The Battle of Poltova

The Battle of Poltava is the most famous and significant episode in the Great

Northern War (1700-1721). The battle which took place on July 8th 1709 fell directly in

the middle of the Great Northern War and is seen as the turning point in the war. Czar

Peter I own cause to end Sweden's possession of its Baltic empire showed his strong will

and determination. This battle in fact established Russia as an impressive European

power and Czar Peter I as a great leader in the eyes of his country and all of Europe. The

success of the battle opened Russia economically and politically to all European countries

to the west. The success of the Russian army in the Battle of Poltava helped to spark the

creation of a westernized, efficient nation.

The victory of the Battle of Poltava proved to Russia and all of Europe Czar Peter

I was a strong and determined leader. In the first years of his rule Peter learned about the

art of war from several small naval encounters with the Turkish on the Black Sea. These

skirmishes taught Peter the importance of defending his country and having a strong

military. When the Great Northern War began after Russia joined the European Alliance

against Sweden as a prominent power, the war was unfavorable for the Russian army.

This was mainly due to Peter's troops being greatly under trained and unseasoned. He

saw that men he could trust on the field would have to be recruited after they went

through training in newly opened educational institutions or guard regiments. This

helped to sustain the army against the Swedish while it battled for eight years, only to

produce a number of unsuccessful campaigns. The better trained Swedes under the

commanding rule of King Charles XII fought off the Russian troops over a dozen times

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but could never cripple the army enough end the constant battling. On the morning of the

attack nineteen thousand Swedish assaulted the fortified camp of Poltava, which was

defended by Peter's forty-five thousand men. Peter's victory was so astonishing that

Charles barely had the time to flee to Ottoman Empire, which left the remnants of his

army to surrender. The Battle of Poltava changed the face of the war for all of Europe, as

Sweden fell to Russia it proved that Czar Peter I could be trusted and was a competent

leader for Russia. For his victory he was nick-named Peter the Great as even the Russian

people were surprised at his conquest.

Peter I was able to prove his valuable role as Czar by implementing successful

political, economical, and social reforms as a result of his success in the Battle of Poltava.

The people of Russia felt that Peter was able to lead them and their country in a positive

direction and supported him with little resistance. Peter was a great visionary with an

aspiration to see Russia fulfill his dreams for the nation. The building and prosperity of

St. Petersburg was mainly due to the will and devoted passion that Peter the Great

invested in the city. The amount of resources and people he mustered for the project

makes the cost of St. Petersburg immeasurable. It consisted of the efforts of Peter,

countless amounts of Russians, and foreigners who were recruited to help. There was

danger however when one of the greatest fighting forces in the world at the time,

Sweden, was at St. Petersburg's doorstep. Although, the glorious victory over Sweden at

the Battle of Poltava named Russia as a new superpower and secured the safety of St.

Petersburg. Peter built a dream with his bare hands and his own mind that exists today as

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one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The Battle of Poltava was an enormous help to the country as it helped to

establish Russia as a new superpower of Europe. Before the victory over the Swedish, the

Great Northern War had been taking great toll on the resources and morale of the Russian

people. The timing of the successful battle being a great driving force for Russia, and was

also a crushing blow to Sweden. Although Sweden did not suffer a significant strategic

loss, and the Great Northern War continued for another twelve years, the psychological

impact of the battle was enormous. The news of Charles's defeat resounded through

Europe and won Russia respect as a European superpower.