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Great Northern War  1700 - 1721

Of all the conflicts which have taken place in “modern” Europe, the Great Northern War (1700-1721) is probably one of the least well-known. Yet it is one of the most significant, as it marked the decline of Swedish power and the emergence of Russia on the European scene.

 Charles XII of Sweden was the classic warrior king. He had inherited a strong military tradition when he came to the throne in 1697 at the age of 15, and his reign was marked by a series of conflicts to maintain Sweden’s position as the primary Baltic power. Swedish expansion into northern and central Europe was not a new venture, but the speed and aggression of her onslaught on the battlefield had seldom been seen before. This “Ga Pa” ("gung ho") approach was the whole ethos of the blue military machine, and the army was known to attack when faced by forces four or five times its size!

The redoubts are scratch-built, and typical of those shown in contemporary depictions of battles such as Poltava.

  To really catch the flavour of this period, Peter Englund’s book “The Battle of Poltava” is a must.

above: Drabant Miniatures, 40mm figure of GNW Swedish infantryman.