Armies of the Great Northern War 1700–1720

Armies of the Great Northern War 1700–1720

Author: Gabriele Esposito

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-10-29

Total Pages: 50

ISBN-13: 147283349X

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This detailed study explains and illustrates the Russian, Scandinavian, Polish, and German armies of the crucial series of wars that saw Russia's arrival as a great military power in Northern Europe, displacing Sweden's 60-year hegemony. The Great Northern War was a long series of campaigns in which Russia, linked with several other countries in temporary alliances, confronted and eventually replaced Sweden as the predominant power in Northern Europe. While contemporary with the Duke of Marlborough's pivotal campaigns against France, the Great Northern War was in fact more decisive, since it reshaped the Northern European power balance up to the eve of the Napoleonic Wars. It began with a series of astonishing Swedish victories lead by King Charles XII, from Denmark to Poland and deep into Germany. But Peter the Great of Russia showed steadfast determination, and Charles overreached himself when he invaded Russia in 1708; the Russians adopted classic “scorched earth” tactics until they could destroy the Swedish army at Poltava in 1709, one of the most overwhelming victories in history. Nevertheless, Sweden continued to fight, and frequently win, in Germany, Denmark, and Norway, until Charles' death in battle in 1718, though the war itself did not conclude until 1721. This study explores, in detail, the numerous armies and complex alliances engaged in the war for Northern European dominance. Containing accurate full-color artwork and unrivaled detail, Armies of the Great Northern War offers a vivid insight into the troops which battled for control of the North.


Peter the Great's Revenge

Peter the Great's Revenge

Author: Boris Megorsky

Publisher: Century of the Soldier

Published: 2019-02

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781911628026

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The siege of the Swedish stronghold of Narva by the Russians in 1704 is very typical yet rather unusual operation of this kind. Its study covers both operational and tactical levels, deals with peculiarities of the siege warfare, and describes everyday life of the participants.


Russia's Wars of Emergence 1460-1730

Russia's Wars of Emergence 1460-1730

Author: Carol Stevens

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-13

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 1317893301

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Russia's emergence as a Great Power in the eighteenth century is usually attributed to Peter I's radical programme of 'Westernising' reforms. But the Russian military did not simply copy European armies. Adapting the tactics of its neighbours on both sides, Russia created a powerful strategy of its own, integrating steppe defence with European concerns. In Russia's Wars of Emergence, Carol Belkin Stevens examines the social and political factors underpinning Muscovite military history, the eventual success of the Russian Empire and the sacrifices made for power.


Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition]

Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition]

Author: Dr. Robert F. Baumann

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2015-11-06

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 1782899650

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[Includes 12 maps and 4 tables] In recent years, the U.S. Army has paid increasing attention to the conduct of unconventional warfare. However, the base of historical experience available for study has been largely American and overwhelmingly Western. In Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, Dr. Robert F. Baumann makes a significant contribution to the expansion of that base with a well-researched analysis of four important episodes from the Russian-Soviet experience with unconventional wars. Primarily employing Russian sources, including important archival documents only recently declassified and made available to Western scholars, Dr. Baumann provides an insightful look at the Russian conquest of the Caucasian mountaineers (1801-59), the subjugation of Central Asia (1839-81), the reconquest of Central Asia by the Red Army (1918-33), and the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-89). The history of these wars—especially as it relates to the battle tactics, force structure, and strategy employed in them—offers important new perspectives on elements of continuity and change in combat over two centuries. This is the first study to provide an in-depth examination of the evolution of the Russian and Soviet unconventional experience on the predominantly Muslim southern periphery of the former empire. There, the Russians encountered fierce resistance by peoples whose cultures and views of war differed sharply from their own. Consequently, this Leavenworth Paper addresses not only issues germane to combat but to a wide spectrum of civic and propaganda operations as well.


The Cambridge History of Scandinavia

The Cambridge History of Scandinavia

Author: Knut Helle

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2003-09-04

Total Pages: 942

ISBN-13: 9780521472999

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This volume presents a comprehensive exposition of both the prehistory and medieval history of the whole of Scandinavia. The first part of the volume surveys the prehistoric and historic Scandinavian landscape and its natural resources, and tells how man took possession of this landscape, adapting culturally to changing natural conditions and developing various types of community throughout the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. The rest - and most substantial part of the volume - deals with the history of Scandinavia from the Viking Age to the end of the Scandinavian Middle Ages (c. 1520). The external Viking expansion opened Scandinavia to European influence to a hitherto unknown degree. A Christian church organisation was established, the first towns came into being, and the unification of the three medieval kingdoms of Scandinavia began, coinciding with the formation of the unique Icelandic 'Free State'.


The Battle That Shook Europe

The Battle That Shook Europe

Author: Peter Englund

Publisher: I.B. Tauris

Published: 2013-04-15

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9781780764764

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'This victory', exulted Peter the Great, 'has laid the final stone in the foundations of St Petersburg!' The Battle of Poltava, 1709, marks the birth of the Tsar's vast Russian Empire. In 1700, seeking to open Russian trade routes to the West, the Tsar combined with Denmark, Saxony and Poland to attack Swedish hegemony in the North. Against the odds, King Charles XII of Sweden subdued the hostile coalition for nearly a decade, but in 1708 took his fatal decision to march for Moscow. His defeat at Poltava, in the Ukraine, proved the turning-point of the Great Northern War, heralding the collapse of the Swedish Empire and the rise of Russia, the effects of which would be felt for almost three hundred years. Swedish historian Peter Englund's vivid account of the three violent days of battle is an internationally acclaimed classic of military history, admired by scholars and the lay reader alike.


Despite Destruction, Misery and Privations...

Despite Destruction, Misery and Privations...

Author: Michal Paradowski

Publisher: Century of the Soldier

Published: 2020-11-15

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781913336455

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Before he entered Germany in 1630, Swedish King Gustav II Adolf had to face Polish army in Prussia. Between 1626 and 1629, under command of brilliant Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, Poles were engaged in bitter struggle against Swedes. During this conflict both sides learnt a lot from each other, adjusting their armies' organization and tactics. While pitched battles, where winged hussars could win the day, were rare, so called 'small war' made huge impact on the events of this conflict. Poles were able to hone their skills acquired during years of fighting Tatars and Turks but were also forced to vastly increase presence of the infantry in their army, adapting to new style of warfare. This book provides readers with in-depth study of the Polish troops during the war, from unique structure of the army, through organization and equipment of the units, to soldiers' daily struggle due to lack of pay and food. Each formation is described in detail, from famous winged hussars to Western European mercenaries serving as infantry and dragoons. The author's research is based on many Polish primary sources, that for the first time are available to English-speaking readers, presenting many interesting facts about less known conflict.