Battle of Poltava 1709 - Great Northern War DOCUMENTARY
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
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Kings and Generals animated historical animated documentary series on the Great Northern War continues. This early modern era conflict changed the balance of power in northeastern Europe for centuries, allowing Russia of Peter the Great to become an empire, while Sweden under Charles XII and the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled by Augustus II began declining. This video will cover the aftermath of the Swedish invasion of Poland and the battle of Fraustadt ( • Battle of Fraustadt 17... ), as the Carolean army continues to fight against Poland, Saxony and Russia, leading to the battle of Poltava in 1709.
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#Documentary #Poltava #GreatNorthernWar
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Also, this video is available in Spanish, press the gear button on PC or 3 dots on mobile to switch to English or Spanish audio track.
What is the media offline thing at 14:23
Have you considered Marlboroughs Battles and the War of the Spanish Succession ?
Spanish audio track isn't working for me - it just plays the English audio
Hello is it possible to make a video about Lebanese civil war ?
Can You MAKE a video about the safavid kurds
Here in Stockholm, there is a statue of Charles XII depicting him pointing towards the east (Russia). While in St Petersburg, Russia there is a statue of Peter The Great depicting him pointing towards the west (Sweden).
A never-ending pointing contest.
During Soviet times the many statues of Lenin pointed every which way. That's probably why they couldn't get it together :)
Charles's statue pointing at Russia: "I fart in that general direction!"
Peter's statue: *"NO, YOU!"*
Sweden should put a statue of Rurik pointing next to Charles. check mate:)
Soo cool
It's crazy how they just went forward like that into slaughter. Incredibly rare for a fighting force to not shatter during circumstances like that.
Brave men, dumb leaders
@@miliba
Napoleon was shot in the foot and still won his battle
@@miliba
Imagine sending you’re men to death because of a foot
@@militaryjunkie6207 nope youre clearly highly uneducated in swedish history, culture and its leaders and definitely their position in that moment
brief explanation :
During that final charge of the Caroleans, it wasn't just stupidity and "all because of a foot" (which idk where you got that from) it was because retreat was impossible by that point, if they would've peter would've ran them down immediately and their entire army would die without a fight either by peters cavalry or by attrition/starvation, but the caroleans knew their destiny was to fight and die for their religion and leader, they were extremely skilled and never flinched in the face of death, it was karl's only choice by that point and his final chance
Karl wasnt a dumb man but his men sure were brave, with his talent and his brave men he has numerously repelled armies up to 3x its size, even his generals were that skilled but poltava was just everything bad stacked up in one thing
@@militaryjunkie6207 Karl was shot in 1709, Napoleon was shot in 1809, don't compare them again
I'm Swedish and according to the notes on my ancestor he was present at Poltava as the Drabant guard on horse of Charles XII. He survived and escaped with Charles to Bender and later to Sweden again.
That's pretty cool; the Drabant Corps of Charles XII had some incredible soldiers. In some battles they were almost "inhumanly brave". After the defeat of Holowczyn in 1708, Peter I wrote a letter in which he still expressed some happiness because - as he thought - Charles' Drabants had lost half their force in the battle. Do you have his surname today?
@@Leaffordes Very interesting. No, the surname was lost, among my family at least. His name was Elias Ehinger he was Swedish but his father was from a Bavarian family that settled in Danzing before coming here to Sweden. After his service in the war Elias moved to Gotland with his wife and here i live now.
@@octodaddy4494 Thank you! In the book "Carl XII:s Drabantkår" by Tor Schreber von Schreeb, I can find an Anders Ehinger (he became Drabant in 1697 and died 1714), but it doesn't show anyone by the name Elias Ehinger.
@@Leaffordes Ok i see. I copy this note about him Elias Ehinger was born 1685-1729. This is what it says if you are not Swedish use Google translate: ''Volontär vid Livgardet 1693, förare där 28/6 1695, avsked 4/3 1699, volontär vid Grand Mousquelairs garde du Corps i polsk tjänst 1699, men lämnade tjänsten vid krigsutbrottet. Löjtnant vid Smålands tremän. infanteriregemente 13/8 1700, volontär vid livdrabantkåren. Följde med Karl XII till Bender, permitterades 1/6 1715 från Stralsund till Sverige. Död troligast 1729 på Gotland och den 21/8 samma år begraven i Vestkinde kyrka. Enligt Örnberg (som dessvärre inte alltid är pålitlig) fången vid Poltava 1709, återkommen från fångenskap i Sibirien 1722, död 1740. Enligt Ekselius (som stödjer sig på domstolsakter, se bl. a. nedan) återkommen från Bender i Turkiet 1715.'' But in Gotlands archives it says he is an lieutenant which he was in the infantry. Maybe he was confused with Anders Ehinger? He was in the infantry at least. Btw as you see the dates are weird if he was in the military already in 1693 he would be 8 years old so i guess some date is wrong.
@@octodaddy4494 Vore intressant att läsa de där anteckningarna! Låter riktigt intressant
Charles suffering the same fate that Napoleon and Hitler would after him.
They say that failure can be the best teacher, and in this case that was certainly true with Peter.
Dude don't compare hitler with these two giants. Both Napoleon and Charles were great military mind but Hitler was a stupid ass
@@mashroomghost8456 I mean in this aspect (their final defeat starting with a decisive defeat in Russia) they are alike. Outside of that, all three of them are very different.
Exactly.
@@mashroomghost8456 agree
@@mashroomghost8456 but Hitler was the closer of destroying Russia
The mere fact they made it past the redoubts was in itself an great achievement by the time for the final assault Roos had lost 2500 out of 3000 men and could not take part not that it would made a difference. Those who made it through numbered maybe 3000 and they charged 30000 and the Caroleans died as they lived with honor, courage and faith but still they died in vain. It was a strategic error to advance into Russia. Advancing away from your own lands weakening yourself through constant skirmishing while suffering starvation and disease and loosing thousands for nothing the Swedish invasion of Russia must be on of the top military blunders of all time.
A great military tacticians but not nearly as good when it came to strategy and diplomacy. And in the end, you can win all battles bit not win the war just like so.
@@PewPewPlasmagun I don’t get why so many Swedes are salty about it today in this comment section. Like ffs, that was how many years ago. LOL
@@andreydragomirov8559 Even better, *NOT GO AFTER MOSCOW AT ALL* !! I mean, why? It was not the capital of the then Russian Empire, St. Petersberg was. Also, Peter of Russia was so worried about an attack there that he strengthened its defenses. I see no need to attack a major city that brings no gains militarily or politically.
One thing that this series shows is that sometimes being a young ruler wishing to win all their conquests through battle alone is not a good thing.
Charles was great on the battlefield. But not so good in bigger strategy or politics.
@@andreydragomirov8559 Why advance on Moscow since Peter would've probably committed to a battle near St. Petersburg and Swedish supply lines were far shorter there thanks to Finland and Estonia both being so close.
