Coordinates: 49°37.88′N 34°33.

17′E

Battle of Poltava
The Battle of Poltava[d] (8 July 1709[e]) was the decisive
Battle of Poltava
victory of Peter I of Russia, also known as "the Great," over the
Swedish forces under Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld, in Part of the Swedish invasion of Russia
one of the battles of theGreat Northern War.

It is widely believed by historians to have been the beginning of

the Swedish Empire's decline as a European great power, while
the Tsardom of Russia took its place as the leading nation of
north-eastern Europe. The battle also bears major importance in
Ukrainian national history, as Hetman of Zaporizhian Host Ivan
Mazepa sided with the Swedes, seeking to create an uprising in
Ukraine against the tsardom.

Today, at the site of the battle there is a State Cultural Heritage The Battle of Poltava by Denis Martens the Younger
Preserve Complex in Poltava known as the "Poltava Battle (1726)
Field" and consists of monuments and churches commemorating Date 27 June 1709 (O.S.)
the event. 28 June 1709 (Swedish calendar)
8 July 1709 (N.S.)
Location Poltava, Cossack Hetmanate (present-
Contents day Ukraine)
Result Decisive Russian victory
Prelude
Battle
Destruction of the Carolean army
Aftermath
Loss of Cossack Hetmanate
In popular culture
autonomy
Notes
Reentry of Denmark-Norway and
See also
Poland-Lithuania into the war
References
Turning point in the Great Northern
Sources
War; decline of the Swedish
External links
Empire, Tsardom of Russia
establishes itself as a new power in
Europe
Prelude
Belligerents
Charles XII had led Swedish forces to early victories in North
Swedish Empire Russia
Zealand (summer 1700) and in the Battle of Narva in November
Cossack Hetmanate
1700. However, it would take six years before he defeated
Augustus II of Saxony-Poland.[12]:701, 703 Peter I withdrew from Commanders and leaders
Poland in the spring of 1706,[12]:700 and offered to cede his Charles XII of Peter I
Baltic possessions to Sweden except St. Petersburg, but Charles Sweden Boris Sheremetev
refused.[12]:703 Peter subsequently adopted a scorched-earth Carl Gustaf Alexander
[12]:704
policy in order to deprive the Swedish forces of supplies. Rehnskiöld (POW) Menshikov
Adam Ludwig
Charles ordered a final attack on the Russian heartland with a
Lewenhaupt
possible assault on Moscow from his campaign base in Poland.
Ivan Mazepa
The Swedish army of almost 44,000 men[12]:704 left Saxony on
22 August 1707 and marched slowly eastwards. Charles took the Strength
field in November after waiting for reinforcements to
Swedish combined army: Russian combined army:
arrive.[12]:704 Continuing east, he crossed the Vistula River on
24,000 Swedish regulars 52,100 Russian regulars
25 December 1707, then continued through a hostile Masuria
(13,000 cavalry (33,500 infantry
and took Grodno on 26 January 1708 after Russian troops had
11,000 infantry)[1][a] 18,600 cavalry)[1]
abandoned the city.[12]:704 At the time the Russians had been
6,000 irregulars 23,000 irregulars[1]
occupied with a large rebellion of Don Cossacks, known as the
1,000 Polish vlach cavalry (Cossacks and Kalmyks,
"Bulavin Rebellion" (1707–08). This revolt was contained in
3,000–7,000 3,000 Kalmyks arrived
part by the forces of the Cossack Hetmanate led by Hetman Ivan
Cossacks[b][2] at the end of the battle)
Mazepa.[12]:704 The Swedes continued to the area around
34 artillery pieces 102 artillery pieces
Smorgon and Minsk, where the army went into winter quarters.
Charles left 8,000 dragoons under Maj. Gen. Ernst Detlof von
Total: up to 30,000[3][4][c] Total: 75,000[1]
Krassow in western Poland.[13]

