Battle of Poltava: how Peter I defeated Charles XII. Battle of Poltava - briefly: year, reasons, meaning, move and map

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 Ukrainian 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 the main military power in Europe.

After the Battle of Narva in 1700, Charles XII invaded Europe and a long war broke out involving many states, in which the army of Charles XII was able to advance far to the south, winning victories.

After Peter I conquered part of Livonia from Charles XII and founded a new fortified city of St. Petersburg at the mouth of the Neva, Charles decided to attack central Russia and capture Moscow. During the campaign, he decided to lead his army to Little Russia, whose hetman, Mazepa, went over to Karl’s side, but was not supported by the bulk of the Cossacks. By the time Charles's army approached Poltava, he had lost up to a third of the army, his rear was attacked by Peter's light cavalry - Cossacks and Kalmyks, and was wounded just before the battle. The battle was lost by Charles, and he fled to the Ottoman Empire.

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. It was in this year that Peter I amnestied and recalled from exile (accused of treason based on Mazepa’s slander) the Ukrainian colonel Paliy Semyon (real name Gurko); Thus, the sovereign of Russia 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 up to 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 was afraid to use such unreliable allies, of which there were about 2 thousand, in battle, and therefore left them in the baggage train.

In the spring of 1709, Charles XII, being with his army on Russian territory, decided to resume the attack on Moscow through Kharkov and Belgorod. The strength of his army decreased significantly and amounted to 35 thousand people. In an effort to create favorable preconditions for the offensive, Karl decides to quickly capture Poltava, located on the right bank of the Vorskla.

On April 30, Swedish troops began the siege of Poltava. Under the leadership of Colonel A. S. Kelin, its garrison of 4.2 thousand soldiers (Tver and Ustyug soldier regiments and one battalion each from three more regiments - Perm, Apraksin and Fechtenheim), 2 thousand Cossacks of the Poltava Cossack Regiment (Colonel Ivan Levenets) and 2.6 thousand armed townspeople successfully repelled a number of assaults. From April to June, the Swedes launched 20 assaults on Poltava and lost more than 6 thousand people under its walls. At the end of May, the main forces of the Russian army, led by Peter, approached Poltava. They were located on the left bank of the Vorskla River opposite from Poltava. After Peter decided on a general battle at the military council on June 16, on the same day the advanced detachment of Russians crossed the Vorskla north of Poltava, near the village of Petrovka, ensuring the possibility of crossing the entire army.

On June 19, the main forces of the Russian troops marched to the crossing and crossed Vorskla the next day. Peter I camped his army near the village of Semyonovka. On June 25, the Russian army redeployed even further south, taking up a position 5 kilometers from Poltava, near the village of Yakovtsy. The total strength of the two armies was impressive: the Russian army consisted of 60 thousand soldiers and 102 artillery pieces. Charles XII had up to 37 thousand soldiers (including up to ten thousand Zaporozhye and Ukrainian Cossacks of Hetman Mazepa) and 41 guns (30 cannons, 2 howitzers, 8 mortars and 1 shotgun). A smaller number of troops took part directly in the Battle of Poltava. On the Swedish side there were about 8,000 infantry (18 battalions), 7,800 cavalry and about 1,000 irregular cavalry, and on the Russian side - about 25,000 infantry, some of whom, even being present on the field, did not take part in the battle. In addition, on the Russian side, cavalry units numbering 9,000 soldiers and Cossacks (including Ukrainians loyal to Peter) took part in the battle. On the Russian side, 73 artillery pieces were involved in the battle against 4 Swedish ones. The charges for the Swedish artillery were almost completely used up during the siege of Poltava.

On June 26, the Russians began to build a forward position. Ten redoubts were erected, which were occupied by two battalions of the Belgorod infantry regiment of Colonel Savva Aigustov under the command of Lieutenant Colonels Neklyudov and Nechaev. Behind the redoubts there were 17 cavalry regiments under the command of A.D. Menshikov.

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. 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

At two o'clock in the morning on June 27, Swedish infantry moved out from near Poltava in four columns, followed by six cavalry columns. By dawn, the Swedes entered the field in front of the Russian redoubts. Prince Menshikov, having lined up his dragoons in battle formation, moved towards the Swedes, wanting to meet them as early as possible and thereby gain time to prepare for the battle of the main forces.

When the Swedes saw the advancing Russian dragoons, their cavalry quickly galloped through the gaps between the columns of their infantry and quickly rushed at the Russian cavalry. By three o'clock in the morning a hot battle was already in full swing in front of the redoubts. At first, the Swedish cuirassiers pushed back the Russian cavalry, but, quickly recovering, the Russian cavalry pushed the Swedes back with repeated blows.

