BATTLE REPORT #14 POLTAVA CAMPAIGN 1709

[forcetrip]

Its a pleasure reading in depth analysis on specific battles. Took me an hour give or take along with goggling some facts.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

ROAD TO POLTAVA


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After holowczyn on 3rd july,charles entered mogilev on the 8th(see above map for locations and movements)Meanwhile peter took personal command of his army and regrouped the russian forces.Charles meanwhile awaited four weeks near mogilev collecting supplies but more importantly awaiting general Lewenhaupt with 12,000 men and his vital supply column.Charles's supply situation wasn't yet dire,but agaisnt the russian scorched earth tactics he couldn't make the long march to moscow without the supply column.However the removal of swedish forces from livonia allowed peter to concentrate on the defense of moscow,now that an attack on st.petersburg -his worst nightmare was out of the picture.Charles made limited movements to force the russian army into battle and also to cover lewenhaupt's approach route.
Both armies manuevered inconclusively,charles trying to bring the russians to battle and peter avoiding it and always keen to cover smolensk and the main road to moscow.On 31 august the russians surprised the swedes in a skirmish near smolensk and a brief but bloody encounter ensued.Russians withdrew when charles brought up reinforcements having lost 700 to 300 swedish losses.However the swedish commanders noted the much improved morale and performance of the russian soldiers with foreboding.
''The swedes must own the muscovites have learnt their lesson much better than they did either at the battles of narva or fraustadt and that they equal the saxons(previous enemies of the swedes in the great northern war)in both discipline and valour.It is true their cavalry is not able to cope with ours,but their infantry stand their ground obstinately and it is a difficult matter to seperate them or bring them to confusion if they not be attacked with sword in hand''.

Peter to had noted the increased proficiency of his army and was pleased.
''I have never seen our soldiers keep up such a heavy fire ,or maintain such order in operations''

However peter continued his fabian strategy avoiding battle.Russian cossack cavalry raids began to harass the swedes.One such raid almost captured charles himself.Meanwhiel charles supplies were dwindling and his scouts brought news of only endless burnt countrysides.Lewenhaupt's column was now key to the advance on moscow.However there was still no sign of it.Unable to stay in one place to lack of supplies and unable to advance charles decided to change direction and move to the southwhere he expected relatively intact country.His main aim was to keep his army alive and steal a march on the russians to the severia region.(see map)The army marched on 15th september.The main towns in the area were pochep and starodrub which he required.However the swedish advance guard commander hesitated and failed to take the town when it was undefended,giving the russians an oppurtunity to garrison both.Meanwhile without supplies,charles army suffered horribly among the marshes and woodlands on the march.The previously 35,000 men now reduced to just over 25,000.The continous attrition of scorched earth was now beginning to take its toll.By 6th october charles had camped his army in the severia region and gained a short respite when news reached him of lewenhaupt's column.

BATTLE OF LESNAYA​

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Peter had noted the gap that had opened up between the 2 swedish forces( lewenhaupt's incoming column and charles's main army )due to the swedish southern movement by charles's army,and planned to exploit it.Leaving sheremetiev to shadow charles,he took command of 10 battalions of his best infantry mounted on horses,ten regiments of dragoons and 4 batteries of horse batteries in a 'flying column' capable of extremely quick movement due to its all mounted nature and decided to engage lewenhaupt before he could join charles.This total force numbered around 11,700 -more or less equal to lewenhaupt's 12,000 men column.Peter however also ordered general bauer to reinforce his flying column as soon as possible with 3000 dragoons.

Lewenhaupt marched with 7500 infantry and 5000 cavalry escorting 1000 supply wagons.On being made aware of charles's move south and peter's sudden appearance near him he ordered a forced march to the sozh river( see map) to secure a crossing.After a running skirmish the russian army caught up to him.Lewenhaupt sent forward the wagons guarded by the dragoons to secure a quick crossing while the rest of his army drew up for battle near the village of lesnaya to repulse peter's flying column.

