The Battle of Poltava (briefly). History of the Battle of Poltava

In the summer of 1708 the Swedish army under the command of King Charles XII invaded the territory of Russia. At the Russian rate nothing was known about the plans for the direction of the campaign of Charles. Maybe he will go to obliterate St. Petersburg and conquer the original Russian lands. Maybe go to the east and, capturing Moscow, will from there dictate the terms of peace.

For a long time Peter tried to make peace with his northern neighbors. But Charles XII every time rejected the proposals of the emperor, wishing to destroy Russia as a state and to divide it into vassal small principalities. During the campaign, Carl XII changed plans and led his troops to Ukraine. There he was waiting for Hetman Mazepa, treacherously betrayed Russia and decided to cooperate with the Swedes. Below is the history of the Battle of Poltava.

Movement to Moscow

The Swedish army moved slowly, and the Russians retreated, taking the cattle along the way, destroying the provisions and forage, and arranging the beacons that made it difficult for the enemy to move. Peter believed that we must delay the time of a decisive battle, and tried to wear down the enemy's forces. But the collision happened. It ended for the Russians defeat. Peter used it for educational purposes. And this was the last success of the Swedes in the chronicles of the Northern War.

A passionate and enthusiastic king, for whom the battlefield was more interesting than balls, and the sounds of artillery cannonade and groans of the wounded were music to him, he did not develop success and turned to Mogilev. He waited a month for reinforcements. But it was delayed. Not having received a cart with fodder, food, gunpowder, uniforms, as well as a detachment of 16 thousand people, Charles XII went to Smolensk. Under the village of Dobrym, a battle took place, in which the Swedes suffered losses of 1-2 thousand people, they were ten times less Russians. Peter rejoiced as a child with the excellent training of the Russian army.

Southbound traffic

From Smolensk, the Swedes abruptly changed the direction of the movement, and Peter learned that they were receiving long-awaited reinforcements. The Russians attacked him. The result of a long battle in the marshes and swamps was the loss of the Swedish army of 8000 soldiers and all supplies that carried the convoy. Peter appreciated the significance of the first great victory - it preceded the battle of Poltava. And instead of a large army, Karl received 6700 ragamuffins, completely demoralized. Prior to the loss of this hull and train, Charles had the opportunity to maneuver. He could go north to capture Petersburg, could to the east - to smash Moscow. Ukraine was the third direction. And in the end, Karl had the opportunity to stop playing with fate and calmly return to his native penates, from where he came as an uninvited guest. Carl did not intend to retreat, this would mean the loss of the glory of the great commander. Therefore, only the road to the south, to Mazepa, was opened before him. Almost a year remained until the crushing defeat, which he will present the battle of Poltava.

Mazepa

The cunning hetman managed to get deep into the confidence in Menshikov and Peter. All the reports that he has a treacherous connection with Poland and Sweden, no one has carefully investigated. Moreover, punished up to the execution of those who had the courage to tell the truth, leading irrefutable evidence. And when Mazepa fled to Baturin and waited for Karl with provisions and army, it became a great blow for Peter. But it was decided that the Russian troops would seize Baturin before the arrival of Charles. We had to hurry. The account was not even for days, but for hours. Menshikov, as always, was ahead.

His detachment was taken by Baturin. Menshikov took out absolutely everything he could. The rest simply burned. Approaching the ashes, the Swedes did not receive the fodder and food that Mazepa promised. And the 30 thousandth army, which he promised the king, Mazepa did not have. With him was a small detachment of Cossacks, whom he lured with him, promising that they would fight with the enemy. (And the battle of Poltava is ahead, it will require forces that are already lacking now.)

Winter in Ukraine

Winter was extremely harsh. The army of the Swedish king needed warm winter flats and was still in food and fodder for the horses. Instead, it was surrounded by Russian troops and periodically attacked. The local population, who did not want to be captured by Catholics, gathered in partisan detachments and also did not give rest to the Swedes. As they could, the Swedes camped in the open air in the most severe cold. The army roamed the steppes, trying to find shelter, rest and food. Each town that they met on their way, it was necessary to besiege, while bearing losses, often palpable. The army was melting. And in April 1709, Karl's attention was attracted to Poltava. He could not even imagine what the Poltava battle would result in!

Poltava

It was a strategic place. It allowed to communicate quietly with the Crimean Khanate and receive reinforcement from there. This was realized both by Charles and Peter. In Poltava, which was protected only by oak walls, the Russian garrison settled down. Its number was ridiculous - 4200 people. Charles approached her with an army of 35,000 people. Naturally, it seemed to him that he would easily master this small fortress. In April, attempts were made to storm the fortress.