The Swedish cavalry retreated and the infantry went on the attack. The tasks of the infantry were as follows: one part of the infantry had to pass the redoubts without a fight towards the main camp of the Russian troops, while the other part, under the command of Ross, had to take the longitudinal redoubts in order to prevent the enemy from firing destructive fire on the Swedish infantry, which was advancing towards the fortified camp Russians. The Swedes took the first and second forward redoubts. Attacks on the third and other redoubts were repulsed.

The brutal stubborn battle lasted more than an hour; During this time, the main forces of the Russians managed to prepare for battle, and therefore Tsar Peter ordered the cavalry and defenders of the redoubts to retreat to the main position near the fortified camp. However, Menshikov did not obey the tsar’s order and, dreaming of finishing off the Swedes at the redoubts, continued the battle. Soon he was forced to retreat.

Field Marshal Renschild regrouped his troops, trying to bypass the Russian redoubts on the left. After capturing two redoubts, the Swedes were attacked by Menshikov's cavalry, but the Swedish cavalry forced them to retreat. According to Swedish historiography, Menshikov fled. However, the Swedish cavalry, obeying the general battle plan, did not develop their success.

During the mounted battle, six right-flank battalions of General Ross stormed the 8th redoubt, but were unable to take it, having lost up to half of their personnel during the attack. During the left flank maneuver of the Swedish troops, a gap formed between them and Ross's battalions and the latter were lost from sight. In an effort to find them, Renschild sent 2 more infantry battalions to search for them. However, Ross's troops were defeated by Russian cavalry.

Meanwhile, Field Marshal Renschild, seeing the retreat of the Russian cavalry and infantry, orders his infantry to break through the line of Russian fortifications. This order is immediately carried out.

Having broken through the redoubts, the main part of the Swedes came under heavy artillery and rifle fire from the Russian camp and retreated in disarray to the Budishchensky forest. At about six o'clock in the morning, Peter led the army out of the camp and built it in two lines, with infantry in the center, Menshikov's cavalry on the left flank, and General R. H. Bour's cavalry on the right flank. A reserve of nine infantry battalions was left in the camp. Renschild lined up the Swedes opposite the Russian army.

Decisive battle

At 9 o’clock in the morning, the remnants of the Swedish infantry, numbering about 4 thousand people, formed in one line, attacked the Russian infantry, lined up in two lines of about 8 thousand each. First, the opponents engaged in gunfire, then began hand-to-hand combat.

Encouraged by the presence of the king, the right wing of the Swedish infantry fiercely attacked the left flank of the Russian army. Under the onslaught of the Swedes, the first line of Russian troops began to retreat. According to Englund, the Kazan, Pskov, Siberian, Moscow, Butyrsky and Novgorod regiments (the leading battalions of these regiments) succumbed to enemy pressure, according to Englund. A dangerous gap in the battle formation formed in the front line of the Russian infantry: the Swedes “overthrew” the 1st battalion of the Novgorod regiment with a bayonet attack. Tsar Peter I noticed this in time, took the 2nd battalion of the Novogorod regiment and, at its head, rushed into a dangerous place.

The arrival of the king put an end to the successes of the Swedes and order on the left flank was restored. At first, the Swedes wavered in two or three places under the onslaught of the Russians.

The second line of Russian infantry joined the first, increasing pressure on the enemy, and the melting thin line of the Swedes no longer received any reinforcements. The flanks of the Russian army engulfed the Swedish battle formation. The Swedes were already tired of the intense battle.

Charles XII tried to inspire his soldiers and appeared in the place of the hottest battle. But the cannonball broke the king's stretcher, and he fell. The news of the death of the king swept through the ranks of the Swedish army with lightning speed. Panic began among the Swedes.

Having woken up from the fall, Charles XII orders himself to be placed on crossed peaks and raised high so that everyone can see him, but this measure did not help. Under the onslaught of Russian forces, the Swedes, who had lost formation, began a disorderly retreat, which by 11 o'clock turned into a real flight. The fainting king barely had time to be taken from the battlefield, put into a carriage and sent to Perevolochna.

According to Englund, the most tragic fate awaited two battalions of the Uppland Regiment, which were surrounded and completely destroyed (out of 700 people, only a few dozen remained alive).

Losses of the parties

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.

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. He himself managed to escape with Mazepa and hid in the territory of the Ottoman Empire in Bendery. The military power of Sweden was undermined, and in the Northern War there was a turning point in favor of Russia. 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

The actions of Russian troops from the moment of the attempt to liberate Poltava from Vorskla until the end of the Battle of Poltava are shown.

