Poltava 1709: Charles XII on a Stretcher and Sweden's Fatal Two-Hour Halt

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After six years of victories over Denmark, Norway and Poland-Lithuania in the Great Northern War, King Charles XII of Sweden rejected Tsar Peter I's offer to return Baltic lands in exchange for Ingria, where St. Petersburg was rising. In 1707 he invaded Russia with about 44,000 men. Peter answered with scorched earth, and the Great Frost of 1708 to 1709, the coldest winter in some 500 years, killed thousands. Charles turned south to Ukraine to join the Cossack hetman Ivan Mazepa, but Lewenhaupt's supply column was lost at Lesnaya and Menshikov burned Mazepa's capital Baturyn.

With about 20,000 starving men and powder for 34 guns, Charles besieged Poltava, while Peter arrived with 75,000 to 80,000. On 20 June a stray bullet struck Charles in the foot, and Field Marshal Rehnskiöld took command. On 27 June a pre-dawn attack through Peter's T-shaped line of ten redoubts lost surprise when the cavalry got lost in the dark. General Roos was cut off and surrendered, and Rehnskiöld halted the advance for two hours waiting for him, while Peter deployed 42 battalions and 55 field guns. The Swedish charge broke the first Russian line but was enveloped.

Russian infantry fired its volley at 50 meters; the Swedes held their fire until 30 meters and then charged.
Russian hollow squares turned back the late Swedish cavalry charge.
Charles and Mazepa fled across the Dnieper into the Ottoman Empire with 1,500 men, and Charles spent five years at Bender.
Three days later the rest of the Swedish army surrendered at Perevolochna.
Peter feasted the captured Swedish generals in tents on the battlefield and toasted them as his teachers in war before sending them to Siberia.

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