Sweden's 1718 Siege of Fredriksten: The Death of Charles XII

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic final campaign of Sweden's warrior king, Charles XII. On a cold November night in 1718, outside the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway, a bullet ended the life of one of Europe's most enigmatic monarchs. But was it an enemy bullet, an assassination by his own men, or something else? We walk through the siege, the mysterious shot in the dark that killed Charles, and the immediate aftermath that saw his sister Ulrika Eleonora seize the throne. We discuss the controversial figure of Baron Georg Heinrich von Görtz, Charles's minister, who was executed days after the king's death. We consider the theories: a Norwegian sniper, a Swedish assassin, or a stray bullet — and why historians still argue. We also look at what Charles's death meant for the Swedish Empire, bringing the Great Northern War to a close and ushering in the Age of Liberty. This is a story of ambition, mystery, and the end of an era.

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