Would be cool to have a Suvorov series, general that never lost a battle while being outnumbered most of a time.
@@vladimir0681 Well, his italian campaign was quite a fit, considering by then he was way past his prime.
@@vladimir0681 sure he did. Ottomans in Poland, Ottomans in Lithuania, Ottomans in Italy, Ottomans in Lombardia and the most Ottomanic one to day - Switzerland. BTW ottomans were quite skillful and organized, just in that period, they lack the leadership. They were harder opponents* of Suvorov, then the French with their top Generals, which just prior to that destroyed every European army, and just few years later took over the continent. *measured by % loss for example in battle of Kinburn and Ovachokov, legth of the campaigns, army sizes and etc
@@vladimir0681 He also fought against French, marching through Austria to Italy and back.
@@lysimaquetokmok6755 Well, those Russians were not commanded by Suvorov after all. That's what distinguishes good strategists, actually - knowing when it's time to avoid battles and retreat. Unlike certain Charlses do.
@@vladimir0681 so, the Apls crossing was such a disaster that Suvorov, commanding victorious much more numerous army, in prepared defensive position and with well supplied rear, against tired, surrounded demoralized force, was defeated, lost his пагони, and barely fled by commissioning a horse from his bodyguard (promptly killed after)?
Such a deafen defeat, disaster in fact. O, wait that was Massena ;)
When I was in university pursuing my history degree, I had desperately wanted to research the Great Northern War for one of my term papers, but I couldn’t find enough primary sources that were translated to English that would satisfy my professor. This was about 15 years ago, so I had to give it up. You can most certainly see the shadow of this war on the modern world even if you don’t know anything about the war itself. This series so far has been very entertaining. Good job K&G!
As someone who has watched this channel since shortly after its inception, it’s been delightful to watch the production go up and up. The music, the visuals, the narration.
The only thing I miss is that sound of towns revolting.
"...Swedish soldiers met their bane
Sacrificed their lives in vain
POLTAVA!"
RUSSIAN ARMIES BLOCKED THEIR WAY
20,000 LOST THAT DAY
THEY BLED THE GROUND
PEACE THEY FOUND
THERE'S NO SIGN OF VICTORY
KING CAROLUS HAD TO FLEE
(EPIC GUITAR SOLO)
Madness, curse your feeble horde
Fear me, you’ll die by my sword
Swedish soldiers met their bane!
Cool story regarding Charles XII's escape from the battlefield of Poltava:
Charles XII and his entourage had marched with the right Swedish infantry wing in their attack, and stood on a small hill behind the wing, protected by 14 surviving lifeguards, 4 dragoons and the remains of the Life Dragoon Regiment and the Life Regiment on horseback. Some Russians attacked the king's entourage, but were repulsed without major problems. When several Swedish battalions began their flight from the battlefield, Rehnskiöld rode up to the king and reported that "our infantry is running from the battlefield!". The king questioned this development, whereupon Rehnskiöld, before he rode away, urged the king's surviving lifeguards to "take good care of our Gracious Lord!". When the gunpowder smoke and dust began to disperse on the battlefield, Charles XII and his entourage discovered that the infantry was really gone, and that they were the last Swedes to stand idle on the battlefield. When the enteorage was soon surrounded by the Russians, the king ordered a quick retreat.
The entourage moved away towards a forest edge, 800 meters northeast of the village of Maloje Budishte when their retreat was threatened by a Russian cannon-equipped battalion. Swedish Major General Creutz, who was on site with his cavalry, escorted the king's entourage between the Russian battalion and the forest. The Russian soldiers turned right and fired their muskets and cannons towards the king and his enteorage. With heavy casualties, the king's entourage continued into the woods towards a moraine, pursued by the Russians shortly after them. The king's crew, however, became stuck in a small swamp, after which the Russians fired a cannonball that smashed the king's horse stretcher and caused the king's two horses to collapse.
Standing on the edge of the moraine, the Russians fired their muskets against the king's entourage, where several sacrificed their lives by acting as targets, to protect the king from projectiles. The king was soon lifted out of the unusable stretcher and on to a horse belonging to a lifeguard named Bass. The new horse only managed to take a few steps forward, until it was hit by a cannonball that tore off one of its legs. The king needed a new horse and ordered the wounded lieutenant Giertta to give his horse to him. Resting on the horse's neck, the King, 3 of his 24 lifeguards and other survivors from his entourage rode away from the death trap by the marsh, eventually returning back to their main headquarters. Giertta was left supportive on a fence, but he was rescued at the last minute by his brothers, Adam and Christian Giertta. About twenty lifeguards and dragoons fell by the swamp, while several others were wounded and soon captured by the Russians.
Good one. I've heard about it, but not with such detail; what source(s) are you writing from?
@@Leaffordes Mainly from the book "The Battle That Shook Europe: Poltava and the Birth of the Russian Empire" by Peter Englund.
@@FoxtrodYT Thanks!
That guy who gave his horse to charles later got a promotion if I remember correctly and his familiy was ennobled
@@buffoonustroglodytus4688 Yes, he was ennobled in 1710 and became the captain lieutenant of Charles' Drabant Corps in 1717, among other things.
As a swede,I know full well that my country wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is today, but man, poltava still leaves a sour taste in my mouth lol
thank your "great" King. As a Saxon from germany I can only say.. 30 years war, Great Northern war, 7 years war, etc etc. 2nd world war. Russian occupation. Oh well, you get used to it.
@@catriona_drummond To be fair, there aren't many nations in Europe, Asia or Africa that weren't handicapped almost all the time by invasions, revolts, epidemics, famines or all of that combined either under an incompetent ruler or as a result of his rule.
The defeat was inevitable, the mistake was to battle Russia in first place. Karl became too overconfident after his early victories.
@@maxrates well, it wasn't like Sweden had a choice. For his modernization effort Peter needed free access to the sea trade and northern option - Baltic, was like the only reasonable one for Russia. Also Sweden managed to dance on literally every their neighbor toes in the previous century so anti-Swedish coalition against regional hegemon was just a matter of time.
Though worst part for Sweden was that while 17th century was quite victorious for them - it has significantly depleted the human reserves of the state. And when Charles XII came, he had a great army honed by his predecessors, but that army was running on the fumes. Sweden could not afford itself a prolonged war - and their enemies were willing to bet everything on this chance to finally beat the invincible nemesis.
@@mdokuch96 I mean Charles could've made peace,sure Russia could attack later but what's better losing invading russia or building up while Russia builds up as well?
(Continue the lyrics)
Time has worn the soldiers down, marched for many miles
In the eastern land so cursed, time to make a stand!
The tsar has scorched his nations land, nothing to be found
Hunger grasps the soldiers heart 20000 men strong
Listen, excuse for a king
Trust me this fight you can't win
Poltava!
