under the command of Generals Ross and Schlippenbach were carried away by the battle for the redoubts and were cut off from their main forces. Peter immediately took advantage of this circumstance: the Swedes were completely defeated by Menshikov’s cavalry.

At 6 o'clock in the morning, Peter formed his army in a linear battle formation, placing it in two lines. The first contained infantrymen and artillerymen, commanded by Field Marshal General Count Boris Sheremetev and General Yakov Bruce. The flanks were covered by the cavalry of generals Menshikov and Bour. Nine reserve battalions were left in the camp. Part of Peter's troops strengthened the garrison of Poltava, on the one hand, so that the Swedes could not capture the fortress, and on the other, to cut off the enemy's path to retreat.

At 9 o'clock in the morning the battle entered its climax. The Swedes, also lined up in linear order, went on the offensive and, met by Russian artillery, rushed into a bayonet attack. At the first moment they managed to break the center of the Russian first line. Then Peter I, showing courage and bravery, personally led the counterattack. The Swedes were driven back to their original positions, and soon further by Russian infantry and cavalry. By 11 o'clock they began to retreat in panic. Charles XII and Mazepa fled to Turkey. The remnants of the Swedish troops retreated to Perevolochna, where they were forced to capitulate. The Swedish army was completely defeated, losing more than 9 thousand people killed and over 18 thousand captured. The losses of Russian troops amounted to about 1,400 people killed and 3,300 wounded.

Results and consequences of the Battle of Poltava

The Battle of Poltava became turning point Northern War and international politics in general. G.A. Sanin, Doctor of Historical Sciences, head of the center “Russia in international relations“compares the news of the Russian victory in this battle with a bomb explosion and calls even the idea that the army of Charles XII could be destroyed absurd for Europeans.

The Battle of Poltava radically changed the balance of power in the Northern War. Peter I successfully restored, and subsequently was able to expand, the Northern Alliance, signing new treaties with Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, and a Russian-Danish treaty on terms favorable to Russia.

The defeat of Charles XII near Poltava significantly influenced the course of the war in the Baltic states. In June 1710, a ten-thousandth corps of the Russian army, with the help of a fleet under the command of General Admiral Fyodor Apraksin, captured Vyborg, in July - Riga, in August - Pernov, and in September - Revel. Thus, the liberation of the Baltic states from the Swedes was completed.

Major historian pre-revolutionary Russia CM. Solovyov called the Russian victory at Poltava the greatest historical event, as a result of which “a new great nation was born” in Europe.

If at the beginning of the Northern War there was a question about the national self-preservation of the Russian people as a result of a possible conquest by the Swedes, then after the Poltava victory the prestige of Russia soared that many European powers began to recognize it as a valuable ally and adopt its diplomatic and military experience. From now on, no one political question could not be decided in Europe without the significant voice of Russia.

The Battle of Poltava had a positive impact on the development of Russian military art. Russian warriors under the leadership of their emperor showed a departure from the patterns of strategy and tactics: formation order of battle, preparation of engineering structures, allocation of the optimal amount of reserve, use of the features of closed areas. At Poltava, the enormous importance of the morale of the army and the patriotic spirit for victory was demonstrated. The lessons learned from the Battle of Poltava turned out to be invaluable for Russia in all subsequent times.

Briefly about the Battle of Poltava

Poltavskoe srazhenie 1709

Battle of Poltava, or Battle of Poltava, in short, has become one of the key events in the history of the Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721. The battle itself took place on July 8, 1709. In April, Charles XII invaded the Russian Empire from Ukraine, and in April began the siege of Poltava. At that time, his defense was managed by Alexey Kelin, under whose leadership there were 4 thousand soldiers and 2.5 thousand militia. The siege did not last long, since already in June Peter I brought his army to Poltava. It consisted of 42 thousand soldiers and 72 guns. Charles XII, hoping to win this battle, expected that the Ottoman Empire would also oppose Moscow.

On the Swedish side, up to 30 thousand people and 32 guns took part in the battle. The Zaporozhye Cossacks also provided active support. Their leader, Hetman Ivan Mazepa, decided to break his friendship with Peter I, hoping in the future to repeat the achievements of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and liberate Ukraine from oppression Russian Empire. The Swedes decided to go on an open offensive against the troops of Peter I. During the battle, part of the Swedish troops broke away from the main forces and was defeated by the cavalry commander Menshikov. Thus, the Swedish troops suffered significant damage even before the main battle began.

At 6 o'clock in the evening, Peter I went on the offensive, and after 3 hours the main forces of the infantry met in battle, and the Russian cavalry outflanked the Swedes. After 2 hours the Swedes fled, and Charles XII and Ivan Mazepa were forced to flee to Ottoman Empire. Until the Battle of Poltava, the Northern War was developing in favor of the Swedes, and after it, having lost most of the main army, the success of Peter I in this war was predetermined. Over 9 thousand Swedes died and more than 18 thousand were captured. The Zaporozhye Sich was also devastated, but at that time the Cossacks in Ukraine had not yet been destroyed.

