Battle of Narva (Estonia) on November 20, 1700.

In the autumn of 1699, an alliance was formed against Sweden. Denmark’s Fredrik IV, Russia’s Peter the Great (204 cm tall) and Saxony’s August II (Poland and former East Germany) declared war on Sweden the following year.

King Charles XI of Sweden had died two years earlier and his son, only 17 years old, was now King Charles XII of Sweden and Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and northern Germany.

Fredrik IV of Denmark threatened to retake Skåne while, August II, attacked Riga and Peter the Great the city of Narva in Swedish Estonia.

After great circumstances, the Swedish army finally came into position outside Narva, where the Russians had built a six km long defensive position in a crescent around the city.

The Russian siege force consisted of 70,000 men, 5,000 cavalry and 180 artillery cannons. The Swedish army had 10 000 men, 3 000 cavalry and 30 cannons.

Narva is by far Sweden’s foremost military success, if you can now count war as success?

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