Unfortunately, this most informative diagram cannot be placed here due to its dubious legal status - the original was published in the USSR with a total circulation of about 1,000,000 copies (!).

Memory of an event

• At the site of the battle, the Poltava Battlefield Museum-Reserve (now the National Museum-Reserve) was founded at the beginning of the 20th century. 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.

Monuments in Poltava:

• Monument of Glory
• 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 commemorative silver coins on June 1, 2009 (only reverses are shown):

In fiction

• A.S. Pushkin, “Poltava” - in the novel “Poltava Peremoga” by Oleg Kudrin (shortlist for the “Nonconformism-2010” award, “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, Moscow) the event is considered, “replayed” in the genre of alternative history.

Images

Documentary film

• “The Battle of Poltava. 300 years later." — Russia, 2008

Art films

• Servant of Sovereigns (film)
• Prayer for Hetman Mazepa (film)

One of the significant events in Russian history is the Battle of Poltava in 1709. Then, at the very beginning of the 18th century - as well as during the Patriotic War of 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 proved 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, 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 went 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, the 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 strategy for a well-established victory: avoid large battles, and wear out 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.

It was a shame to lose the Battle of Poltava: the exhausted, hungry and demoralized Swedes, led by a Scandinavian vagabond, did not pose much of a threat.

Klyuchevsky Vasily Osipovich

The Battle of Poltava took place on June 27, 1709 and, in short, became one of the most important battles of the Northern War, which we will briefly discuss in this article. Separately, we will dwell on the reasons for the battle, as well as its course. To do this, based on historical documents and maps, we will draw up a detailed battle plan and understand how significant the results of the victory were.

Reasons for the Battle of Poltava

The Northern War developed in such a way that Sweden, led by the young king-commander Charles 12, won one victory after another. As a result, by mid-1708, all of Russia’s allies were actually withdrawn from the war: both the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Saxony. As a result, it became obvious that the outcome of the war would be determined in a head-to-head battle between Sweden and Russia. Charles 12, on a wave of success, was in a hurry to end the war and in the summer of 1708 crossed the border with Russia. Initially, the Swedes moved to Smolensk. Peter understood perfectly well that such a campaign was aimed at advancing deeper into the country and defeating the Russian army. When considering the causes of the Battle of Poltava, it is necessary to pay attention to two very important facts:

• On September 28, 1708, a battle took place near the village of Lesnoy, during which the Swedes were defeated. It would seem that this is an ordinary event for war. In fact, as a result of this victory, the Swedish army was left virtually without provisions and supplies, because the convoy was destroyed and the roads for sending a new one were blocked.
• In October 1708, Hetman Mazepa approached the Swedish king. He and the Zaporozhye Cossacks swore allegiance to the Swedish crown. This was beneficial for the Swedes, since the Cossacks could help them resolve issues with the interrupted supply of food and ammunition.

As a result, the main reasons for the Battle of Poltava must be sought in the reasons for the start of the Northern War, which at that time had already dragged on quite long and required decisive action.

Balance of forces and means before the start of the battle

The Swedes approached Poltava and began its siege at the end of March 1709. The garrison successfully held back the enemy's attacks, realizing that the king and his army would soon arrive at the battle site. At this time, Peter himself tried to strengthen his army with allied troops. To do this, he turned to the Crimean Khan and the Turkish Sultan. His arguments were not heard, and having gathered a single Russian army, which was joined by part of the Zaporozhye Cossacks led by Skoropadsky, he went to the besieged fortress.

It should be noted that the Poltava garrison was small, only 2,200 people. However, he resisted the constant assaults of the Swedes for almost 3 months. Historians note that during this time approximately 20 attacks were repulsed and 6,000 Swedes were killed.

The Battle of Poltava in 1709, by the time it began, after the arrival of the main Russian forces, brought together the following forces of the parties.

Swedish army before the battle:

• Number - 37,000 people (30,000 Swedes, 6,000 Cossacks, 1,000 Vlachs).
• Guns - 4 pieces
• Generals - Karl 12, Rehnschild Karl Gustav, Levenhaupt Adam Ludwig, Roos Karl Gustav,

  Mazepa Ivan Stepanovich.

Russian army before the battle:

• Number - 60,000 people (52,000 Russians, 8,000 Cossacks) - according to some sources - 80,000 people.
• Guns - 111 pieces
• Generals - Peter 1, Sheremetev Boris Petrovich, Repin Anikita Ivanovich, Allart Ludvig Nikolaevich, Menshikov Alexander Danilovich, Renne Karl Edward, Baur Radion Khristianovich, Skoropadsky Ivan Ilyich.