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1.The russian army approaches lesnaya in two columns along the roads.Peter commands the bulk of the infantry - 2 guard regiments and 1 battalion of infantry,plus reserve of 3 dragoon regiments.
2.Peter's lieutenant Prince menshikov commands the russian left wing with 3 battalions of infantry and 7 dragoon regiments.
3.The swedes take up defensive positions ahead of the town,the 1000 wagons are arranged in a semicircle as a fallback position.Main battle lines clash at around 1 pm,29th september 1708.
4.Menshikov spots a potential gap between the swedish right flank and cavalry and attempts a cavalry attack,but the alert swedish cavalry intercepts and repulses him.
5.Encouraged at this Lewenhaupt's swedish infantry of the right centre unleash a typical ga-pa attack,even in the woooded terrain.This fierce assault nearly breaks through the russian infantry.
6.Peter sees the potential crisis and quickly reinforces the sector with a guard infantry regiment .The swedish assault supported by 16 guns is gradually exhausted by the reinforced russian line and 30 guns.

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1.From 3;00 pm to 4;00 PM there is a lull in the fighting as both sides rest.Bauer arrives with dragoon reinforcements at around 4.00 pm.
2.At a little past 16:00, the Swedes opened fire, with cannons positioned 600 meters from the southern forest edge, on the newly arrived dragoons, who were then attaching themselves to the Russians' left flank. The Russian dragoons under Bauer then—without awaiting orders from Peter I—charged against the Swedes, supported by most of the other Russian troops. The open terrain gave the Swedish army opportunity to closely coordinate its infantry and cavalry, an advantage which they gratefully seized. Repeatedly, Russian front troops retreated from infantry Ga-Pa shock attacks only to find themselves under immediate attack from the rear by Swedish cavalry. However, this could only be a temporary advantage in view of the Russian reserve strength, reportedly three battalions deep by this time, enabling an irresistible grinding advance.Russian attacks gather pace,the swedes are severely pressurized as russian numbers begin to tell.
3.The swedes abandon their forward defenses and take shelter beyond the wagon line.The Russian right flank moved to secure the sole bridge across the Lesnjanka in order to prevent the flow of Swedish reinforcements across it, while seeking to trap them with their backs to the river. However, the bridge was ferociously defended and the Russians were beaten off, suffering heavy losses. At this time, both sides were inconvenienced by a snowstorm, a rare event for early–October, even in Russia. At 17:00, Lewenhaupt ordered a concerted attack which, however, was blunted by a tactic of continuous fire which the Russians had devised to counter the Swedish Gå–På onslaught. The Swedes took heavy casualties and were driven further back towards the village. Their line was also split in two, one side against the Lesnaya (east of the bridge) and the other against the forest to the west.
4.Finally the swedish position is salvaged by the arrival of the cavalry that had been sent earlier to find a crossing.The all–important bridge was on the brink of being taken when it was saved by the arrival of 900 Swedish dragoons from across the river, whose fierce onslaught drove the Russians back.At 19:00 when night fell, the Russians left the field and drew back to the forest fringe. The Swedes stood in their battle formations for several hours, expecting a night attack which did not come.

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Both sides were exhausted and in no position to gain decisively the next day,but lewenhaupt seems to have been mentally demoralized by his situation.For a few hours the Swedes remained in their positions in case of a renewed attack and to convince the Russians that they intended to stay. Subsequently Lewenhaupt decided to withdraw his army under the cover of the darkness and continue on his march against Propoisk. Each unit slowly made its way across the stream as they were covered by the remaining units. During this progress, a number of wagons broke and partially blocked the road where the Swedish artillery was moving down, so it was decided a number of these would be sunk in the mud (to prevent them falling in Russian hands) as they were hard bringing in the rapid march. Having successfully crossed the stream with all his troops, Lewenhaupt continued towards Propoisk. However, this withdrawal was the beginning of the end for a large part of his army.Despite the difficult condition, having men lost in the woods during the march, the Swedes reached Propoisk, only to find that the town and bridge had been burned down.There were also no suited material for building a bridge. The Swedes saw the risk in having the Russian army pursue them from behind and so Lewenhaupt decided that everything that could be carried be taken from the wagons, subsequently the whole wagon train was burned and the bulk of the essential supplies within.

Seeing the fruits of their labour going up in flames,at this point discipline and morale in the swedish ranks who had held on grimly all day broke down.Looting and drunkenness took place.In the night march among the broken terrain order collapsed and the force degenerated into a disorganized mass.With morning this now fleeing mass came under relentless attacks from swarms of cossacks.500 were cut down,and thousands surrendered.Lewenhaupt rallied the remnants and led them on charles's footsteps.But there could be no mistaking the volume of the disaster.Not only was the whole wagon train gone up in flames,and with it charles hopes of a renewed march on moscow and new supplies for his army.

