Poltava 1709 : Russia comes of age

Poltava marked the demise of Sweden as a European great power and the rise of Russia.

In 1707, the seemingly invincible Charles XII led his army deep into Russia.

It was to prove his undoing - the long march eroded the fighting strength of the invaders; a vital supply convoy was lost; and the winter of 1708/9 was the worst in living memory.

Although the great Northern War was to drag on for another twelve years, after 1709 Sweden was isolated and on the strategic defensive.

Within a year both Saxony-Poland and Denmark would rejoin the anti-Swedish cause, and the capture of Vyborg to the north of St.

Petersburg and Riga to the south would ensure the safety of Tsar Peter's fledgling European capital - all results of the battle.

In this Osprey Campaign title, Angus Konstam recounts the events leading up to Poltava and looks in particular at how this battle led to the destruction of the Swedish Army.

As part of his investigation both armies and their commanders are examined carefully. Fluency in Russian allowed author Angus Konstam to visit the country regularly and gain access to primary source material previously unseen in the west: hard work which has made this account of Poltava stand out.