BATTLE OF POLTAVA.

The article focuses on the Battle of Poltava (1709), a decisive conflict in the Great Northern War that marked Russia’s emergence as a major European power. Swedish King Charles XII, despite early victories and alliances with Cossack Hetman Ivan Mazeppa, was wounded prior to the battle, leaving command to Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld. The Russian army, led by Tsar Peter I (Peter the Great), employed fortified positions and superior numbers to defeat the outnumbered Swedish forces, resulting in heavy Swedish casualties and the capture of Rehnskiöld. The battle ended Swedish dominance in the Baltic region, leading to Russia’s territorial gains through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721 and Peter’s elevation to emperor.