Progress of the Battle of Poltava (briefly)

At 23:00 on June 26 (the eve of the battle), Charles 12 gave the order to wake up the army and form it into battle formation for the march. However, the disunity of the Swedes played into the hands of the Russians. They were able to bring the army into battle formation only at 2 a.m. on June 27th. Karl's plans were thwarted; the wasted 3 hours completely deprived his attack of the element of surprise. This is how the Battle of Poltava began for the Swedes, the course of which will be briefly discussed below.

Storming the redoubts - scheme of the Battle of Poltava

The Swedes left their camp and headed to the battle site. The first obstacle on their way was the Russian redoubts, which were built both horizontally and vertically relative to the position of the Russian army. The assault on the redoubts began in the early morning of June 27, and with it the Battle of Poltava! The first 2 redoubts were taken immediately. In fairness, it should be noted that they were unfinished. The Swedes did not succeed in the rest of the redoubts. The attacks were not successful. This is largely due to the fact that after the loss of the first two redoubts, Russian cavalry under the command of Menshikov advanced to the position. Together with the defenders in the redoubts, they managed to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, preventing him from capturing all the fortifications. Below is a diagram of the Battle of Poltava for a more detailed visual representation of the course of the battle.

Despite the short-term successes of the Russian army, Tsar Peter at 4 o'clock in the morning gives the order for the retreat of all regiments to their main positions. The redoubts fulfilled their mission - they exhausted the Swedes even before the battle began, while the main forces of the Russian army remained fresh. In addition, the Swedes lost about 3,000 people on the approaches to the main battlefield. Such losses are associated with tactical blunders of the generals. Charles 12 and his generals did not expect to storm the redoubts, expecting to pass them through the “dead” zones. In reality, this turned out to be impossible, and the army had to storm the redoubts without any equipment for this.

Decisive battle

With great difficulty the Swedes overcame the redoubts. After this, they took a wait-and-see attitude, expecting the imminent arrival of their cavalry. However, General Roos by that time was already surrounded by Russian units and surrendered. Without waiting for cavalry reinforcements, the Swedish infantry lined up and prepared for battle. Forming in a line was Karl's favorite tactic. It was believed that if the Swedes were allowed to build such a battle formation, it would be impossible to defeat them. In reality it turned out differently...

The Swedish offensive began at 9 am. As a result of artillery shelling, as well as volleys of small arms fire, the Swedes suffered huge losses from the first minutes. The offensive formation was completely destroyed. At the same time, the Swedes still failed to create an attack line that would be longer than the Russian line. If the maximum values ​​of the formation of the Swedish army reached 1.5 kilometers, then the Russian detachments stretched up to 2 kilometers. Having a numerical superiority and smaller gaps between units. The advantage of the Russian army was simply enormous. As a result, after the shelling, which created gaps of more than 100 meters among the Swedes, panic and flight began. It happened at 11 o'clock. In 2 hours, Peter's army won a complete victory.

Losses of the parties in the battle

The total losses of the Russian army were 1,345 killed and 3,290 wounded. The losses of the Swedish army turned out to be simply nightmare:

• All generals were killed or captured
• 9,000 people killed
• 3000 people taken prisoner
• 16,000 people were captured 3 days after the battle, when they managed to overtake the main forces of the retreating Swedes near the village of Perevolochny.

Pursuit of the enemy

The course of the Battle of Poltava after the retreat of the Swedes took on the character of persecution. On the evening of June 27, an order was given to pursue and capture the enemy army. The detachments of Baur, Galitsina and Menshikov took part in this. The advancement of the Russian army was not carried out at the fastest pace. The Swedes themselves were to blame for this, who nominated General Meyerfeld with the “authority” to negotiate.

As a result of all these actions, it was possible to reach the Swedes near the village of Perevolochny only after 3 days. Here they surrendered: 16,000 infantry, 3 generals, 51 command officers, 12,575 non-commissioned officers.

The significance of the Battle of Poltava

From school we are told about the great significance of the Battle of Poltava, and also that this is eternal glory for Russian weapons. Undoubtedly, the battle of Poltava gave the advantage in the war to Russia, but is it possible to speak of historical significance as of ingenious and outstanding significance? This is much more difficult... It is no coincidence that we chose the words of the famous historian Klyuchevsky as the epigraph. You can blame him for anything, but he always describes the era of Peter exclusively positively. And as a result, even Klyuchevsky admits that even a brief study of the Battle of Poltava indicates that It would be a shame to lose in it!

Historians have significant arguments:

This allows us to say that the victory in the Battle of Poltava was very significant, but its results should not be greatly extolled. It is imperative to make a reference to the enemy’s condition.