Road to certain death and vain
I'm from Latvia - for our country this was a HUUUUUGE turning point. After Swedes lost to Russian Empire, we spent THREE HUNDRED years under their flag. I love watching these videos, especially where they cover the Great Northern war!
@@Yury5576 best?
@@Yury5576Estonian people live way better now than in Soviet Union or Russia. More freedom, higher wages, etc. All the things that you said were beneficial to Russia, not Estonia
@@Yury5576 "people live better around the world". Surely not in Russia or China. People live better in EU and US. While Russia and China, two resource rich countries, live to serve their elites. How many cars does average Russian have? How many floors does his home have? What's his income? Does he have to think in the store about the money that he has to spend so he will survive to the next paycheck? Russia is rich in oil and gas and yet the Russians live in poverty like some 3rd world country
@@Yury5576 all your statements apply only to St Petersburg and Moscow. The rest of the Russians still live in poor conditions. I haven't been to China, so I won't talk about it
And now Russia will annex Ukraine, Latvia and everything back lmao
"We humans are foolish in many ways: we want to conquer all as if we had all time, as if our lives did not have any end. Thus, our real time passes too quickly, and often when one believes that they are working only for themselves, they are in fact working for unworthy or ungrateful successors"
- Frederick II of Prussia
You are a very wise people
I was inspire that day.
Carolus was not unworthy tho....he defended sweden
@@imperatorisamoderzhetsvser2564 I liked Peter III better
@@Pannkakaize He, like all the other conquerors, is unworthy. He is a monster, a butcher, a murderer. He caused immense destruction and loss of life. He deserves to rot in hell with the likes of Stalin, Hitler, Napoleon and the rest of the warmongering a-holes.
*LISTEN, EXCUSE FOR A KING*
*TRUST ME, THIS FIGHT YOU CAN'T WIN*
Poltava
Rode ti certain death and pain
Time has worn the soldiers down
Marched for many miles
In the eastern lands so cursed
Time to make a stand
Tsar has scorched his nation’s land
Nothing to be found
Hunger grasp the soliders heart
20 000 men strong
My favourite Sabaton song
Listen excuse for a king
Trust me, this fight you can't win
@@jasonwilson1799
Poltava!
Rode to certain death and pain
Poltava!
Swedish soldiers met their bane
Poltava!
Sacrificed their lives in vain
Poltava!
Listen! Excuse for a king!
Trust me, this fight you can't win!
Best song from Sabaton!
I read that the Swedish plan was actually to bypass the bastions and use the element of surprise to attack the Russian camp with Swedish cavalry charging ahead and attacking the weak northern wall. If this worked then the defeated Russian army would be on the wrong side of the Vorskla river (probably why the siege of Poltava was so half-hearted and Charles let Peter cross the river in the first place). Unfortunately, the noise of the Russians building several nearby redoubts frightened the Swedes who went from column to line and then column again. At this point the sun had risen and the element of surprise was lost.
Damm, I can't wait to see your video 😍
@@innerparty1 Nope.
@@innerparty1 Everybody likes Napoleon-like figures, stop hating
@@innerparty1 The great northern war started with an anti swedish coalition attacking Sweden. Though Charles quickly took the initiative and counterattacked. The reason it says unfortunately is probably since it was unfortunate for the swedes, and since the strategy was from the swedish point of view the person chose to use unfortunately.
Wow, those weren’t the replies I was expecting for this comment. Just to clarify, when I said the word “unfortunately” I meant to say unfortunately for the Swedes.
Kalmyks' participation is remarkable. Could you imagine a fight between Swedes and Buddist nomads?
@@impaugjuldivmax The thing is, Cossacks and Kalmyks are not irregular cavalry. They are like old nomads, soldiers who have their weapons and horses always ready while peaceful living. And when war begins, they just take their weapons and rode to rallying point without losing any time, they are already, prepared soldiers unlike conscripted peasants who need to train and take their weapons/ uniform from the state.They are like soldiers, but live in their home and in their own community instead of barracks with other men of your battalion.
I read that they rode into battle on camels to scare the horses of the Swedish cavalry.
@@ontheline3077 didnt the Kalmyks fight against the reds too
Buddhist are incredible fighters....
But, the buddhist Samurai clans and IKKO-IKKI of sengoku Japan were of another level....
@@ontheline3077 >and smacked White Russians during civil war.
I will disappoint you, but during the Civil War, most of the Kalmyks fought on the side of the Whites.
"Time has worn the soldiers down
Marched for many miles
In the eastern lands so cursed
Time to make a stand"
Bro first of all, your name with Wladisaw Raginis (hehe wizna stronk)
Second, You love Sabaton and so do I
Third you like Biology and so do I
@@rishidipmondal1916 Uh... Thanks? I guess? Though history is more my style due to Sabaton.
@@vladislavraginis8781 bro..
How to destroy your Empire in two easy steps.
Step 1: Invade Russia.
Step 2: Russia invades YOU.
The Mongols, Poland, Japan, and Germany in WWI would all disagree with that assessment…
@@primevaltimes Not necessarily. Mongolia and Poland eventually became vassal states(admittedly much later, but still valid lol), Russia took back Manchuria in WWII directly contributing to the collapse of the Japanese Empire and WWI Germany expended too much effort, their double front led to their collapse after Russia pulled out and then there's the eventual sequel...and we all know how that ended.
@@primevaltimes well Russia literally swallowed the Mongol empire as for the poles Russia made them disappear for 123 years and again from 45 to 89 as a vassal Russia again smashed Germany in ww2 and carved up it's lands and gave some to Poland while taking kalingrad and occupying east Germany for 4 decades
@@primevaltimes
During Mongol times there was no Russia actually, only small Russian city states which often were enemies to each other.
@@AndreasConfirmed True, though an interesting about Genghis Khan's general Subutai; he fought the Rus on their home terf, in the dead of winter and WON. No other general I know of has accomplished that feat.
Sweden: "We have defeated the Russians time and time again. They will capitulate."
Russia: "Hey Sweden. I didn't hear no bell."
Not Russia was so fearful of Charles that Russia did never enter Swedish territory on mass, untill Charles was killed in battel.
literally the second punic war
So this is what divine miracle looks like, it is fueled by a lot of gunpowder.
British and rain also.
Yeah. Divine miracle happened when 80K army positioned in a defensive stance fights against 22K exhausted offending army with barely any guns. A true typical Russian-style victory. They even have a term for such victories - "закидать шапками" - smth like "to fill enemy's tranches with hats" - meaning bodies of their own soldiers.
I just can't believe how far Sweden went. They did own the north and were so powerful. Bit off more than they could chew, but I give them props.
Ye i find it very interesting that a insignificant nordic country under danish rule became the dominant power of the north.
@@RexDeUniversalis by calling it "insignificant", you're making The same mistake The poles did during that war 🤷♂️
@@RexDeUniversalis We were not under danish rule. We were their foremost enemy..