Russian losses had been quite heavy ,over 6000 men.But for the swedes it was a strategic catastrophe.1400 cavalry,4500 infantry,the entire artillery and vitally the whole supply train was gone.Lewenhaupt's mission-to bring the supplies to charles had ended in total failure.Charles came to know of the debacle 2 days later.Peter was elated .He called lesnaya the 'mother of poltava'.Indeed Lesnaya had been a turning point,the tide had turned against charles.The battle of lesnaya shows the importance of logistics in the planning of a campaign.

Next:The Battle of Poltava.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

ROAD TO POLTAVA


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THE RACE FOR UKRAINE : Charles's original plan of a renewed march on moscow was no longer feasible after lesnaya and the destruction of the supply column.Now one more option remained for him.Mezappa,the rebel ukrainian cossack leader had declared for him in ukraine.He promised supplies and reinforcements.Charles believed he could camp and rest his army in the freindly territory and also replenish it with allied manpower.Meanwhile the nearby ottomans could be persuaded to join in the struggle against russia.To this end the swedish army marched north and into ukraine shadowed by the russians.

Peter had not been oblivious of his adversaries plan.The race for ukraine was on,while blocking detatchments harassed and delayed the swedes,Menshikov made a rapid march with a all-mounted 'flying column' and reached mazeppa's capital baturin just before the swedes.The russians stormed the city and seized it.After burning it down and all stores of supplies within it,with the swedes just 4 miles away menshikov-his mission accomplished,slipped away.Charles had yet again been deprived of a main potential supply base.Mazeppa now had only few scant recruits to offer him.

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THE RUSSIAN WINTER :Winter had now come.And it was worst winter in living memory in europe's history.Horses and birds froze in trees and fields,even the warm water port in venice in italy froze up.For troops of both sides only safety against the icy winds of death were the few towns and villages.They were fought for with grim and brutal ruthlessness out of the urge for bare survival.(note that swedes didn't suffer as horribly as the french and the germans from the cold as the scandinavians were themselves very used to cold climates)Charles attempted desperately to secure winter quarters for his army.The russians too were determined to keep the swedes bottled up,peter wanted to nip any chance of a swedish drive on kharkov and kursk in the bud which would open the road to moscow.Russian cossack raids continued.To counter these charles attacked veprik,a cossack fort nearby which was used as a base.Held by 2 infantry battalions,400 cossacks and a few guns.3000 swedes assaulted the fort but were repulsed with heavy losses.By the time the fort surrendered to ammunition shortage,the swedes had lost a 1000 men killed and wounded.The manpower problem was now becoming critical.

The new year came,but the bitter on and off fighting continued.In early january in another cavalry skirmish charles defeated menshikov and his raiders .Finally having weathered the winter in march the swedes shifted their main base of operations near kiev.Russian forces were concentrated around kharkov.Meanwhile charles attempted to convince the ottoman sultan to join him and also carried on negotiations with the zaprozhye cossacks.Peter's reaction was swift and alert.The russian ambassador at Istanbul secured an armistice with the turks and lightning russian raids destroyed the supply bases of the zaphrozye cossacks.Charles was isolated.Charles awaited any reinforcements from poland,concentrating his army around poltava aiming for a drive on kursk.The swedish army proceeded to besiege the small garrison at poltava.

As the siege continued,charles was wounded on the foot by a musket ball in a russian raid.He was not seriously injured but incapacitated.This injury meant he would be unable to lead his forces in person during the upcoming battle and the swedish army would be deprived of his charismatic leadership.

Meanwhile the russian forces on 16th june, made a crossing north of poltava.Due to the confusion caused by the king's injury and subsequent fever,swedes didn't attempt to push them back.The whole russian army crossed over and rapidly constructed a fortified camp just 4 miles north of poltava,in a position to seriously impede further swedish operations.Given the prximity of the armies,a decisive encounter was now inevitable.