Results of the battle and its consequences

We briefly reviewed the Battle of Poltava. Its results are clear - an unconditional victory for the Russian army. Moreover, the Swedish infantry ceased to exist (of the 30,000 army, 28,000 people were captured or killed), the artillery also disappeared (Charles had 28 guns, 12 initially, 4 reached Poltava, 0 remained after the battle). The victory is unconditional and magnificent, even if you make allowances for the state of the enemy (ultimately this is their problem).

Along with these rosy results, it should be noted that, despite such a glorious victory, the outcome of the war did not come. There are several reasons for this; most historians agree that this is due to Peter’s reaction to the flight of the Swedish army. We said that the Battle of Poltava ended at 11 o’clock in the afternoon, however, the order to pursue came only at night, after celebrating the victory... As a result, the enemy managed to retreat significantly, and Charles 12 himself abandoned his army and went to Turkey to persuade the Sultan to war with Russia.

The results of the Poltava victory are ambiguous. Despite the excellent result, Russia did not receive any dividends from this. The delay in ordering the pursuit led to the possibility of the escape of Charles 12 and to the subsequent 12 years of war.

The Northern War, which broke out in the 18th century between Russia and Sweden, became a significant event for the Russian state. Why Peter 1 started the war with the Swedes and how it ended - more on this later.

Russian state under Peter 1

To understand the causes of the Northern War, you need to know what Russia was like at the beginning of the conflict. The 18th century was a time of tremendous changes in economics, culture, politics and social relations. Peter the Great is known as a reformer king. He inherited a huge country with an underdeveloped economy and an outdated army. The Russian state lagged far behind European countries in development. In addition, it was weakened by long wars with the Ottoman Empire, which were fought for dominance in the Black Sea.

When considering the question of why Peter 1 started the war with the Swedes, you need to understand that there were the most compelling reasons for this. The Northern War was fought for access to the Baltic coast, which was vital for Russia. Without trade relations with Western countries, it could not develop its economy. The only port at that time through which Russian goods were supplied to the West was Arkhangelsk. The sea route through was difficult, dangerous and irregular. In addition, Peter 1 understood the need for the urgent development of his fleet in the Baltic and Black Sea. Without this it was impossible to create a strong state.

That is why the war with the Swedes under Peter 1 was inevitable. Previous rulers of Russia saw the main enemy in the Ottoman Empire, which constantly launched attacks on Russian border territories. Only such a far-sighted politician as Peter the Great understood that it was now more important for the country to have the opportunity to trade with Europe through and the fight for the Black Sea coast could wait for now.

Charles XII

During this period, the northern country was ruled by the same young and extraordinary monarch as Peter 1. Charles XII was considered a military genius, and his army was considered invincible. Under him, the country was considered the strongest in the Baltic region. By the way, his name is Charles in Russia, and in Sweden the king was known as Charles XII.

He began to rule, like Peter, at a young age. He was 15 years old when his father died and Charles inherited the throne. Possessing a hot temper, the king did not tolerate any advice and decided everything himself. At the age of 18 he made his first military expedition. Having announced at court that he was leaving for fun in one of his castles, in fact the young ruler with a small army set off by sea to Denmark. With a quick march, finding himself under the walls of Copenhagen, Charles forced Denmark to leave the alliance with Russia, Poland and Saxony. After this, the king spent almost 18 years outside his native country, participating in various military campaigns. Their goal was to make Sweden the strongest state in Northern Europe.

Peter 1 and the Swedes: causes of military conflict

Russia and Sweden were opponents long before the birth of the reformer Tsar. The Baltic coast, which had significant geopolitical significance, has always been of great interest to many countries. Poland, Sweden and Russia have been trying to increase their influence in the Baltic region for many centuries. Starting from the 12th century, the Swedes repeatedly attacked northern Russia, trying to capture Ladoga, the coast of the Gulf of Finland and Karelia. By the beginning of the 18th century, the Baltic countries were completely subordinate to Sweden. Augustus II, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, Frederick IV, Ruler of Denmark and Peter the Great formed a coalition against Sweden. Their hopes of victory were based on the youth of Charles XII. In case of victory, Russia would receive long-awaited access to the Baltic coast and the opportunity to have a fleet. This was the main reason why Peter 1 started the war with the Swedes. As for the rest of the alliance against Sweden, they sought to weaken the northern enemy and strengthen their presence in the Baltic region.

Great: The Northern War with Sweden proved the military leadership talent of the Russian Tsar

An alliance between three countries (Russia, Denmark and Poland) was concluded in 1699. Augustus II was the first to speak out against Sweden. In 1700, the siege of Riga began. That same year, the Danish army launched an invasion of Holstein, which was an ally of Sweden. Then Charles XII made a bold march into Denmark and forced it to withdraw from the war. Then he sent troops to Riga, and not daring to enter into battle, withdrew his troops.