Poor weather and road conditions kept the Swedish troops in Participated in battle: Participated in battle:
winter quarters until June 1708. In July the Swedes defeated 8,700 infantry[1] 24,500 infantry
Marshal Boris Sheremetyev's forces at the Battle of Holowczyn 7,800 cavalry[1] 14,600 dragoons[1]
and advanced to the Dnieper River.[12]:704 During the spring 4 cannons 3,000 Kalmyks[2]
Gen. Lewenhaupt in Courland had been ordered to gather 86 cannons
supplies and march his army of about 12,000 men to join
Charles' forces. However, his departure from Mitau was delayed Total: 16,500 Total: 42,000
until late June and consequently he only joined Charles' forces
on 11 October.[14] Besieging Poltava: Garrison of Poltava:
1,100 infantry 4,200 infantry
Rather than winter in Livonia or wait for Lewenhaupt, Charles
200 cavalry 2,000 Cossacks
decided to move southward into the Ukraine and join Mazepa,
28 cannons
who had decided to rebel against Peter.[12]:706 Peter sent
Sheremetev to shadow the Swedish army.[15]:287 Lewenhaupt Casualties and losses
followed south and was attacked while crossing a river near a Swedish accounts: 6,900 Official accounts: 1,345
small village that gave name to the Battle of Lesnaya, losing the killed and wounded, 2,800 killed, 3,290 wounded.[6][9]
supply train and half of his force.[15]:288 In need of resupply, captured.[5][6][7]
Charles moved towards Baturyn, Mazepa's headquarters, but
Russian troops under Aleksandr Menshikov reached the city
first. Anticipating the Swedish arrival, Menshikov ordered the Russian accounts: 9,234 Other accounts: 5,953
merciless massacre of the population, razing the city and killed, 2,864–2,977 killed and wounded.[11]
destroying or looting arms, ammunition and food.[15]:288 captured.[8][9][10]

By the spring of 1709 Charles' force had shrunk to half of its original size. After the coldest winter in Europe in over 500 years,
Charles was left with 20,000 soldiers and 34 cannons.[12]:707 Short of supplies, he laid siege to the Russian fortress at Poltava on the
Vorskla River on 2 May 1709.[12]:707–08 Peter's force of 80,000 marched to relieve the siege.[12]:708 Upon his arrival, Peter built a
fortified camp on the Vorskla, 4 km north of Poltava.[15]:290 While observing the Russian position on 20 June, Charles was struck by
a stray bullet, injuring his foot badly enough that he could not stand.[15]:289 In addition, Charles' last hope of reinforcement expired,
as the Swedish forces undervon Krassow had turned aside to deal with the anti-SwedishSandomierz Confederationin Poland.[15]:289