THE BATTLE OF POLTAVA

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SWEDISH ORDER OF BATTLE :


RUSSIAN ORDER OF BATTLE:


[whenever individual regiments are named below during the battle,check above if confused]

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INITIAL MOVEMENTS :The battlefield was largely shaped by terrain.Bulk of the russian army lay in a fortified camp(reverse basket shape) on the western bank of the river vorskla.
Swedish forces besieged poltava's small garrison.
Between the main swedish army and the russian camp two heavily wooded areas flanked the the battlefield.The budyschenki woods on the left and the yakovetski woods on the right near the river.,both were relatively impassable by ordered linear formations to advance through.
To the north marshy land near the stream marshy land known as the great ouvrage marked the northern boundary of the battlefield.
This meant that the main swedish army could attack the russians in force only through the gap between the two woods.Peter understood this.Here he built a line of six fortified redoubts to cover the gap and slow down any swedish attack.These square or rectangular structures consisted of a ditch ,a parapet and were protected by artillery and spaced no more than 150 metres apart.
However peter had begun building even more intricate field fortifications.A series of 4 new redoubts were built perpendicular to the earlier fort line in front of them.2 of these were as yet incomplete.They were positioned in such a manner that if the swedes bypassed them and attacked the second line of redoubts they would have move directly past these with their flanks exposed and open to devastating enfilade fire from russian cannon.If the swedes attacked these redoubts head on,they would have to take them by bloody assault and meanwhile be exposed to fire from the second line of redoubts.It was a mutually supported defense system designed to blunt and grind down the swedish assault.

Russian forces were deployed in the following manner - 25,500 infantry and 73 guns in the fortified camp.
1000 foot and 1000 cossacks as an early warning scouting force in yakovetski woods guarding the southern approach to the camp.Another screen of cossacks served guarded the budyschenki woods against any swedish flanking movement.4000 infantry and 16 heavy guns garrisoned the central redoubts.

The swedish plan decided upon by charles and his generals relied on surprise,bold movement and confidence in superiority of the swedish ga-pa assault tactics in aggressive combat.8200 infantry in 18 battlalions were available for the main attack.To support them would be 7800 cavalry.The baggage train was guarded by 2000 cavalry.Another 1000 irregular cavalry faced the russian outposts on the yakovetski.A further 1100 infantry besieged the garrison.1800 more cavalry,incluidng mazeppa's cossacks were strung out covering the river bank.

The swedish attack was to be led by Fieldmarshall rhenskold though charles had nominal command.Rhenskold commanded the cavalry while Lewenhaupt,the infantry.The swedish plan required the infantry formed up in the cover of night in 4 columns facing the russian fortifications.Just at dawn they would assault and sweep through the redoubts.Rheskold's cavalry would then follow through and rout menshikov's dragoons covering the path to the main russian camp.Then the swedish infantry body would assault the main russian camp where the russian army crammed into the small space would be unable to use its numbers.Meanwhile rhenskold's cavalry would go north and cut off the russian retreat route over the fords.If all went to plan another narva like massacre would follow.
However this plan made certain assumptions.
One that the redoubts could be taken without any problems.
Two that the russian dragoons beyond the redoubts(see map)could be routed .
Three ,the main russian army would remain immobile in its camp and the russian entrenchments could be overrun as at narva.

At 3:45 Am the swedish assault began.The original plan called for the 2 centre columns to take the perpendicular forward redoubts by storm while the 2 outer flanking columns on each side moved on and attacked the horizontal redoubts.However the subordinate commanders had not been clearly briefed on their exact roles and confusion arose.
At first things went to plan.Both the first 2 incomplete redoubts were stormed and all the defenders slaughtered.However in the melee elements of the third coloumn led by Roos got intermixed with the 4rth column and continued towards the second redoubt line.(see swedish attacks on the redoubts on map).

Problems began on the third complete larger redoubt.This was defended in strength and supported by a full artillery battalion.Two succesive swedish assaults came under withering fire and were repulsed with heavy losses.The battle for the 3rd redoubt began to suck in more and more swedish troops.

Meanwhile Lewenhaupt leading the reinforced 4rth column on the right approached the second redoubt line and tried to flank it.He found menshikov and 9000 russian dragoons barring his way.At this the swedish cavalry was called up.