One of the significant events in Russian history is the Battle of Poltava in 1709. Then, at the very beginning of the 18th century - just as during Patriotic War 1812, and during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the question was acute: is the Russian state destined to exist or not. The victory of the Russian army under the command of Peter the Great gave a clear positive answer.

Sweden in the 17th and 18th centuries

In the 17th century, Sweden was one of the strongest powers in Europe. Under its control were the Baltic states, Finland, and the coastal lands of Germany, Poland, Denmark and Russia. The Kexholm district (the city of Priozersk) and Ingermarland (the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Neva) captured from Russia were strategically important territories that provided access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1660-1661, peace agreements were signed between Sweden and Poland, Denmark and Russia. They summed up the bloody battles between the states, but could not mean complete humility in front of what was lost: in 1700, an alliance of Russia, Denmark and Saxony took shape against the treacherous Sweden.

Many historians argue that the allied countries wanted to take advantage of the accession to the throne of Sweden in 1697 of the 14-year-old heir Charles XII. But their hopes were not justified: despite his youth and inexperience in military affairs, the young Swedish king Charles XII showed himself to be a worthy follower of his father’s deeds and a talented commander. He defeated the King of Denmark and Norway, Frederick VI, as a result of which Denmark left the military alliance. The military operation near Narva in 1700 was no less successful, when Russian troops were defeated. But here the Swedish king made a strategic mistake: he abandoned the pursuit of the Russians, getting involved in a war with the Polish-Saxon army of King Augustus II. It was long-lasting, but its results were disappointing for Peter the Great: Russia’s main allies fell.

Rice. 1. Portrait of the Swedish King Charles XII

Prerequisites

The Russian army retreated. However, the defeat did not stop Peter I; on the contrary, it contributed to the beginning of serious reforms in the state:

TOP 5 articleswho are reading along with this

In 1700-1702 - a grandiose military reform: the army and the Baltic Fleet were created practically from scratch;
In 1702-1703, Peter the Great captured the fortresses of Noteburg and Nyenschanz;
In 1703, the city of St. Petersburg was founded at the mouth of the Neva;
In 1704, the port city of Kronstadt was founded on the island of Kotlin and the adjacent small islands of the Gulf of Finland;
In the summer of 1704, Russian troops recaptured Dorpat and Narva, which allowed Russia to finally gain a foothold on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

The victories won by the Russian army proved that the Swedes had a worthy opponent. But Charles XII preferred not to notice this. Confident in his abilities, he set off to meet new conquests - to Moscow.

Rice. 2. Peter the Great before the construction of St. Petersburg

When did the Battle of Poltava take place?

On July 8 (June 27), 1709, a general battle took place near Poltava. The battle lasted two hours and ended in a crushing defeat for the Swedish army led by Charles XII. Scientists rightly note that it was this battle that turned out to be a turning point and predetermined the victory of the Russians in the Northern War. The victory of the Russian army was not accidental. It was predetermined for a number of reasons:

Participants of the battle with different spirits : on the one hand, morally exhausted Swedish army, and on the other - the reformed Russian army. Most of the Swedish army fought for nine years, far from home and relatives. In addition, the grueling winter of 1708-1709 led to food and ammunition shortages for the Swedes;
Numerical superiority of the Russian army : Charles XII approached Poltava with an army of about 31,000 people and 39 cannons. On the eve of the battle, Peter the Great had 49,000 soldiers and 130 cannons at his disposal;
Differences in Strategy : for two years - 1707-1709, the Russian army was constantly retreating. The tasks of Peter the Great were to preserve the army and prevent the enemy from setting foot in Moscow. To do this, he chose a well-established victory strategy: avoid major battles, but to wear down the enemy with small ones;
Differences in Tactics : the Swedes in an open battle used a merciless attack using edged weapons, and the Russians used superiority in numbers and a system of earthen fortifications - redoubts. At the last stage of the Battle of Poltava, the Russian army used enemy tactics and went on the attack: the battle escalated into a massacre.
Wound of Charles XII : Swedish soldiers considered their king virtually invulnerable. Before the Battle of Poltava, he was seriously wounded in the leg, which shocked the army: many saw a mystical meaning and a bad omen in this. The patriotic attitude of the Russian army was exactly the opposite: the war was taking place on Russian soil and the fate of the Fatherland depended on its outcome.
The moment of surprise was missed : according to the plan, the Swedish infantry was supposed to attack the Russian army at night. But this did not happen: the cavalry, led by Swedish generals, got lost in the surrounding area.

Rice. 3. Map of the Battle of Poltava

The dates of the beginning and end of the Northern War include 1700-1721. The Battle of Poltava is called the most important event of this period. Despite the fact that the war continued for another 12 long years, the clash near Poltava practically destroyed the Swedish army, forced Charles XII to flee to Turkey and predetermined the outcome of the Northern War: Russia expanded its territories, gaining a foothold in the Baltic.

In addition to the main participants in the Battle of Poltava - the Swedes and Russians, an important role was played by the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa - a protege of the Russian Tsar, who was in secret correspondence with Charles XII and promised him food, fodder and military support for the Zaporozhye Cossacks in exchange for the independence of Ukraine. As a result, he was forced to flee to Turkey with the King of Sweden, where he ended his days in 1709.