Between the Russian and Swedish forces the Yakovetski and Budyschenski woods formed a corridor, which the Russians defended
by building six forts across the gap.[16]:60 Peter, in addition, ordered four more redoubts built so the entire system of ten forts would
have a T shape, providing flanking fire to a Swedish advance.[16]:60 Two of the redoubts were still being constructed on the morning
of the battle, but 4,000 Russians manned the remaining eight, with 10,000 cavalry under Gen. Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
stationed behind them.[16]:60
Battle
Because of his wound, Charles turned over operational command to Field Marshal
Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld.[15]:289 Four columns of infantry and six columns of
cavalry were to form during the night, 600 meters south of the redoubts, intending to
attack before dawn in order to swiftly bypass the redoubt system and hit the Russian
fort.[16]:77 The infantry was in place by 2:30 a.m. but the cavalry arrived late, having
lost their way.[16]:83 Riding forward, Axel Gyllenkrok observed the Russians at
work on the two nearest redoubts and rode back to inform Rehnskiöld.[16]:83 A
reconnoitre by Maj. Gen Wolmar Anton von Schlippenbach was discovered by the
Russians and the alarm was sounded by the firing of a pistol.[16]:84 Having lost the
element of surprise, and without sufficient cannon to breach the fortifications,
Rehnskiöld consulted with Charles, Carl Piper and Lewenhaupt on whether or not to
proceed with the assault.[16]:91 By the time Rehnskiöld decided to proceed with the
attack by quoting, "In the name of God then, let us go forward", it was nearly
4:00 a.m. on 28 June (Swedish calendar) and dawn was already Map of the battlefield. Poltava is to
the south. Near the Russian fortified
approaching.[16]:91–92
camp in the middle, notice the "T"
formation of Russian redoubts
The Swedes in Carl Gustaf Roos' column quickly overran the first two redoubts,
between the Budyschenski wood to
killing every Russian soldier inside them, but by 4:30 a.m. the attempts to take the
the west and the Yakovetski wood to
third redoubt stalled.[16]:97–99 Lewenhaupt's ten battalions on the right bypassed the the east. The original Russian camp
first four redoubts entirely, advancing to the back line and, with the aid of cavalry, is to the north and is marked
took some redoubts while bypassing others.[16]:96, 105, 108 Two of Roos' rear "20.25.6". The Pushkaryovka camp,
battalions joined them, indicating that issued orders lacked clarity as to whether to with the Swedish baggage, would be
in the southwest corner of the map.
avoid the redoubts or attack them in series.[16]:94 The cavalry on the left wing,
commanded by Maj. Gen. Hamilton and an infantry regiment, advanced by passing
the redoubts on the left and charged the Russian cavalry, forcing them to
retreat.[16]:105 It was 5:00 a.m. when the left and right wings of the Swedish army
made it past the back line of redoubts, sending the Russian cavalry in
retreat.[16]:106, 108 However, Rehnskiöld ordered his cavalry to stop their pursuit and
Lewenhaupt, already advancing towards the fort, to withdraw to the west.[16]:108–09
There they awaited Roos' battalions for two hours, while the Russian cavalry and
Ivan Skoropadsky's Cossacks waited to the north, with 13 Russian battalions
deployed north of their camp and ten to the south, anticipating a Swedish
advance.[16]:125 One of Mikhail Lomonosov's mosaics
depicts the Battle of Poltava
Gen. Roos and six battalions (one-third of the Swedish infantry) became isolated
while attempting to take the third Russian redoubt.[16]:110 After suffering severe
casualties from several assault attempts, Roos led the remaining 1,500 of his original 2,600 men into theakovetski
Y woods to the east
at 6:00 a.m.[16]:114 The Russians reoccupied the first two redoubts[16]:115 and launched a two-pronged attack by ten regiments
around 7:00 a.m., forcing Roos to retreat towards Poltava and take refuge in an abandoned fort by 9:00 a.m. when he could not make
it to the Swedish siege works.[16]:118–19, 127, 132 Roos was forced to surrender his command[15]:290 at 9:30 a.m.[16]:134

The Swedes continued to wait for Roos' troops to return, unaware of their surrender.[15]:292 As time went by Peter led the 42
battalions of Russian infantry—22,000 soldiers—into an advance out of the fortified camp, supported by 55 three-pounder cannons
plus 32 guns on the ramparts of the fort.[16]:129, 138–39 Ten regiments of dragoons formed under Lt. Gen. Adolf Fredrik Bauer on the
[16]:139 Just west of the camp the Russians were faced by 4,000 Swedish
Russian right and six regiments under Menshikov on the left.
infantry,[15]:292 formed into ten battalions with four three-pounders, and Creutz's cavalry in the rear.[16]:143 The Russians slowly
moved forward to engage.[16]:143 According to Charles and reports from other Swedish officers, the weather at that time was already
very hot and humid, with the sun obscured by smoke from the Russian cannon in the fort.
At 9:45 a.m. Rehnskiöld ordered Lewenhaupt and the Swedish line to move forward, advancing towards the Russian line, which
started firing its cannon at 500 meters.[16]:147, 151 When the Swedes were 50 meters from the Russian line, the Russians opened fire
with their muskets from all four ranks.[16]:155 Advancing to within 30 meters of the Russian line, the Swedes fired a volley of their
own and charged with their muskets and pikesmen, and the Russian first line retreated towards their second line.[16]:156 The Swedes
seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough and needed the cavalry under Gen. Creutz to break the Russian lines.[16]:157
Unfortunately for the Swedes, Creutz's and the other cavalry units were unable to reform completely and in time.[15]:292 With the
Russian line longer than the Swedish line, the Swedish infantry on the left flank lagged behind the right and finally threw down their
weapons and fled.[16]:159 As the Swedish right flank was still advancing, a gap began to open in the Swedish line which the Russians
filled and the battle turned into a Cannae variation.[16]:165 Barely able to gather his cavalry squadrons, Creutz tried to advance on the
right flank, but the Russian battalions were able to form into hollow squares,[16]:158 while Menshikov's cavalry outflanked the
Swedes and attacked them from the rear.[16]:160 At this point the Swedish assault had disintegrated and no longer had organized
bodies of troops to oppose the Russian infantry or cavalry
. Small groups of soldiers managed to break through and escape to the south
[16]:174
through the Budyschenski woods, while many of the rest were overwhelmed, ridden down or captured.