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The swedish cavalry launched two strong charges at the dragoons,but on each occasion the russians held firm.The supporting horse artillery played its part to repulse the attacks with superior firepower.At this point Peter ordered menshikov to withdraw his dragoons which menshikov was loathe to do just yet.However a third massed attack by the swedish cavalry finally forced the russian cavalry to retreat into the safety of the redoubts.The attempts of the swedish cavalry to pursue were met by heavy fire from these redoubts.At this point Lewenhaupt's infantry joined the attack.The Horizontal redoubt line was attacked from 2 flanks and slowly squeezed,but with heavy losses.Unable to withstand this combined arms attack the russian cavalry now conclusively withdrew and began to stream northwards towards the Tachtaulova stream and the great ouvrage marsh.The swedish cavalry conducted an pursuit but the russian retreat was ably covered by screens of cossacks.

Meanwhile Lewenhaupt's infantry struggled through the second redoubt line eventually taking them and then proceeded to regroup and reorganize his forces on the plain beyond the redoubts and deploy for the attack on the main russian camp.Charles was with Lewenhaupt.Lewenhaupt had this point some 10 battlalions left.However General Roos,leader of the 3rd column and six battalions were missing-still back at the 3rd redoubt engaged in a desperate contest.Lewenhaupt moved to storm the russian camp,but rhenskold recalled him-he rightly understood with just over 5000 infantry and no cavalry he stood no chance storming the camp alone.Rhenskold recalled his cavalry from pursuing the russian dragoons(see movement in map) and to join the infantry.They moved north to regroup and redeploy beyond a depression(seen in map,dark lines in a arc).The swedish forces awaited roos to join them.
Using the respite the russian cavalry regrouped on the other side of the stream.

THE PLIGHT OF ROOS :

Roos's force consisted of a third of the whole swedish infantry but had managed to get bogged down and isolated in the 3rd redoubt.Roos had followed his original orders for the inner columns to storm and take the perpendicular redoubts but didn't possess the vision or initiative to recognize that such a move was now redundant.Instead all six battalions around 2600 men were hurled into futile assaults that failed again and again,the dead piling up on the ditches.Finally after losing 1000 killed and wounded Roos had had enough and at about 6:00 am withdrew incredibly towards the yakovetski woods on his right.He had absolutely no idea where the main swedish army was,and this was a serious error as now his force was completely cut off from charles .
Peter pounced on this opening.A force was dispatched from the camp to surround and annihilate roos.General rentzel led five battalions of infantry that swiftly reoccupied most of the redoubts and then attacked roos's withdrawing force from the front.Meanwhile five dragoon regiments sent to support Rentzel swung south west and attacked the swedes from the rear.Caught between these 2 pincers roos's force collapsed.1100 were killed or captured.Leading a skeletal band of survivors roos attempted to withdraw towards the swedish siege works around poltava but is surrounded and forced to surrender.One third of the swedish foot was gone,and the main battle had not yet begun.

Meanwhile noting the passivity of the swedish army which had remained north,peter held a council of war and decided to regain the initiative.Roos was by now out of the picture.His main worry remained that the swedish army would get between the russian cavalry on the stream and the camp ,then isolating the camp a shock attack could break into the camp and decimate the russian forces cramped within who would have no space to manuever-another narva.
Peter ordered the russian army to deploy in front of the camp.

THE FINAL PHASE :

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Within half an hour the deployment was complete. 24 infantry battalions made up the russian first line.The second line consisting of 18 more battalions.These were supported by 55 regimental guns.9 battalions and the heavy guns remained in the camp as a final reserve.The heavy guns in the camp being able to fire over the heads of the infantry due to the elevated positions there.In all 22,000 russian infantry were now arrayed in the field.Bauer deployed 9000 dragoons on the russian right flank and menshikov 4500 on the left anchored by the yakovetski woods.The swedish commanders now understood their peril,they were pinned in with their backs to the woods and the russian army now threatened to seperate them from their baggage train.Charles ordered an immediate march south to attack the russians before they were overwhelmed.He understood outnumbered as he was,the only chance for the swedes was to attack.If they got boxed in with their backs to the woods the whole force would be destroyed.Still in all respects it was a last desperate gamble of an army that had shot its bolt.

Lewenhaupt led his 10 infantry battlalions-4 ranks deep into the assault.They were thinly spaced to match the frontage of the russian line but were still outflanked by the length of the russian line.