Russia was the last to enter the war with Sweden. Why did Peter 1 not start the war with the Swedes at the same time as his allies? The fact is that the Russian state at that time was at war with the Ottoman Empire, and the country could not participate in two military conflicts at once.

The very next day after the conclusion of a peace treaty with Turkey, Russia entered into a war with Sweden. Peter 1 began a campaign to Narva, the nearest Swedish fortress. The battle was lost, despite the fact that Charles XII's troops were far outnumbered by the poorly trained and insufficiently armed Russian army.

The defeat at Narva led to a rapid transformation of the Russian armed forces. In just a year, Peter the Great was able to completely transform the army, equipped with new weapons and artillery. Since 1701, Russia begins to win victories over the Swedes: Poltava at sea. In 1721, Sweden signed a peace treaty with Russia.

Results of the Northern War

After the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt, Russia firmly established itself in the Baltic region and Courland.

Chapter 5. Main battles

a) NARVA CONFUSION

On August 9, 1700, the day after receiving notification of the peace of Constantinople concluded with the Turks, Russian regiments set out on a campaign to the northwestern borders. 10 thousand carts loaded with provisions, ammunition, and equipment slowed down the movement of the army. And only on September 23, its 10,000th advance detachment reached Narva. The siege of the fortress began. Peter and his generals (officially command was taken by a mercenary - the Austrian military leader - Duke von Krui) did not yet know that Russia's ally - the Danish king Frederick IV had already capitulated after the surprise attack of Charles XII's squadron on Copenhagen. Thus, the only coalition power with a strong navy was out of the game. The 15,000-strong Swedish corps, led by the king himself, landed without obstacles on the territory of modern Northern Estonia and without hesitation moved to the rescue of the garrison of Narva.

The Russian bombing of the well-fortified walls and towers of the fortress lasted exactly two weeks (from October 20 to November 4). By that time, the reserves of gunpowder and cannonballs had run out, and the number of all arriving troops had reached 35 thousand. In the conditions of the approaching winter, when the problems of forage and food worsened, the chances of successfully completing the siege became increasingly illusory. Meanwhile, 10 thousand of Charles’s soldiers in a skirmish near Wesenberg managed to push back the noble militia of B.P. Sheremetev, which was covering the road to Revel, and on November 18 secretly approached the Russian camp...

The battle took place the next day. The day before, Peter left the location of his army, riding out to meet A.I. Repnin’s division, which was just concentrating near Novgorod. With a swift attack, the Swedes in a number of places broke through the thin and extended line of Russian positions. Panic among poorly trained soldiers and the defection of mercenaries with all their artillery to the enemy side aggravated the situation. The bridge over the Narova River collapsed as F.A. Golovin’s division retreated across it. Sheremetev's local cavalry suffered heavy losses while crossing by swimming. Only two guards regiments, Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, and one army regiment, Lefortovo, offered strong resistance. The terms of surrender, signed on the night of November 20 by part of the Russian generals (F. Golovin, N.Yu. Trubetskoy, Georgian Tsarevich Alexander), were grossly violated by the triumphant victors: only the guards moved unhindered to their territory with unfurled banners and the beating of drums. The remaining troops, as well as all senior and middle command personnel, were captured.

The results of the Battle of Narva were truly catastrophic for Peter. Losses in killed, killed and drowned amounted to 6 thousand people, the army lost 135 artillery barrels and almost the entire command staff. Essentially, the army had to be created anew. But there were only 2 years left before the first victories over the Swedes at Erestfer and Gumelshof.

Armament and ammunition of the Russian regular army. The numbers indicate: 1 – cocked hat with a cassette hoop, 2 – fuselier bag with a sling and cartridges, 3 – officer’s protazan, 4 – sergeant’s halberd, 5 – fusée with baguette 1701, 6 – fusée with bayonet 1709, 7 – fusee with shoulder strap 1723, 8 – cavalry pistol with a wheel lock, 9 – officer’s sword, 10 – dragoon broadsword, 11 – soldier’s sword, 12 – grenade (grenada), 13 – dragoon mortar, 14 – pistol with a flintlock, 15 – dragoon olstra, 16 – dragoon cartridge boat.

“...Sergei Bukhvostov was also transferred to the bombardier company that already existed under the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It was he who was considered the first Russian soldier. Peter then gave the order to the sculptor Rastrelli to cast the figure of Bukhvostov in bronze, as the first Fuselian soldier.