@@hakanliljeberg790 Yes we were, during the kalmar union. It was thanks to Christian II that initiated the Stockholm massacre. We swedes revolted against our oppressor and won our independence.
Either way, it's remarkable how we were the most powerful nation in the north before Russia. If Charles XII just tried to reclaim Neva/St.Petersburg the world could've been remarkably different. The manpower was our biggest concern, so we had to push for attack no matter the cost. That strategy had been going well until you get scorched earth tactics on you, as well as no reinforcements, no supplies and stuck in Russian territory. Attacking was probably the only thing they could have done without having to deal with the harsh winter without some much needed protection from the cold.
It's the beginning of the end of the Swedish empire where Russia would control Eastern Europe and still does, even more so these days with all stuff going on with them. Just imagine if Sweden would've won this battle.
We didnt bite off anything, the other guys came after us unasked LOL
Love the "media offline" frame at ~14:24. Took several tries to pause it on exactly the right spot hehe
I am glad you caught it I thought I was seeing things.
Charles I think shouldn't have neglected his eastern front for so long. Had he thought more strategically he might've avoided this disaster. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.
he had 1 army to fight 3 fronts. Hardly much of a choice, especially when russia was at the start point the weakest out of all of them (militarily speaking). Leaving the poles to reorganise under augustus could've been even more disastrous due to proximity to the core of Swedish territory
@@hashtagrex---Maybe but the Swedish King was giving my King Pyrrhus vibes. He too was a great battle winner. But not much of a strategic thinker.
@@brokenbridge6316 but he was a great strategic thinker. Thats the only reason sweden was dominating during this war. The disastrous russian campaign was a failure because of things well beyond Charles' control. Its far more accurate to say he was a gambler than a bad strategist. Most of his gambles paid off. This one didnt
He should have made peace while he could
@@brokenbridge6316 He was bullheaded, he rolled the dice on victory over a bad peace and lost it all instead.
i would love to see the continuation of history of Rus like from war against mongols like in battle of blue waters, Kulikovo, and ugra river, rise of grand duchy of moscow, fall of rurikid dynasty to rise of romanov. and also i would like you cover wars in 16th century eastern europe in ukraine ( Although during that time ukraine not exist till 1918 ), sweden and poland like Russo-Ottoman wars, Polish-Cossack-Tatar wars, and Russo-Polish war.
Rorik is not part of Russian history.
Rus not Russia.
@@user-ms4cm4qf5j lol ok
@@Strrroke What "lol ok"?
@@user-ms4cm4qf5j Crazy Ukrainian historians are not historical. By the way, Ukraine never existed before 1918. And ancient Rus in general has the same relation to modern countries as modern France or Spain to the Roman Empire.
Road to certain death and pain
Swedish soldier's met thier bane
sacrifice thier lives in vain
POLTAVA!
Russian armies blocked thier way
Twenty thousand lost that day
Russia was not an empire before Great Northern war. It was a secondary kingdom at best. But swedes literally forge Russia in to a great power in battle. Even Peter himself called captured Swedish generals teachers. If not for the military genius of Charles XII(Who in my opinion should be celebrated and widely know as Napoleon) and his caroleans Russia might not have become a superpower ever. But after learning from the best we become great. Tsar Peter showed that no mater how many time you fall you should learn and improve yourself and eventually you will defeat even the very best.
The disease in your head victory to begin, in your horde the size of a continent, - standard of living is lower than in Zimbabwe.
Peter also said after the battle of Narva ”they might have won the battle, and they might even beat us again. But sometime the day will come were they have teachen us how to beat them”
“Great northern worn”
Charles doesn´t seem so great. I mean, in this video he commited many mistakes, namely:
- Not knowing the condition of the gun powder
- Not knowing that their generals didn´t like each other
- Knowing the russians used scorched earth tatics and still going further into their territory
- Blindly believing in cossaks when they tell you they can gather many soldiers
- Going out with a couple of troops and getting shot in the leg
@@iwasjustfollowingorders8068 Agree not to mention he incompetently squandered the financial future of his kingdom over a war that could have easily ended much sooner. I read Robert Masse's Peter the Great and came away with a dim impression of Charles XII and these videos don't help my impressions of him.
Time has worn the soldiers down,
Marched for many miles.
In the eastern lands so cursed
Time to make a stand
Charles XII was the latest king that was fighting in the frontline of an empire, that's why he's the latest true warrior king
Looks like "General Winter" started the Great Frost during this war.
Charles XII was the military genius of his era. Respect from Turkey.
@@impaugjuldivmax
*"an over self estimed kid"*
Improve your grammar. So people can understand what you mean.
*"who lost the army made by his grandfather"*
His grandfather did not create the Carolean army. Learn some history.
*"he was killed by his own people"*
Medical jurisprudence says you are wrong. He likely died from Norwegian artillery fire.
@@impaugjuldivmax you had to conveniently ignore a point of his because you're butthurt that you have atrocious grammar. Weak deflection after an uninformed (and obviously willfully ignorant) comment says far more than pointing out shit grammar
I disagree. While he did win some impreswsive victories, he never really achieve victory against huge odds, unlike Napolen or Ceasar. His early victories were rather based on the better quality of Swedish soldiers.
@@stoneruler which is the same for napoleon and caesar. The french and romans were renowned for being vastly superior to their neighbours in military drill and equipment at the time of caesar and napoleon. wtf are you on
@@impaugjuldivmax you literally ignored the fact that you spouted utter bullshit and got called out on it, yet have the audacity to say I don't have qualification? please, people like you are so laughable
FINALLY. I was starting to think you'd forgotten this series with all the other stuff you have going on 😝
The Battle of Poltava was my most humiliating defeat. I had wished no one would make the same mistake I did but God had different plans....
Карл, прими поражение стойко и будь честен перед Богом
Napoleon....
Yo what’s your thoughts on being immortalized in song by Sabaton @charlesxii7018
Russian history is fascinating. You guys should cover the conquest of Siberia and the Catherine the great rein
It would be interesting seeing a video about Russian's expansion eastwards.
@@user-ox1bh3vh2t Russian proffessional? Not much weight in that since they are so hell bent on denying Nordic Vikings help and influence on Kievan Rus and similar things.
@vaegir From our perspective Russia been keen on supressing it, Ukraine not. You tell me about those historians and I will look it up.
@vaegir Not what I heard.
"russian history" exists since 1721!.. no more!!!
And so, the day has come, the Great Battle of Poltava, it was commendable of Charles XII to beat everyone to this point, but like many people before him, the vastness of Russia takes its toll
PS: I know and understand the circumstances that caused Charles to lose include his own hubris and lack of communication and the commanders that had to take over and so on and so forth
many people after him* :p
Guess both is true, though, to some degree.
