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The Battle Of Poltova

The Battle of Poltava is the most famous and significant episode in the Great
Northern War (1700-1721). The battle which took place on July 8th 1709 fell directly in
the middle of the Great Northern War and is seen as the turning point in the war. Czar
Peter I own cause to end Sweden's possession of its Baltic empire showed his strong will
and determination. This battle in fact established Russia as an impressive European
power and Czar Peter I as a great leader in the eyes of his country and all of Europe. The
success of the battle opened Russia economically and politically to all European countries
to the west. The success of the Russian army in the Battle of Poltava helped to spark the
creation of a westernized, efficient nation.
The victory of the Battle of Poltava proved to Russia and all of Europe Czar Peter
I was a strong and determined leader. In the first years of his rule Peter learned about the
art of war from several small naval encounters with the Turkish on the Black Sea. These
skirmishes taught Peter the importance of defending his country and having a strong
military.   When the Great Northern War began after Russia joined the European Alliance
against Sweden as a prominent power, the war was unfavorable for the Russian army.
This was mainly due to Peter's troops being greatly under trained and unseasoned. He
saw that men he could trust on the field would have to be recruited after they went
through training in newly opened educational institutions or guard regiments.   This
helped to sustain the army against the Swedish while it battled for eight years, only to
produce a number of unsuccessful campaigns. The better trained Swedes under the
commanding rule of King Charles XII fought off the Russian troops over a dozen times
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but could never cripple the army enough end the constant battling. On the morning of the
attack nineteen thousand Swedish assaulted the fortified camp of Poltava, which was
defended...