It's so sad that no one has done a series on the war of the spanish succession yet. And when the war of the spanish succession is mentioned I instantly think of the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy, two of the brightest military minds of their age along Charles Xll.
A channel called Field Marshal is doing a spanish succession series, but he's a small channel, but I think Turennem, Maurice de saxe and Frederick the great were the best generals of the age.
Frederick the Great was eleven months old when Gadebusch was fought. The Swedish-Turkish association, depended heavily on having a common enemy - Russia!
13:09 because it is simply the right thing to do. you don't send your guests on their way if they will get captured as soon as they leave your lands. you are bound by honour to protect whomever seeks your shelter.
Similar to US Confederacy ... mostly brilliant generals, but resources always inadequate to the task, or like Hannibal against Rome. Allied persistence against Sweden resulted in war of attrition that Sweden couldn't win.
One of the most impressive things, from a swedish perspective, is how Sweden was able to rapidly raise a new army to stop the Danish invasion of Scania and then go on to fight at Gadebusch. This has become a part of national folklore/myth, how Stenbock lead young peasant boys lacking proper equipment etc against the danes. While this is a great oversimplification the myth endured.
You were wondering how he had the power to… Sweden and Palatine Zweibrücken had the same king through a so called personal union. King Charles XI of Sweden had inherited the Duchy through the peace of Ryswick (rightful owner, long story). This lasted until the death of Charles XII when his sister Ulrika Eleonora inherited the Swedish crown. Zweibrücken then went to his cousin Gustav, the Duke of Zweibrücken.
I'm commenting here because I Couldn't find the video which made me think, however you questioned the about when the German navy rose, Historiograph HMS Dreadnought, explains this well?
Poltava was over-reach. But it should be noted that Sweden was able to keep fighting until 1721, which in a way is itself an acheivement when its against the odds. Part of the reason is that the Danish army was not that successful in this war, and neither were the Saxon. The Russians also fought a brief war with the Ottomans, which was incited by Charles XII while he was in exile in the Ottoman Empire. This bought time for Sweden. Also one of the factors that eventually led to peace on better terms for Sweden than the worst case scenario is the Hanoverian Succession to the British throne, as they were considering helping Sweden. Also, the Swedes seem to have used pikemen at this battle.
The Great Northern War 1699-1721 was the effective end of Sweden as a Great Power. We lost all territories across waters from Sweden proper, except Finland. The good thing was, we got rid of autocratic monarchy.
