Essay About Czar Peter And Middle Of The Great Northern War

The Battle of Poltova
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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 Swedens 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 Peters 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
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 Peters forty-five thousand men. Peters 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. Petersburgs 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
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 Charless defeat resounded through
Europe and won Russia respect as a European superpower.