They failed twice. The Swedes pondered and decided to start the siege. But a small Russian cavalry detachment-7,000 men under the command of KE Rennes was already in a hurry to help Poltava. The siege of the Swedes in Poltava was complicated by the fact that she was instructed to lead the Cossacks. They were forced to work on excavations, and the hot Cossacks considered this to be a humiliation for themselves. In addition, the Swedes had no tools for siege. And the garrison and the inhabitants fortified a small fortress. They had no thought of surrendering it to the Swedes. Still no one knew that there were three months before the Poltava battle began. 1709 will forever enter our history, and July 10 will be celebrated as the Day of Russia 's military glory .

Preparing for battle

While the Russian side was preparing for the most important battle, Poltava heroically defended itself. The peasants fled to the city from the nearest villages, but they did not have enough food. Already in May, people began to die of hunger. There were not enough cores, and the cannon began to be loaded with cobblestones. The garrison has adapted to make arsons of Swedish wooden buildings pots filled with boiling tar. Poltava dared to do on the Swedes forays. The situation of the latter was terrible. Summer added new worries. Because of the heat in the meat, worms were made, and it became unfit for food. Bread was difficult and in small quantities. There was no salt. The wounded quickly developed gangrene. The bullets were cast from the Russian lead picked up on the ground. And for days on end Russian cannonade did not stop. The Swedish army was already exhausted, but Peter believed that it was still not enough.

Concerns of the Russian command

The Russian command helped the fortress to hold out. Nine hundred soldiers were able to get into the garrison. With them in the fortress appeared and gunpowder, and lead. In early June, led by Boris Sheremetyev, the entire Russian army gathered in a fortified camp. At one of the raids of the Russian regiments, over a thousand Russian soldiers were taken prisoner by the Swedes. Soon Peter arrived in the army.

She was on the other side of the river. The Military Council decided to build the ferries and cross over to the side where Poltava was standing. It was done. And behind the Russians, like the once on the field Kulikovo, was a river. (The battle of Poltava in 1709 will take place very soon.) In two weeks.)

Work in the Russian camp

The army relentlessly strengthened its positions. Two flanks protected a dense forest, the rear - a river with bridges. Before the avant-garde spread the plain. It was from there that Peter waited for the attack of the Swedes. There were built defensive structures - redoubts. On this plain the Poltava battle will take place, which will enter our history along with such crucial ones as the Battle of the Ice, the Kulikovo and Stalingrad battles.

Prelude

Just before the battle itself, just a couple of days before her, Charles XII was wounded on his birthday. This is his, not received over the years of battles, no scratches, the Russian bullet was waiting. She hit the heel and went through the entire foot, shattering all the bones. This did not diminish the ardor of the King, and on the deep night of June 27, the battle began. He did not catch the Russians by surprise. Menshikov with his cavalry immediately noticed the movement of the enemy. The Swedish infantry artillery shot at close range.

Four hundred of our guns were on four Swedish guns. Excellence was overwhelming. Menshikov was eager to fight, asking for reinforcements. But Peter held back his ardor and removed him to the rear. The Swedes accepted this maneuver for their retreat, rushed after them and unguardedly approached the guns of the camp. Their losses were great.

The Battle of Poltava, the year 1709

At eight in the morning Peter rebuilt the army. The infantry was placed in the center, between which the artillery was evenly distributed. The cavalry was on the flanks. Here it is - the beginning of a general battle! Collecting all the forces, Karl threw them into the center of the infantry and slightly pressed it. In a counter-attack, Peter himself led the battalion.

From the flanks rushed the Russian cavalry. The artillery did not stop. The Swedes, falling and dropping guns in huge numbers, produced such a roar that it seemed that the walls were collapsing. Under Menshikov, two horses were killed. Peter was shot through his hat. The whole field is covered with smoke. The Swedes ran in panic. Carla was picked up, and he tried to restrain the insane retreat. But nobody listened to him. Then the king himself sat in a carriage and rushed to the Dnieper. More in Russia it was not seen.

On the battlefield there are more than nine thousand forever fallen Swedes. A little over a thousand of our losses. The victory was complete and unconditional.

The pursuit

The remnants of the Swedish army, which was 16,000 people, were stopped the next day and surrendered to the winners. The military power of the Swedes was forever undermined.

If we say what the Battle of Poltava is, briefly, it can be expressed in one word - it is a triumph, which raised the opinion of Russia in the Western countries. The country went a long way from Russia to Russia and completed it on the field near Poltava. And that's why we must remember in which year the Poltava battle was one of the four greatest in the history of our Motherland.