Realizing they were the last Swedes on the battlefield, Charles ordered a retreat to
the woods, gathering what remaining forces he could for protection, including the
remnants of Creutz's detachment.[16]:175, 180 The Russians halted at the edge of the
woods and their artillery fire stopped; only the Cossacks and Kalmucks roamed the
plains south of the woods.[16]:189, 192 Emerging from the woods at around noon,
Charles—on horseback after his litter was destroyed and protected by a square of a
couple of thousand men—headed to Pushkaryovka and his baggage train 5 km to the
.[16]:194
south, reaching it after 1:00 p.m., by which time the battle was over

Charles gathered the remainder of his troops and baggage train and retreated to the
Charles XII and Mazepa at the
south later that same day—at about 7:00 p.m.--abandoning the siege of Dnieper River after Poltava by Gustaf
Poltava.[16]:197, 210 Lewenhaupt led the surviving Swedes and some of the Cossack Cederström.
forces to the Dnieper River, but was doggedly pursued by the Russian regular
cavalry and 3,000 Kalmyk auxiliaries and forced to surrender three days later at
Perevolochna, on 1 July.[17]

Aftermath
High-ranking Swedes captured during the battle included Field Marshal Rehnskiöld,
Maj. Gen. Schlippenbach, Maj. Gen. Stackelberg, Maj. Gen. Hamilton and Prince
Maximilian Emanuel, as well as Piper.[16]:199, 203 Peter held a celebratory banquet
in two large tents erected on the battlefield.[16]:202 Voltaire assumed Peter's reason
for this, in raising a toast to the Swedish generals as war masters, was to send a
message to his own generals about disloyalty.[18]: 108 Two mass graves contained
the Russian dead, 500 meters southwest of their camp.[16]:205 Previously defeating
Peter, Charles had gone so far as to pay the Russian troops. Peter instead took many
[18]: 107
Swedes, with great pride, and sent them to Siberia.
Orthodox church on the battlefield.
Charles and Mazepa escaped with about 1,500 men to Bendery, Moldavia, then
controlled by the Ottoman Empire.[12]:710 Charles spent five years in exile there
before he was able to return to Sweden in December 1715.[15]:295 During this time, even handicapped, he retained his magisterial
calm demeanor under fire, fighting his way out of several situations. The high vizier of the Turks was eventually paid off, with much
intrigue and espionage involved and plots within plots, at one point involving a ransom of the Russian crown jewels, according to
Charles' prison translator.[19]

In popular culture
There have been numerous references towards the Battle of Poltava, including the
song 'Poltava' by Sabaton who wanted to commemorate the battle and the bravery of
the Swedish forces.

Notes
a. About 2,000 sick and injured soldiers were standing in the Pushkarivka
camp.
b. The exact numbers of Mazepa's and Zaporizhian Cossacks is unknown The Poltava Monument in
but are usually given to 3,000 up to 7,000. They were stationed in the Stockholm, Sweden.
Pushkarivka camp and did not participate in the battle.
c. Russian sources quote the captive Field Marshal Rehnskiöld stating that
his combined army before the battle consisted of up to 30,000 men.
d. Swedish: Slaget vid Poltava; Russian: Полта́ вская би́ тва; Ukrainian:
Полта́ вська би́ тва
e. 28 June according to the then-used Swedish calendar; 27 June in the
Julian calendar; 8 July in the modern calendar
.

See also
The inscription on the monument in
Surrender at Perevolochna Stockholm: "To the fallen sons of the
Battle of Lesnaya Fatherland" (Latin: "Filiis pro patria
Carolus Rex (album) occisis").