@@briantarigan7685 BS Russians had the numerical advantage no need to overcredit anyone, I might agree that Russian victories against Lithuanians, Western Europeans, Ottomans,... should get appreciation but this simply isnt one of them
@Herr Spiegel numbers are not everything
@Herr Spiegel I mean I feel like it is one of their major victories during world war 2 like Kursk or Stalingrad would be more widely praised, it is more recent and more bloody and was a total war so the stakes were greater.
Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
I would love to see a series on the Russo-Turkish wars. Also, the Kalmyks themselves would make for interesting content
I think they have a video on the Crimean War, which involves Turky and Russia
And also Great Britain, France and Italy
The Russian Eagle finally takes off.
The Swedish lion finally humbles.
Russian "bear"
@@rajashashankgutta4334 nah, we got Eagle on our coat of arms. Took it from Byzantium as the tsars at the time considered us the inheritors of their empire status (hence the Moscow -Third Rome meme) The 🐻 is just a common symbol that is not used other then in several towns.
I really love this channel, and I think it's really brave of you to tackle the Great Northern War, being the first ones to do so in this manner (as far as I'm aware). I'm so happy for that. As I - and probably you too - expected, being the first ones to do the walk will not come without a few bumps on the road (and that's why you earn my respect). I've done a list of - what I think - are inaccuracies; although, some might just depend on differences in sources.
Prelude:
5:13 Charles defeated 1-2,000 Russians just outside Grodno; Peter reportedly escaped the town on one side as Charles simultaneously entered it on the other (not three days after).
6:05 Why would they have to agree on whether or not the war should be continued with Sweden? Did they have the authority to make peace against Peter's wishes?
6:12 Was it really 32,000? The sources I've seen says roughly 12,000.
7:26 The Battle of Holowczyn was by no means a "Decisive victory".
9:20 In reality, Charles XII was already on his way over the Desna river as Baturyn surrendered; I think you're mixing the three calendars up - Julian, Swedish, and Gregorian
9:55 The Battle of Lesnaya was fought on 9 October (which is not late in the month); this happened before the Sack of Baturyn, at 9:20.
10:15 Lewenhaupt's army arrived to Charles's camp 21-23 October; before the Sack of Baturyn.
10:35 "Nowhere near as many as the Swedes" that's very dubious considering the fact that the Russian army was bigger.
11:27 Stanislaw's Polish forces had suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Koniecpol, which I think is worth mentioning here.
12:42 17 June according to the Swedish calendar, 27 June according to the Gregorian; be careful with the three different calendars (the Swedish one disappears in 1712, so be aware of that too).
Battle:
13:53 Those Poles were actually part of the Swedish army; similar to how Carl Ducker's dragoon regiment, which was raised in Prussia, was also part of the Swedish army.
14:24 I don't know if this is what you imply, but the Russian army was not a "peasant mob" at the time of Narva. Also, the Swedish army had likewise improved (as often occurs during war).
15:16 Did you say "the ninth of July seventh"? I guess "night", right? Anyway, you're using the Gregorian calendar here - again - which is confusing since you used the Swedish one at 12:42
15:18 Charles XII was not left behind out in no man's land on a litter for the Cossacks and Calmucks to kill, he obviously followed the Swedish army in the attack.
16:05 In reality, the Swedish cavalry attacked the Russian dragoons by the redoubts, forcing them away.
16:09 The Swedish plan was not to take all the redoubts but merely to break through the line (seizing only the necessary redoubts in the process).
16:32 It was the Swedish cavalry that were pursuing the Russian dragoons, not the infantry..
16:45 Charles XII didn't watch the battle from afar, he was with the army at this time.
16:54 The Russians brought reinforcements from their fortified camp, intercepting Roos' isolated contingent.
17:13 The Swedes were hardly in a position to attack the Russian camp at this moment; they were still forming up (they counter-attacked when noticing the Russian advance).
17:29 The Russian line was even wider than that (or the Swedish one narrower); several Russian regiments stood further out on both flanks.
17:51 I'm not sure the Swedes stopped to unleash "several musket volleys" as portrayed; according to their doctrine, each soldier only fired once during an attack (with exceptions of course).
18:15 The right wing of the Swedish infantry not only reached, but also forced some of the battalions from the 1st Russian line back, capturing several guns in the process.
18:20 The Russian artillery-fire halted the Swedish left-wing attack, while their infantry started enveloping their flank (the Swedes had success on the right, but were failing on the left).
18:22 The Swedish cavalry didn't retreat at this point: The right wing attacked the left Russian infantry-wing; the left wing - although unsuccessful - tried to support the Swedish left-wing infantry.
18:26 In reality, Torstenson launched a cavalry attack on the Russians; you're not portraying any Swedish cavalry fighting at this moment.
18:35 The Swedish cavalry tried to halt the Russian onslaught, they didn't just abandon the infantry.
18:43 Which implies that Charles was with the army.
Otherwise, keep up the good work!
It has proven to be difficult for a general to say no to the king, when they are the same person.
interesting
You always publish the best and informative videos, your awesome, keep doing what your doing, your great at it!
Thank you, sir!
@@KingsandGenerals Hello, can you give me the map?
The Battle of Poltava itself wasn’t the important part, it was the masterclass in the Fabian style of war showcased by the Russians for months leading up to Poltava. There was no special tactic, no amazing move that helped Peter win; the Swedish army had been completely torn apart logistically, thousands had died of starvation and cold, the remainder were hungry, tired, and drained. Charles’ mistake wasn’t his foot injury, it was crossing into Russia at this moment and not 6 years prior.
"Amateurs talk about strategy, professionals talk about logistics."
14:24 no worries its just media offline warning
*cries in swedish*
The fact that Peter was so happy and proud of his army for defeating an exhausted force, 48k men smaller than his, after making them suffer by devastating the friendly lands (even calling it a miracle) shows how much fear the Swedish brought on the heart of their enemies
Swedish Army was the best and the most advanced army of Europe at that time and Russia was only getting used to the war tactics and weapons of Europe brought home by Peter. That is why it's such a big deal and why Peter referred to Swedes as teachers afters the battle of Poltava.
@@Askhat08 fair point
My forefather was there as a "förare" which means he carried the company banner. His name was Erik Gullberg. We still have his hat in our possession! Every male in our family has served in the swedish army since. My son is currently a "jäger" in the swedish army! A fact is that Karl XII ruled for 36 years. 18 in peace and 18 in war. 9 years in the war went well and 9 went bad. Looking forward to the next episode!
Interesting! Although your fact is incorrect: Karl XII served as king from 1697 until his death in 1718, a total of 21 years. He lived for 36 years
@@Bassen97 Then it was his life of 36 years. He lived for that and had peace for half of it and so on. We learn that at school here but i was wrong so thanks for making it right.
Please make a serie about rome‘s wars with the Empires of the east (Parthia and later the Sassanids)
Yes plz
As a half Swede/ half Hungarian, I just realize how similar ending Medival Hungary and the Swedish empire had. All of their power and might, snuffed in a day.