1.The swedish infantry move forward towards the waiting russians.
2.At 500 meters the long range heavy guns begin to find their mark from the safety of the elevated positions in the russian camp.At this range damage is marginal,but the psycological effect is considerable.
3.Meanwhile rehnskold is still in difficulty ,unable to properly deploy the swedish left wing cavalry due to the marshes there.He is not in position to support the infantry attack.
4.The advancing swedes come within range of the numerous regimental guns that begin to devastate swedish ranks.The fire of 77 combined guns begins to sweep away whole scathes of men even as only 4 guns support the swedish assault.At 200 meters the guns switch to canister shot and the swedes are mowed down in scores.

''Mowed down by the thunderous russian cannon before they could find employment for their muskets''​

5.At 50 meters all 4 ranks of the russian first line fire a crushing massed musket volley that shatters swedish ranks further.And still the swedes come on!(red arrows with forked ending depicting masseed musket fire)

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6.At just 30 meters,in accordance with their training the swedish survivors fire a lethal volley.At this point blank range even with their reduced numbers they cause considerable losses.Then the charge begins.
7.Creutz leading the swedish right flank cavalry attempts to support the infantry attack with cavalry charge on the russian left flank infantry battalions.The 3 infantry battalions however form a hollow square and repulse the swedish cavalry.

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1.Despite taking hideous losses,the now almost non-cohesive swedish line launches a typical ga-pa assault on the russian first line.Having taken a point blank volley followed by this charge,the russian first line begins to waver and retreats towards the second line.The swedes seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough,but creutz's cavalry needed for support has been held up.Russian numbers absorb the initial storm and slowly grind down the dwindling number of swedes.

2.While the swedish right wing and centre had struck the russians with full force,the left wing had been disorganized by the devastating fire and lagged behind,thus creating a dangerous gap for the swedes.They face the best russian infantry-the guard regiments which now engage.

3.Creutz is attacked by menshikov as he tries to regroup for another assualt on the square.He holds off the russian dragoons in a bitter struggle.

4.Rehnskold attempts to aid the beleaguered swedish left wing ,but bauer's cavalry halts his progress.Though rehnskold's cavalry makes local successes he is unable to influence the main battle.

5.Rest of bauer's dragoons attack the exposed swedish left wing and rear.The swedes no longer have nay large bodies of organized troops available to resist this attack and now the left wing collapses and routs.Lewenhaupt's attempts to rally them are in vain.

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6.The whole swedish army disintegrates as the russians engulf them.Small bands of survivors make their way to safety.Charles leaves the battlefield with part of the survivors abandoning poltava.Lewenhaupt escapes with another,lewenhaupt is chased down and forced to surrender 3 days later.Rehnskold is captured.

AFTERMATH:

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After the victory Peter held a victory mass and invited the captured swedish officers including Rehnskold proposing a toast to 'his teachers'.Rehnskold replied that the pupils had given a good return to their masters.

Infact swedish army had all but been destroyed.6900 killed and wounded and a further 2800 captured.Russian losses had been a mere 1345 killed and 3200 wounded.It had been a stunning victory over an army considered among the best in europe.The remnants of the swedish army were more or less wiped out in the pursuit.Charles escaped to the ottoman empire where he failed to persuade the sultan into entering the war against russia.He returned to sweden in 1715 to continue the war.But sweden no longer had the manpower to turn the tide as denmark ,emboldened by poltava also rejoined the fight.He fought on but was killed in action in 1718 in a siege.With him ended the carolean era.In 1721 the great northern war came to an end with sweden losing most of her baltic holdings and became confined to scandinavia.The swedish empire came to an end in all but name,never to regain its position as an european superpower again.(they didn't possess the manpower to recover these territories in a future war).The politics of eastern europe would henceforth be dominated by the new power of imperial russia.Charles's disastrous russian campaign also burnt as a warning to future invaders,one that would not be heeded.Poltava remains one of the most decisive battles in history-one that marked the rise of russia as a superpower .