References
1. Moltusov, Valerij Aleksejevitj (2009).Poltava 1709: Vändpunkten(in Swedish). SMB. p. 93.ISBN 978-91-85789-75-
7.
2. (in Russian) О составе русской и шведской армий в Полтавском сражении (http://war1960.narod.ru/nwtime/Polta
va_sostav.html)
3. Ericson, p. 297.
4. (in Russian) Istorīia Petra Velikago (https://books.google.com/books?id=r8YKAAAAIAAJ&pg=P
A38), by Nikolai
Alekseevich Polevoi, 1843, p. 38
5. Englund (1988), p. 215.
6. (in Swedish) Christer Kuvaja: Karolinska krigare 1660–1721, p. 192. Schildts Förlags AB 2008.ISBN 978-951-50-
1823-6.
7. Derek Wilson (March 9, 2009). "Poltava : the Battle that Changed the W
orld". History Today. London. 59 (3): 23–29.
8. (in Russian) Битва под Полтавой (http://battles.h1.ru/poltava.shtml)Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2005022
5001544/http://battles.h1.ru/poltava.shtml)2005-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
9. "Poltava, Battle of" (http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/P/O/PoltavaBattleof.htm). Retrieved 12 December
2016.
10. (in Russian) Istorīia Petra Velikago (https://books.google.com/books?id=BFVtcbTYRkMC&pg=P
A355), p. 355
11. Gordon A. The History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia: oTwhich is Prefixed a Short General History of the
Country from the Rise of that Monarchy: and an Account of the Author's Life,olume
V 1. Aberdeen. 1755. pp. 301–02
12. Tucker, S.C., 2010, A Global Chronology of Conflict, V
ol. Two, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC,
ISBN 9781851096671
13. Christer Kuvaja: Karolinska krigare 1660–1721, p. 179. Schildts Förlags AB 2008.ISBN 978-951-50-1823-6.
14. Christer Kuvaja: Karolinska krigare 1660–1721, pp. 180–85. Schildts Förlags AB 2008.ISBN 978-951-50-1823-6.
15. Frost, R.I., 2000, The Northern Wars, 1558–1721, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited,ISBN 9780582064294
16. Englund, P., 1992, The Battle that Shook Europe, London: I.B. aTuris & Co. Ltd., ISBN 9781780764764
17. Massie.
18. Voltaire, The History of Charles XII, King of Sweden(https://archive.org/stream/voltaireshistory00voltuoft/voltaireshist
ory00voltuoft_djvu.txt) (1908)
19. Friedrich Ernst von Fabrice,The Genuine Letters of Baron Fabricius Envoy from His Serene Highness the Duke
Administrator of Holstein to Charles XII of Sweden(https://books.google.com/books?id=j5A2AAAAMAAJ&printsec=fr
ontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false)(1761)

Sources
Adlerfelt, G. (1740). The Military History of Charles XII, King of Sweden, Written by the Express Order of His
Majesty.
Englund, Peter (1988).Poltava: berättelsen om en armés undergång. Atlantis. ISBN 91-7486-834-9.
Englund, Peter (2003).The Battle that Shook Europe: Poltava and the Birth of the Russian Empire
. I. B. Tauris.
ISBN 1-86064-847-9.
Ericson, Lars (2004). Svenska slagfält (in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand.ISBN 91-46-21087-3.
Hrushevskyi, Mykhailo. Illjustrirovannaja istorija Ukrainy s priloženijami i dopolnenijami
.
Konstam, Angus (1994).Poltava 1709: Russia Comes of Age. Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-416-4.
Massie, Robert K. (1980).Peter the Great: his Life and World. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-29806-5.
Velychenko, Stephen. The Battle of Poltava and the Decline of Cossack-Ukraine in light of Russian and English
methods of rule in their Borderlands (1707–1914)
.
http://historians.in.ua/index.php/doslidzhennya/326-stephen-velychenko-the-battle-of-poltava-and-the-decline-of-
cossack-ukraine-in-light-of-russian-and-english-methods-of-rule-in-their-borderlands-1707-1914
Voltaire. Voltaire's History of Charles the XII King of Sweden. ISBN 9781230362984.
Von Fabrice, Friedrich. The Genuine Letters of Baron Fabricius Envoy from his Serene Highness the Duke
Administrator of Holstein to Charles Xii. of Sweden
. ISBN 9785871371343.

External links
Media related to battle of Poltava at Wikimedia Commons

Sequel to Poltava: Diplomacy to contain Russia 1709–1714By Bertil Haggman

Battle of Poltava on the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
Russian Order at Battle
Swedish Order at Battle
Voltaire's History of Charles XII King of Sweden by Voltaire

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Poltava&oldid=884777679

"

This page was last edited on 23 February 2019, at 23:06(UTC).

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.