More was lost at Mohács🇭🇺
Poltava
Rode to certain death and pain
Poltava
Swedish soldiers met their bane
Poltava
Sacrificed their lives in vain
Poltava🇸🇪
Swedes have Poltava
Germans have Stalingrad
France have Waterloo
CSA have Gettysburg
Serbs got Kosovo-Polje
@@nattygsbord Churchill said pick your battles very carefully
You here sabaton
To provide a better understanding what this battle meant for Russians: until now, 300 years later, they say about someone or something utterly defeated, exhausted, and weak "as a Swede after Poltava". After WW2 they say "as a German after Stalingrad" as often though.
@@paleman7611 I'm kinda too and first time I've heard it in school. Google it if you haven't before commenting.
@@paleman7611 Isn't there a saying like "to be defeated like a Swede at Poltava" or "die like a Swede at Poltava" or something like that?
and let's not make up and invent, no one in Russia says that.
@@mishaten5548 my teachers in school used to say it several times and still I read it in books here and there. But gopniks in your pod'ezd probably don't use this eloquent language, you're right.
@@Hitidish take the crown off your head, you think too much of yourself.
Listen, excuse for a King! Trust me, this fight you can't win!
Everyone is Alexander the great with the power of perfect hindsight
It was a defeat but it was a glorious defeat. Proud of my ancestors as a Finn. Respect to the Russians for the victory as well. Men made of steel on both sides.
Russians saved Finland from been swedenize in 1809, and gave autonomy to it
@@jandarmofeurope2676 Finland is quite swedenized, though. Which is completely normal after 700 years of being the same country.
@@jandarmofeurope2676 Russia has never done something good for Finland!
@@agorbogytr13 hahahha like what? Are u a russian bot defending your putin?
My guy the carolean army was almost only swedes, the finns fought abit at the end of the war against norway when Sweden was destructed
This is so subpar! The skirmish of Holowczyn "decisive victory", while the battle of Lesnaya (where the Swedes lost nearly half of their force) is all but glossed over. But, yes, I have chuckled over the Mazepa tale. Is this one of those alt history sites?
interesting fact: later, during this war, young Maurice de Saxe joined the Russian army. So, you can see, how the French army under his command used such Poltava and Lesnaya redoubs in the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745.
as a swedish person, this is some fairly recent history (which you make awesome) but i've not heard of these battles in school :O !
Of all the empires in the history of the World, The Swedish Empire would have to be one of the dopiest empires. It blows my mind how a Scandinavian country with limited man power and resources could dominate the battlefield and even rival the Great Russian empire. Its crazy to think how they could have become a super power.
@@fedorevdokimenko3978 Sweden (the empire) barely had one million inhabitants in 1700. Now, I don't know exactly how many were living in russia att that time, but surely a greater number than 1 million
@@fedorevdokimenko3978 A quick search on every armchair historians best friend google determined that the estimated total populus of the swedish empire was ca 2,7 mil, while the tsardom of russia had ca 13 mil. But I agree on your point about the population being spread out over a greater area of land.
@@fedorevdokimenko3978 You're wrong again, Swedish Empire had in 1700 a population of c 3,3 million. Also, Sweden hadn't fully incorporated all of the regions conquered. Basically only ethnic swedes and finns were recruited (for the most part). The regions were so new that not many troops could be levied from there. Most Russians lived in the western part of Russia, just like today. That is why Russia could muster an army so much larger. To suggest they were similar in size is laughable. There's a reason Carolus Rex is such a famous battlefield commander
Finland had 1/3 of the population of the Sweden, this ratio held for at least as long as Finland was part of the country. After the industrial revolution and getting out from under Swedish rule, this ratio raised to 1/2.
Why this is important? Finland had population of roughly 400.000 around the 1600-1700 so this equates to a Swedish total population of 1.2-1.5 million citizens. This alignes with the 1749 statistic of total Sweden population being 1.764.000 citizens.
Personally i am glad that Sweden lost the war and even more glad that Sweden lost the Finnish War, releasing Finland from the iron grip of Sweden and under it's heel. Roughly 110.000 finns lost their lives during the hundred years from 1600 onward, meaning at least 1/4 it's population. Vast majority of it because Swedish lust for power and wealth. Being a Grand Duchy of Finland advanced the finnish economy and society by leaps and bounds, previously impossible because Swedish taxed Finland to oblivion and was content on having it as a grain silo and wall against Russia, with zero investments coming in for anything.
@@alaric_
*"Personally i am glad that Sweden lost the war"*
Losing the war meant great suffering for Finlands population. But it was after all a choice that the Finns could be said to have made themselves, as the Finnish army at Napue was 100% consisting of Finnish troops. You could probably have won that battle, but many Finnish peasants didn't want to fight to half the army did not show up for service that day. So the army defending Finland did therefore get defeated.
And the result was years of Russian occupation, rape, murder, enslavement, plunder and destruction of homes, farms and forests.
*"even more glad that Sweden lost the Finnish War"*
I got mixed feelings about this. It would have been lovely if Finland and the Baltic and German provinces would have wanted to stay in the empire. Sweden would have been a mighty country today if that was the case. Everyone would probably been better off that way than being under Soviet occupation or part of the EU. Finland have been part of Sweden for about 700 years - longer than Skåne, Jämtland and Gotland have been Swedish provinces.
So one can make the case that Sweden and Finlands history is unseparable. Finland would not be Finland without Sweden. If Finland had not been Sweden during the middle ages and been protected by Sweden, then would Finland would speak Russian today. It would not have Swedish laws, schools, protestantism, celebrating Saint Lucy's day
and so on. Instead would it be a poor orthodox christian Russian speaking territory. It would not be a country. It would be province number 84 in Russia.
But on the other hand do I agree with you. Realisticly speaking are multi-lingual states a failure. Habsburg-Austro-Hungrian empire was a failure. Yugoslavia is a failure. And the Belgians and Swiss I have talked to do not feel that diversity is a strength.
Had the Swedish empire lived on, then would Finland, Norway and the Baltics do everything they could to gain independence. They would spread lies and hatred towards the Swedes - like nationalists like you.
So losing the provinces was probably a good thing. Instead of feeling opressed do people in the Baltic states look back on the Swedish era as one of the few happy times in its history filled with brutal foreign occupation.
*"with zero investments coming in for anything"*
Except for the large road investments in the mid-1700s and the largest infrasture project in Swedish history - Sveaborgs fästning. A fortress that alone took ate up about a quarter of Swedens GDP, and created jobs in Finland, and expert engineers moved there along with their families and schools for engineers and local buissness opened up to supply the fortress with construction materials. Expert knowledge reached Finland. Foreign military visitors came to visist the strongest fortress in Europe.
Even to this day do this fort dwarf the costs of any other Swedish infrastructure project in history - the Øresund Bridge and Göta Canal does not even come close.
I think you suffer from amnesia.
