Great Northern War [1700] - The Swedish Caroleans Army

Charles XII positioned his 8,000 men (another 2,500 men were garrisoned in the city and would also take part in the battle at a later stage) opposite the besieging Russian army of about 33,000 to 35,000 troops.
Russia had opened their part of the war by invading the Swedish - held territories of Livonia and Estonia. Charles countered this by attacking the Russian besiegers at the Battle of Narva.The Swedish army of ten thousand men was outnumbered almost four to one by the Russians. Charles attacked under cover of a blizzard, effectively split the Russian army in two and won the battle.The Swedish army was commanded personally by Charles XII, assisted by General Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld. The Russian forces were commanded by Tsar Peter and Charles Eugène de Croy. Claiming important domestic events in Russia to which he was required to attend, Peter had left Narva just days before and was therefore not present during the actual fighting. He trusted that his commanders would draw success from the battle and presumed that Charles would not immediately attack his well fortified forces of superior number. Some interpretations view his flight from Narva days before the battle an act of cowardice, most of Europe mocked the Tsar after the battle for his departure.
For much of the day, a blizzard engulfed both armies, making attacks impossible. However, at midday, the winds changed and the snowstorm blew directly into the eyes of the Russians. Charles saw his opportunity and advanced on the Russian army under cover of the weather. The Swedes attacked in two columns, quickly broke through the Russian lines cutting them in three, and rounded them up. At one crucial point, a bridge over the Narova river collapsed under retreating Russian troops. The stampede led to the overall losses of men was 6,000 - 10,000 killed, wounded and drowned, 20,000 captured and disarmed and the loss of 180 cannons and 230 standards. The Swedish troops lost 700 men was killed and 1,200 was wounded.
The Russian surrender brought to Charles XII's army all of Peter's cannons, muskets and military supplies. This left Russia's remaining armed forces with essentially no equipment. If Sweden, or any other aggressor, had invaded Russia immediately after Narva, Peter would have been almost powerless to stop them. However, the tactical Swedish victory also contained the seed of the future strategical defeat. After Narva, Charles XII became convinced that he knocked the Russians out of the war for a long time and heavily underestimated them until the battle of Poltava. Peter, at the same time, learned the lesson of Narva and initiated a series of efficient military reforms.

Songs:
1.Sabaton - Glorious Land
2.Sabaton - We Burn
3.Hammerfall - Templars of Steel

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• sweden
• charles
• XII
• caroleans
• military
• musketeers
• cavalry
• artillery
• war
• empire
• soldiers
• army

[Gaskovichs]

vem är du??

Jag är greve de de la Bush ? wtf George bush ? :D

[kaptencgp]

@Klaus1386

The battle of Poltava.

Slaget vid Poltava.

A Russian propaganda movie.

[Klaus1386]

What movie was this from?

[OtakuPraetorius]

The casualties are wrong in the description. 11 000 Russian bodies where counted on the battlefield on the day after the battle, and an aditional 5000+ Where estimated to have drowned in the Narva river when a bridge collapsed or where killed and not recovered/died of wounds. 35.000, including civilans where also captured, not 20 000.

The number of 6000 dead are old, soviet propaganda numbers that have been disproven.

[Hussarer]

Russian propaganda...

[FaceTheSlayer6667]

@MrEkenbro inga problem ;)

[MrEkenbro]

@FaceTheSlayer6667 Ah okej tack :D

[FaceTheSlayer6667]

@MrEkenbro det är en rysk film vid namn poltava tror jag, hursomhelst är det en riktig rysk propagandafilm och vinklar mycket till ryssens del men den är rätt bra gjord.

[MrEkenbro]

Är det en film? Isåfall GE MIG NAMNET!!!