NEXT : ANALYSIS

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

ANALYSIS :FACTORS FOR RUSSIAN SUCCESS

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GEOGRAPHY - Napoleon said -'A country's geography is her destiny'.Peter understood his advantage very well and used it to the hilt to weaken,attrite and finally defeat the exhausted swedish army.Charles like 2 others after him(including the fellow i just quoted) underestimated the magnitude of the problem.He lost as much of his army to attrition as to combat.He had one chance to turn peter's geographic advantage against him.By dividing the russian forces forcing them to guard both St.Petersburg and Moscow,geographically apart.However he didn't use that option.

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SUPERIOR GRAND STRATEGY :Throughout the campaign,peter remained one step ahead of his adversary .The tactically brilliant charles had all of his plans foiled or disrupted by russian interference.He was kept isolated both politically and militarily.Any attempts at reinforcements like lewenhaupt's were intercepted and destroyed.Any and all supply bases he could hope for were destroyed before he could make use of them.The campaign was a brilliant example of Fabian warfare.(destroy an enemy without giving battle at any but the most oppurtune time)

''Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.'' - Sun Tzu.​

This almost matches peter's approach in this campaign in the leadup to poltava.He kept stacking the odds in his favour,till when the final big attack came his forces so outnumbered the enemy that victory was all but assured.Had he on the other hand foolishly attempted a decisive encounter at the beginning of the campaign with cahrles 40,000 strong fresh army results would likely have been disastrous.

FIREPOWER DOMINANCE : To combat the swedish mastery of shock tactics,the russians were able to use massed firepower effectively to blunt them.In the final Battle Peter made use of 77 guns of varying calibres compared to swedish 4.These guns played a crucial role in the defeat of the swedish assault.

LOGISTICS: The campaign showed the need for sound logistical planning.Lewenhaupt's failed mission turned the whole campaign at one stroke.Logistics problem forced Charles to turn south earlierand he was thus unable to support lewenhaupt at lesnaya.

UNDERESTIMATION : Charles seems to have seriously understimated the quality of the new russian army.Memories of narva may have clouded his ability to comprehend their potential.When charles set out from saxony he may not have factored in scorched earth into his plans.But after encountering this tactic consistently on reaching the russian border he still opted for a direct drive on moscow instead of the safer northern route through freindly swedish livonia.This was a case of wrong strategic approach caused either by underestimation of the enemy or arrogance.

BLUNDERS OF ROOS : Roos can't be faulted entirely for the debacle at the 3rd redoubt,he was originally following his orders.He main blunder was to keep the attack going even when the main swedish army had moved on and more critrically to retreat towards the woods rather than the swedish force.He seemed to have made no attempt to establish a communication with charles .Anyway Roos's mistakes and delay cost the swedes dear.The swedish army was not only deprived of 1/3rd its infantry but also wasted precious time waiting for him and gave the russians time to deploy.

NUMERICAL INFERIORITY:In the final battle,the swedes were too heavily outnumbered to have won a straight contest in a linear attack.They were outflanked from the start.However we see no attempts at the swedish commanders refusing one flank.This could have been an useful tactic here.An oblique order attack in my view could have been possibly the only way swedes could have had a chance here.Frederick's heavily outnumbered in many battles used this tactic in his battles just a few decades from this one to success.This was one time when charles could have emulated his hero alexander.

LACK OF CO-ORDINATION :In the battle of poltava itself co-ordination and communication between several swedish units was off.Roos lost contact with the army.Rhenskold didn't support the infantry attack.Artillery barely played a role.Even though 34 cannons were available only 4 took part in the battle.

ABSENCE OF CHARLES: The absence of charles leading from the front and his charismatic leadership also may have affected swedish performance.

USE OF TERRAIN AND FIELD FORTIFICATIONS:Peter understood and employed terrain and fortifications in a masterly fashion to channel the swedes into a hard contested fortified kill zone that ended up isolating roos.The excellent placement of the redoubts bloodied and soaked up the initial swedish surge and led to the destruction of 1/3rd of the swedish infantry even before the battle had begun.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Well that's it,thanks for reading.Ulm-Austerlitz next.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Swedish tribute music from sabaton.(slightly biased towards swedes obviously)

( Russian film,probably slightly biased towards themselves too)

Amazon.com: The Battle that Shook Europe: Poltava and the Birth of the Russian Empire (9781780764764): Peter Englund: Books

One of the best books on poltava.

Sources for me: Osprey Campaign and net.