*"Being a Grand Duchy of Finland advanced the finnish economy and society by leaps and bounds"*
Finlands economy was standing still up until after World War 2. During the war it was still the poorest country in Europe. And that is not because Finland was mistreated - on the contrary, both Sweden and Russia did mostly treat it well when they ruled over it in times of peace.
Finland was simply doomed to poverty because of its geography and the only way to leave its poor state was by technologies of the industrial revolution that only had started to become available at the last decades of the 1800s.
Are you going to finish the Italian Wars anytime soon?
Its the battle we've all been waiting for.
i am in awe of my Swedish grandfathers, må ni föralltid bli ihågkomna som dom tapraste av män 🇸🇪
I wish so too but the reality is that the africans and arabs in Sweden will not care about your history. Your legacy will just vanish to the void.
Time for some Sabaton soundtrack…
poor swedish soilders, they went straight to their death, just to show how fearsome Russia and the Russian people are.
What are you talking about? We had defeated the russians many times over, and when the russians were even greater in number.
Why is it a show that they were "fearsome" when they were many times more? Geez.
Peter Englund's book _Poltava_ depicts the battle very well.
Can you do a series on the War of Spanish succession and this war was being fought at the same time as the great northern war and the opposing sides of the war were the Habsburg Monarchy, England, Great Britain, Dutch republic, Prussia, Savoy and Portugal Facing them would be the French and pro bourbon Spain and this war would bring great generals like Prince Eugene of Savoy a veteran of the battle of Vienna, Louis William Margrave of Baden Baden who was also a veteran of the battle of Vienna, Guido Starhemberg the cousin of Ernest Rudiger von Starhemburg who was a commander at the battle of Vienna, Henry de Nassau lord overkirk second cousin of king William the third of England, Scotland and Ireland, Arnold Van keppel the 1st Earl of Albemarle, Antonio Sousa, Leopold the 1st prince of Anhalt Dessau and the Famous John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough and ancestor of British prime minister Winston Churchill but on the opposing side other great generals will fight like Louis Joseph Duke of vendome, James Fitz James 1st Duke of Berwick, Francis de Neufville 2nd Duke of Villeroy, and the Duke of Boufflers and this war also included great battles like Ramillies, the siege of Turin, The Battle of Blenheim, Malplaquet, Almansa, Oudenarde and Denian but besides Europe the war was also fought in the European colonies in America where the forces of France, Spain and Various American Indian tribes fought England, the Iroquois confederacy and the American Indians that sided with the British but besides on land the war was also ferocious at sea most notably in the Caribbean because the events in the Caribbean gave rise to some of the most famous historical pirates of the Golden age of piracy like Benjamin Hornigold, Black Sam Bellamy, Anne Bonny, John West, Paulsgrave Williams, John Vane, Henry Jennings, Calico Jack, Stede Bonnet and the most notorious and famous pirate of the Golden age of piracy Edward Thatch or as he is more better known as Blackbeard and its because of the British wanting to use privateers and not their own navy that these men would become pirates and ravage the Caribbean islands and the Eastern coast of North America.
I want more movies and series about this. its so exciting
"(Poltava)
Rode to certain death and pain
(Poltava)
Swedish soldiers met their Bane
(Poltava)
Sacrificed their lives in vain
Poltava"
Sabaton intensifies ... had to go and listen to that song again after this amazing video
hi Kings and Generals, could you make a video on the Assault on Copenhagen (1659)? As that was the close point to the end of Denmark as a independent nation
I would love that as we we would finally see some action of the Dutch on this channel
@@Raadpensionaris oh yes, The Dutchs, The true Friends of Denmark
@@kiankier7330 Especially in the 17th century
Hey I have an ancestor that fought at Poltava! He fought with the Västgöta Kavalleriregemente under Carolus XII, and was later captured by the russi*ns at Perevolotjna. He later fought with, and surrendered at Tönningen with Magnus Stenbock, a great field general.
russi*ns? this is a curse?
@@victorkazakevich9700 Oops! It autocorrected itself! T'was from a meme I made a while ago...
The Swedish forces kept on advancing valiantly only to find themselves stuck in a death trap they can no longer run from. Russians are scary as hell😰
This video has just been made mandatory for all Danes to watch
As a swede this battle nearly put me to tears every time i hear or read about it.
Well, we, Russians, also have battles like this, such as Battle of the Kalka River. Keep it up I guess, let the comparison of living standards of our countries assist you in that)
Russia have much less forces, than what you saied
Participated in battle:
24,500 infantry
14,600 dragoons[2]
3,000 Kalmyks[3]
86 cannons
I promised myself I wouldn’t cry watching this video.
You Swedish, you remind me Thermopyles battle, you fought like Spartans with out fear. I respect you. Hello from Greece 😎😉🇬🇷👍👍👍
Well. Spartans defend themselves. Swedish invaded.
It breaks my heart every time I hear about the battle at Poltava
Cry about it
@@douglassantet647 i think that's is what he is doing
I love this channel thank you for doing these videos man fr
Grata sorpresa verlo en español.
Ahora
Tsar has scorched his nation's land
Nothing to be found
Hunger grapes the soldiers hearth
20000 strong.
A deeply salutory lesson in not making decisions based on ego. Always take an even moderately advantageous peace. Charles could have been a great king if he didn't treat warfare like a game.
17:35 this is the saddest death march ive seen, when you look at the differences.....
Those Brave... Honorable, Souls... Duty-bound until the very End..... 🇸🇪🏅
Really good thanks for posting
This is the biggest loss in Swedish history. and some believe that this was the end of the Swedish empire. Plotava was already a battle that was lost before they started. though it could have been a victory if certain factors were different. Above all, a better communication from officers and genarlas. and the greatest that could have been a victory over the Ukrainian forces was in fact 10,000 as they promised. otherwise I think Charles Xii would have chosen a different path in this war
Lesnaya was the mother of Poltava battle. Had they not lost so hard there, things in theory might have gone different. But only in theory since the theatre of war was a mess for the Swedish then.
Somewhat true IMHO. Having read some of the sources from contemporaries in Russian court, battle was lost in the moment Swedes decided to stay in Russia over the winter. Even by a miracle, that Swedes have prevailed in Poltava, it would have been an inconclusive tactical victory. The stream of reserves, Peter was pushing steadily over the year is mind blowing. In the wake of Poltava, the astound foreigner at court was recording, arrivals of Polk after Polk after Polk, reserve, that were meant to be second or third line of defense. And the Swedes army was not as good as fighting machines, it was believed. Peter and Russian army overconfidence was expose just year later by bother Turkish army.
No, nothing has ever come close to the disaster that was Gustav IV Adolf and the Finnish war.
Charles XII was like Hannibal: won almost all of his battles but lost the war.. Poor infantry killed but the cavalry ran away....
No, Charles XII was defeated by a strong Russian army that destroyed his army bringing an end to the much hated Swedish empire. Wake up
Great Video. i really enjoy watching these documentaries.