Bukhvostov, a participant in many battles of the Northern War, received the officer rank of second lieutenant in 1706, and ended his days as an artillery major in the St. Petersburg garrison" (A. Begunova. "The Path Through the Centuries"). “We caught up with half a company of soldiers...all had bundles of hay and straw tied to their feet. Sergeant: Smir-rna! Left leg - hay, right leg - straw. Remember the science... Step by step, - hay - straw, hay - straw ... "

(A. Tolstoy. “Peter the First”).

b) “BEING IN FEWER NUMBERS IN FRONT OF THE ENEMY...”

The battle, later called the “mother of the Poltava battle,” took place on September 28, 1708. The army of Charles II, moving towards the Russian border without convoys and supplies, did not wait for the 16,000-strong detachment of General A. Levenhaupt, who left Riga with everything they needed. In order to prevent their meeting, Peter divided his army: the majority under the command of B.P. Sheremetev followed parallel to the movement of the Swedish king, and a specially formed flying corvolant (a mobile cavalry and foot formation of about 15 thousand soldiers under the command of the sovereign himself) rushed towards Levengaupt and overtook him, despite a series of deceptive maneuvers by the latter.

At first, the Russians managed to push back the enemy, and he was forced to retreat behind the fortifications of the Wagenburg - tightly packed carts. After a two-hour respite, the battle resumed. The decisive blow to the Swedes was dealt by the dragoon units of General Bour, who broke through their “defensive belt”. Levengaupt, who escaped, lost half of his personnel and the entire convoy, which Peter received as a trophy.

A field courier service operated in large military formations. It consisted of a postmaster, two clerks and several couriers. The first one (on the right) was in charge of receiving and issuing correspondence, the clerk (one of them in the center) performed their direct duties and registered mail. Reliable and hardy soldiers were appointed as couriers (on the left), who had to ride on horseback for whole days in any weather, and sometimes even engage in fights with the enemy who had broken through to our communications. Often packages with reports were delivered covered in the blood of the courier. By personal order of the sovereign, military postmen were given the fastest and strongest horses; the courier's weapons consisted of a pair of dragoon pistols and a sword.

Essentially, after the Battle of Lesnaya, the scales of the war began to tip towards Russia and its allies. Left deep in foreign territory without strong rears, Charles's army found itself in a disadvantageous strategic position.

The “History of the Suean War” cites the words of Peter I, defining the place of this battle during twenty years of hostilities: “This victory can be called the first for us, since such a victory has never happened over a regular army, and besides, it was in front of the enemy in much smaller numbers, and truly it is the fault of all the successful successes of Russia, since here the first soldier’s test was, and of course the people approved, and the mother of the Poltava battle both with the encouragement of the people and with the time, for after nine months of age this baby of happiness was said, always done for the sake of curiosity who wants to count from September 28, 1708 to June 27, 1709."

c) “SWEDES, STOP! SWEDES, STOP!”

The turning point of the entire war took place on June 27, 1709. The army of Charles XII (30 thousand people with 39 guns) was opposed by the regiments of Peter I (about 40 thousand soldiers with 102 guns). For the first time, earthen fortifications were used on the battlefield - redoubts dug by the Russians in front of the expected enemy attack front. The Swedes' attacks were stifled by intense fire from the redoubts. The success of the Russian troops was predetermined already in the prologue of the battle, when Menshikov managed to overthrow the enemy cavalry with energetic cavalry actions. But after receiving the order to withdraw, the “most serene” took his dragoons to the edge of the forest. The Swedes rushing forward came under artillery crossfire, and some of them (under the command of Generals Rosen and Schlippenbach) were captured.

In the second phase of the battle, the Carolinians managed to break through the line of fortifications and reach the Budishchinsky forest, where the Russian camp was located. The army commander (in the absence of the wounded Karl), General Renshield, delivered the main blow to the poorly trained soldiers of the Novgorod regiment. Having held the line, Peter's soldiers went on the offensive. It turned out to be so powerful and swift that the Swedish army trembled. The disorderly retreat turned into flight. The winners received all the convoys and artillery, and managed to capture almost the entire king's headquarters.

d) “WHERE IS SO MUCH LABOR AND LOSS PLACED”

