Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) shattered the Swedish Empire and established Russia as the dominant Baltic power. Sweden under Charles XII initially crushed the Danish-Norwegian, Saxon-Polish, and Russian coalitions. But Charles's overextension — invading Russia in 1708 and marching toward Moscow — led to catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Poltava (1709). Pursued into Ottoman territory, Charles spent five years at Bender. Sweden lost Finland, Livonia, Estonia, and parts of Pomerania by the Peace of Nystad (1721). Russia gained its 'window to the West.' The war ended the era of Swedish great-power status and confirmed Peter the Great's transformation of Russia into a European empire. The Baltic trade routes — crucial for timber, tar, grain, and iron — passed from Swedish to Russian control.
- Year: 1700 CE
- Category: Military