Thank you , K&G .
🌲🎅🌲
🐺
Every one of these just upsets me more and more at the fact I’ll never see an Empire Total War 2
New historical total war 2022! We will probably see a empire 2 in the next few years hopefully!!!
@@ludwiglindholm5054 I think it’s definitely going to be medieval 3. But let’s pray an empire comes within the next 10 years lol
at least we'll get Total Warhammer 16: Orc Wizards DLC
This episode felt very rushed; there are many mistakes, especially in how the battle is portrayed.
I guess the video was long to begin with and making it even longer might have made people not wanna watch it...
In this video you get the impression that the storming of the redoubts and the battle happened almost at the same time.
But that was not the case. The redoubts was stormed around 5 AM and the big battle when the Russian army left the camp happened many hours later.
And Roos leaving the battlefield was no insignificant event like it seem in this video. Instead was the fate of his troops having a gigantic impact on the battle. Had he joined up with the Swedish army instantly after storming the redoubts, then the Swedish army would have had a much better chance at storming the Russian camp.
Likewise can one say that if the Swedish army had known that his troops had been lost, then hours of preparations for preparing for storming the Russian camp would not have been wasted. Perhaps a surprise attack could have been possible after all.
@@nattygsbord Yeah.. there are just too many mistakes for me to truly enjoy this. I mean, why aren't Charles included among the columns during the battle? Why are they portraying it as if it was the Swedish infantry that chased the Russian dragoons from the redoubts, and not the cavalry (LOL)? Why is the Swedish right flank cavalry-battle missing during the main confrontation? Why is the infantry-advance portrayed as if the Swedes didn't even reach the Russian lines; I mean, the right flank not only reached the Russians in melee, but also pushed them back, capturing several of their guns.. it was only the left flank that kinda halted (as they were being encircled from the left and met fierce artillery fire). Why have they portrayed it as if the Swedish cavalry just abandoned the infantry during the retreat? Not to mention the things you talked about regarding Roos' command, etc.
Also, I think they could've split the Russian campaign into two videos; one showing the battles of Holowczyn and Lesnaya, and the other the Battle of Poltava. Oh well, I'm just happy they made a series of the Great Northern War.
Attacking Russia = Career ending move
Unless you're the Mongols.
Charging an enemy with guns without artillery support when outnumbered sounds desperate.
And 100-110 year later Napoleon did the same mistake as Charles and 100-130 year after that, Hitler did the same mistake.
i agree
Russia can only be defeated from east
I think..
Nah 100 years before battle of Poltava, Poles/Lithuanians/Rhutenians almost completly destroyed Russian Tsardom, so-called "Time of Troubles" in Russian history.
Mongols were the best victors in that regard
No other army except the Tartars managed to take Moscow
@@impaugjuldivmax Poles actively supported Dimitriads which was starting phase of Time of Troubles
Feel sorry for the sweden soldiers. Such brave soldiers
Yeah, it sucks when your king is a megalomaniac imperialist, sending to you to kill and die in foreign lands.
Russia actually raised a monument in their honor, 200 years after the battle or so. Imagine going 9 years, being undefeated in major battles [the main army that is] and then being totally wiped out like this. Truly sad.
@@iljagaimovic9166 True. The common man had a hell this day. No one cared for him. Russian and Swedish officers could eat dinner and drink wine togheter after the battle while Russian and Swedish soldiers still laid covered in blood on the battlefield without no one caring for them.
The Russian men who were cut to pieces to the last man inside the redoubts and the Swedes who were encircled when the two big lines of infantry faced each other must have felt the most horrible panic before they died.
They were the ones who paid the ultimate price for their commanders decision.
Yeah, they really died for nothing in this battle. Should have retreated to fight another day.
@@iljagaimovic9166 They had to be. They faced Swedish Caroleans after all.
Great video, as always, guys. But... that sponsor here really gave me a good laugh.
I agree 👍
Y'all are simply the best...then there's the rest.
Siempre me encantó la fascinante historia de Carl XII y me da algo de lástima su triste final , pero tuvo todo para Realmente ser el Alejandro Magno del norte.
No lo permitimos. Pedro 1 es un monarca hecho de acero
I have resolved never to start an unjust war but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies", which is pretty much old-school talk for, "I don't start shit. I end it." (Badassoftheweek article of Charles XII)
I loved how you opened with the paid promotion! ... but I think the rockstar look in Peter, made all the difference.
I cry every time
"Media Offline" picture at 14:24
Peter, outnumbering Charles four to one, “My genius, it’s almost frightening”.
2.5 to one. And not all of the Russian side were engaged. I don't know where Kings and Generals pulled those numbers from.
The truth is that the Swedish army was veteran professionals, while the Russian army was new and Peter's creation. He learned, he tested, he experimented, he used his strong sides and good cards, he exploited enemy weaknesses and mistakes to 100%, while doing none himself. He didn't send help prematurely etc.
It's like playing chess, a mistake is punished and you lose as much as the opponent wins.
What Peter did was unseen in Europe (and especially Russia) since antiquity. A single man to revolutionise so much and defeat the top dog against the odds was spectacular.
+Reese Hendricksen Be butthurt Swede as you want, but Peter was able to get to LOCAL numerical superiority and destroy Swedish army at Poltava due to him being a far better strategist than Charles. When Napoleon manages to destroy opposing armies with "Defeat in Detail" strategy, then he is a military Genius, when Peter the Great does the same thing to Swedes, then it's because Russians did a Zerg Rush, not because you Swedes acted stupid and Russians were smarter than you, God forbid that could ever be the case.
Just look at the odds stacked against Peter BEFORE the Battle of Poltava. Kossaks were revolting, Poles went against him, Turks were already on Swedish side, his country was alone and things were falling apart, and he had to take out all of these fires while still having the most dangerous army in Europe in that time in his lands.
Peter the Great literally employed tactics used for millenia from Caesar to Napoleon, and Charles should have been a better military commander and strategist in order not to get stuck in that situation.
The best excuse is also "it wAs ThE wOrSt WinTer eVEr". It always seems to be "the coldest winter in Russian history", whether Swedes fight at Poltava, Napoleon at Moscow or Germans at Stalingrad. And apparently Swedes are some Mediterranean nation from South of Europe who had never seen the snow before.
So, what Peter did indeed took a strategic genius, whether you like it or not, and your king acted like idiot not managing to coordinate his own allied troops, for example Poles to be where he wanted them to be nor to be able to help Kossak rebels, while Peter managed to quench rebelion in his own country while simultaniously being attacked by the strongest army in Europe in that time.
@@guestimator121 Those are some pretty good arguments. Well said.
Also with every invasion, people said - Oh, the ... Swedes, Germans, French etc were freezing.
As if Russians are penguins.
That Peter guy does have nice hair
Kiitti vitusti Kalle. Hyvät taktiikat.