Great Northern War Between Sweden And Russia example essay topic

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 3 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 4 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. The Battle of Poltava also allowed Russia to gain a geographical and economical opening to the powerful countries of Western Europe. Peter I hoped to further the relations with other nations by entering into negotiations with France and Prussia to ally against Sweden. The negotiations between Russia and Sweden began in 1721 in neutral Finland. The Peace of Ny stad, signed August 30th 1721, ended the Great Northern War between Sweden and Russia, giving Russia considerably more power in the Baltic region.

Between Russia and Sweden forever had been established an understanding of peace and friendship. Into the possession of Russia there was placed, as terms of the treaty outlined a part of Karelia, Est land, and Lif land with the seashore from Viborg to Riga and some islands in the Baltic Sea had been passed. Russia had acquired the safe access to the 5 Baltic Sea, obtained a number of the first-class ports and put in favorable conditions for its trade relations with Western Europe. Russia worked diligently for a number of years to also further their social make-up and bring it up to the present way the rest of Europe functioned. Peter maintained that Russia must use the wealth of knowledge and sophistication that Western Europe did to help bring Russia up to par. He sought to "westernize" his nation which simply meant that the idea of the westernization he had for Russia was the modernization.

Peter alarmed the nobility and churchmen with his new objective, and saw to it that legislation had passed to affect them greatly. Peter saw that the beards came off of the Boyars, land-owning men of influence and wealth, and ended their sway in government. Peter was determined to "civilize" the nobility and even composed a book of manners to keep them civil. Peter also promoted courtly discussions between men and women to bring an end to rigid gender roles, but not so much to upset social life. The fortification of Russia's army and navy to ensure a strong military brought a great respect from surrounding nations. Other modernization techniques included establishing a modern iron industry to promote production, and expanding and adding additional roads and canals for the purpose of stimulating trade.

The impact of the Battle of Poltava is impossible disregard and its effects on the Russian nation hold a great testament to past successes. Had it not been for this battle which gave rise to Russia's greatest leader, Czar Peter I, Russia may still be in the troubled times of Ivan the Terrible. The victory over the Swedish empire and recognition of the rest of Europe drastically changed Russia irreversibly. Those who study the history 6 of the Russian empire will forever mark the Battle of Poltava and the significance it holds in the evolution of the nation..