Sweden's Great Northern War: The Collapse at Poltava and Its Aftermath

In the wake of Charles XII's devastating defeat at Poltava in 1709, Sweden's era as a great power came to a sudden and brutal end. This episode picks up right after the battle, tracing the king's flight to the Ottoman Empire, the subsequent Russian occupation of Finland, and the desperate final years of the war. We explore the pivotal Battle of Hangöudd in 1714, where the Russian galley fleet shattered Swedish naval dominance, and the harrowing Russian pillaging of the Swedish east coast. The episode culminates with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, which stripped Sweden of its Baltic provinces and reshaped Northern Europe. Along the way, we meet figures like Admiral Carl Hansson Wachtmeister and the diplomat Johan Liljencrantz, and examine how the Carolean military system—once invincible—crumbled under the weight of prolonged conflict. This is a story of resilience, loss, and the birth of a new European order.

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