Military operations began in the summer of 1711 in the basin of the Prut, Dniester and Seret rivers. According to an agreement with the Moldavian ruler Cantemir and the Wallachian ruler Brankovan, Peter, responding to the challenge of the Ottoman Porte, pledged to send troops into the territories of these principalities and restore their independence. A 40,000-strong Russian army under the command of the Tsar himself and Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev set out on a difficult, poorly prepared campaign. The slow advance of troops, caused by a lack of provisions and lack of food for the cavalry, disrupted the original plans. The betrayal of Brankovan, who did not allow Peter’s army to join the Serbian troops and handed over the stores to the Turks, put our command in a difficult position. On July 8, the vizier's 200,000-strong army surrounded the Russian camp. Bloody, unequal battles raged for two days in conditions of intense heat and lack of water. Heavy artillery fire managed to stop the first onslaught of the Ottomans. But the situation of Peter's troops by July 10 became catastrophic. Vice-Chancellor P.P. Shafirov went to the vizier’s headquarters with the sovereign’s order to make peace at any cost. The day of July 11 passed in tense anticipation; not a single shot was fired from either side. By evening the situation had calmed down. Shafirov reported that at the cost of minor territorial concessions (transfer of the Azov fortress, ripping down the ramparts of Taganrog) and the destruction of the Azov flotilla (by that time obsolete), the truce was signed. Historians explain the loyalty of the Turks by their heavy losses from cannon fire in the battle on July 10, the diplomatic skill of the vice-chancellor, who bribed the enemy commander, as well as the sudden appearance in the rear of the Janissaries of the Russian corps of General Renn, sent on a raid to the Danube. Summing up the results of the campaign, Peter wrote: “This matter... although not without sadness that the deprivation of those places where so much work and losses were incurred...” The atmosphere of disappointment with the results of the campaign of 1711 was clearly expressed by an eyewitness to the events Feofan Prokopovich in his poems:

Behind the Pockmarked Grave above the Prutovaya River there was an army in a terrible battle. On the weekday afternoon the hour became very difficult for us; a crowded Turchin came. The Cossacks went to meet, the Volos regiments went, the Don corrals went.

Guards and infantry regiments.

From left to right: chief officer of the Semenovsky regiment (1705), grenadier of the Preobrazhensky regiment (1712), infantry staff officer, fuselier of the infantry regiment, fuselier in karpus, epanche, cloth mittens and leggings (winter uniform), chief officer infantry regiment, pikeman non-commissioned officer, army grenadier, grenadier of the Preobrazhensky regiment (1709).

Nikita (Anikita) Ivanovich Repnin (1668 - 1726), prince, field marshal general, one of the most prominent associates of Peter I. He participated in the Northern War from its first day, but played an active role only from 1704, after the advance of the Russian corps into the Rech Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Together with A.D. Menshikov, he led the army out of the Grodno “cauldron” in 1706. After the unsuccessful Golovchinsky battle, he was demoted to the rank and file, but with heroic behavior in the Battle of Lesnaya (G708) he returned all his previous regalia. He fought at Poltava, commanded detachments of the Russian army in the European campaigns of 1711 - 1724. 1724 – President of the Military Collegium.

e) PERSIAN CAMPAIGN

Busy with “cutting a window to Europe,” Peter did not abandon attempts to establish trade and economic relations with India, Arab countries, and the peoples of the Caucasus. The implementation of these plans was hampered by the aggressive policy of Persia. The Georgian king Vakhtang and the head of the Armenian church have long asked for help in getting rid of the cruel yoke of the Tehran rulers. The reason for the war was the attack of the Shah's subjects on Russian merchants in Shemakha. The army, composed of 22 thousand infantry, 9 thousand dragoons, 40 thousand Cossacks and Kalmyks and controlled personally by the emperor, set out on a campaign from Astrakhan on July 18, 1722. She was accompanied along the coast by ships of the Caspian flotilla. The advancement of troops was hampered by heat and lack of food.

In August, the most important Persian fortresses of Tarki and Derbent fell. Next, the army was led by General M Amatyushkin. The allied Georgian and Armenian troops were defeated and retreated into the mountains, but the Russian army continued south. General Shilov's units took Gilan and Rasht, and Matyushkin captured Baku. In September 1723, the Shah went to war. Persia ceded to Russia the western and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea with the important cities of Derbent, Baku, Lankaran and Astrabad. Later, when the need arose for the allied services of the Persians against Turkey, the occupied territories were returned to Tehran.

Reflecting an enemy attack. From left to right - a fuselier of the Preobrazhensky regiment, a pikeman, a fuselier of the army regiment, a horse guardsman with a cavalry blunderbuss. But we have received a description of three methods of rifle fire at an attacking enemy: salvos from a deployed formation, platoons and “niederfallen”. When firing "Niederfalen" from 6 ranks, the first 5 dropped to their knees, and the last hit the enemy. Then they stood up and alternately fired the 5th, 4th, etc. The platoons fired sequentially, and a deployed formation was formed by changing from 6 ranks to 3. In the latter case, fire was opened simultaneously.