The Renaissance and the Enlightenment both saw some major wars in Northern Europe
The Renaissance and the Enlightenment both saw some major wars in Northern Europe. They have gone down in history simply as the “Northern Wars.” I should acknowledge here that this is an international topic. Perhaps partially because of this, there is actually some controversy about what to include here in the simple term “Northern Wars.” There is even a significant controversy about the very names of these conflicts. Because of this, I will try to avoid controversial terminology like the “First” Northern War, or the “Second” Northern War. These are not internationally accepted, since there is no international standard for the nomenclature here. Thus, I will try to use neutral terms which are clearer, in an effort to avoid names that will be interpreted differently by different groups. Regardless, they would ultimately culminate in the “Great Northern War.” This was one of the greatest conflicts of the eighteenth century. In this case, the name is accepted much more widely. And it is also acknowledged that this was the largest (and last) in this great series of wars.
Peter the Great assaults Nöteborg, part of the Great Northern War (circa 1702)
Most would seem to agree that these wars date back to the Medieval & Renaissance period
This post will try to tell the story of these Northern Wars. I will especially focus on the saga of the “Great Northern War,” and its larger legacy for the eighteenth century. It has roots going back long before that, which all make for a very dramatic story. Specifically, our story begins in the Late Middle Ages. There were then nine Polish-Teutonic Wars. These wars were fought, on and off, between 1308 and 1521. Thus, they extended well into the Renaissance. It was during the Renaissance that the long-standing “Northern Wars” began. From 1554 to 1557, there was a Russo-Swedish War. Some would consider it the first of these “Northern Wars.” In 1558, the Livonian War began. It was soon connected to the “Northern Seven Years’ War,” which began some years later in 1563. (Not to be confused with the “Seven Years’ War” of a later century.) The “Northern Seven Years’ War,” as it is called, ended in 1570. But the interconnected “Livonian War” lasted until 1583. Thus ended this first round of the “Northern Wars.” Specifically, this was the Renaissance-era portion of the wars.
The siege of Polotsk, 1579 – during the Livonian War
These wars continued into the seventeenth century, and lasted well into the Enlightenment
Thus, our story will now enter the early modern period – and arguably even the Enlightenment. I will briefly mention here that the Thirty Years’ War went from 1618 to 1648. But, since I’m planning to do an entire post about that elsewhere, I am here mentioning it only briefly as context. In 1654, the Polish-Russian War began. It was soon connected to another Northern War, which began in 1655. This Northern War ended in 1660, while the interconnected Polish-Russian War ended in 1667. This second round of the conflict was now over. But, in 1672, the Franco-Dutch War began in Western Europe. I recognize that this war’s land fighting was on the other side of the continent from Northern and Eastern Europe. I also recognize that the war’s naval fighting, which was connected with the Anglo-Dutch Wars, was also quite distant. But the Franco-Dutch War would soon be interconnected with Northern Europe’s “Scanian War.” Specifically, this “Scanian War” began in 1675. In Western Europe, the Franco-Dutch War ended in 1678, while the “Scanian War” went on until 1679. The third round of the conflict was now over. But the greatest of them was still to follow.
The Assault on Copenhagen, 1659 – part of the Northern War of 1655-1660
The Great Northern War, which soon became entangled with wars in Western Europe
In 1700, the “Great Northern War” itself began. Again, it was indeed the greatest of these “Northern Wars.” It started out as a conflict between Russia and Sweden. As Wikipedia puts it, “The war began when Denmark–Norway, Saxony and Russia, sensing an opportunity as Sweden was ruled by the young Charles XII, formed a coalition against Sweden. Denmark invaded Sweden's ally Holstein-Gottorp, while Saxony and Russia [both] declared war on the Swedish Empire and attacked Swedish Livonia and Swedish Ingria, respectively.” (see source) The Swedes even managed to invade Russia itself, in what is today Ukraine. But the Swedish army was destroyed in the decisive Battle of Poltava. And the war soon became connected with Western Europe’s “War of the Spanish Succession,” which began in 1701. This was because, by 1702, the German state of Prussia would now be involved in both of these conflicts. Thus, the war in Western Europe tied up Prussian troops that otherwise could have been sent to fight the Swedes. This turned out to be a bit of a setback for Russia, as you might imagine. As Wikipedia puts it, “The remaining Swedish forces in plague-stricken areas south and east of the Baltic Sea were evicted, with the last city, Tallinn, falling in the autumn of 1710. The coalition members partitioned most of the Swedish dominions among themselves, destroying the Swedish dominium maris baltici. Sweden proper was invaded from the west by Denmark–Norway and from the east by Russia, which had occupied Finland by 1714. Sweden defeated the Danish invaders at the Battle of Helsingborg. Charles XII opened up a Norwegian front but was killed in the Siege of Fredriksten in 1718.” (see source)
Battle of Riga, the first major battle of the Swedish invasion of Poland, 1701
How these wars ended with a series of peace treaties, which arranged territorial changes
By that point, Western Europe’s “War of the Spanish Succession” had ended. Specifically, it had ended with a number of peace treaties in 1713 and 1714. This meant that more Prussian troops could now be sent to fight the Swedes to their north and east. But the “Great Northern War” would last for a few years longer. The war eventually ended with a number of peace treaties. These included the Treaties of Stockholm in 1719, where the Swedes made peace with the Hanoverians and the Prussians. Prussia then gained parts of Swedish Pomerania, while Hanover then gained Bremen-Verden. The Swedes then made peace with Denmark–Norway in the Treaty of Frederiksborg in 1720. In that treaty, Holstein-Gottorp then lost its own part of the Duchy of Schleswig to Denmark–Norway. Finally, the Swedes made peace with Russia at the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. In this treaty, Russia actually gained the dominions of Estonia, Livonia and Ingria. They also gained parts of Kexholm and Viborg.
Decisive Russian victory at Poltava, 1709 – another part of the Great Northern War
Influence upon the Napoleonic Wars, the World Wars, and even the later Cold War
Other wars in the region would follow – including some fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, and in the First and Second World Wars. But the conflicts remembered by history as the “Northern Wars” had now been concluded. They left behind quite a legacy for Northern Europe. Most importantly, Sweden had been profoundly defeated. And, as Wikipedia puts it, this left Russia “as the new dominant power in the Baltic region and as a new major force in European politics.” (see source) Some would assert these power politics to be the real cause of the war. In the coming decades, Russia would rise even further under the leadership of Catherine the Great. In the coming centuries, Russia would even be invaded by both Napoleon and Hitler, and would see a communist revolution at home. This would have a major effect on the Soviet Union (and, by extension, world affairs) during the upcoming Cold War of the twentieth century. Their superpower status may have been partially owing to the Great Northern War – which, again, went quite well for Russia.
Battle of Gangut (Finland, 1714) – another part of the Great Northern War
Conclusion: These wars were important, contributing to Russia’s rise as a world power
Like every other part of the world, Europe has been rocked by warfare throughout its history. And, obviously, some of these wars were somewhat serious, with profound consequences for the future of Europe. Certainly the Great Northern War was in this latter category. I hope that I have given my readers a helpful primer on the various Northern Wars – and, especially, on the forgotten influence of the final round: the Great Northern War.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment