Chapter X Russian-Swedish War 1788-1790 General situationStates hostile to us, who followed with envy and fear the rapid political rise of Russia and the expansion of its possessions, having managed to initiate a war with Turkey, considered the best way to further weaken

Russian-Swedish War (1788-1790)- a war started by Sweden and supported by Great Britain, Holland and Prussia with the aim of regaining territories lost during previous wars with Russia.

The cause of the war was Russia's participation in the internal affairs of Sweden. In particular, the active positioning of Russia as a guarantor of the future constitution of Sweden, which was canceled by King Gustav III in 1772 and subsequently served as a reason for bilateral tension. Also an important factor was the armament of the Russian squadron assigned to operate in the Mediterranean Sea.

Taking advantage of the fact that the main Russian forces were diverted to the war with Turkey, the Swedish army of 38 thousand people under the command of King Gustav III invaded Russian territory on June 21, 1788, but was stopped by Russian troops of about 19 thousand people under the command of General Chief V.P. Musin-Pushkin.

The main events of the war took place at sea.

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War on land

On June 21, 1788, a detachment of Swedish troops crossed the border, broke into the outskirts of Neyslot and began bombarding this fortress.

Simultaneously with the outbreak of hostilities, the Swedish king presented the following demands to the Russian Empress Catherine II:

• punishment of the Russian ambassador Count Razumovsky, for his alleged machinations, tending to violate the peace between Russia and Sweden;
• cession to Sweden of all parts of Finland acquired under the Treaties of Nystadt and Abo;
• accepting Swedish mediation to conclude peace with Turkey;
• disarmament of the Russian fleet and the return of ships that sailed into the Baltic Sea.

The response to this was the expulsion of the Swedish embassy from St. Petersburg. Only about 14 thousand Russian troops managed to be collected on the Swedish border (some of them were newly recruited); They were confronted by a 30,000-strong enemy army under the personal leadership of the king. Despite this inequality of forces, the Swedes did not achieve decisive success anywhere; their detachment, besieging Neyshlot, was forced to retreat, and at the beginning of August 1788 the king himself, with all his troops, left the territory of Russia. Empress Catherine ridiculed this attack in the comic opera Gorebogatyr Kosometovich.

In August 1788, Swedish officers, who were in Southern Finland and dissatisfied with the war, presented political demands to the king (Anyal Union), demanding the elimination of absolutism, and tried to get support from Catherine’s government, but did not achieve it.

Battle of Kernikoski

Further military operations on land were not entirely successful for Russia. The Swedes were victorious in the battles of Kernikoski, Pardakoski and Valkiala. Catherine II sent generals O. A. Igelström and the Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg to help the Russian troops. The Russian counterattack was scheduled for April 18, 1790 at 23:30. The movement towards the army of Gustav III was planned from three sides. At first the Russian attack was successful; The Swedes began to retreat. Lieutenant General Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg decided to take Kernikoski. He gave the order to capture the Kernikos bridge with a quick march. The Russians captured an enemy battery. The Swedes began to leave the trenches. But they soon received strong support and began to push back the Russians, launching a counterattack. The Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg did not wait for help. Due to a powerful Swedish counterattack, the Russians were forced to retreat. The troops were divided into three columns. Part of the prince served in the retreat. Brigadier V.S. Baykov (? -1790) divided his troops in half and came under double fire. The reinforcements of Major General F. F. Bergman (?-1803) and brigadier Prince A. S. Meshchersky (1741-?) were unable to come to the rescue in time. The Russians were defeated again.

Russian losses: killed - 6 officers and 195 soldiers; 16 officers and 285 soldiers were wounded. Swedish losses: 41 killed and 173 wounded. Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg and brigadier V.S. Baikov died from their wounds.

Naval battles

Aware of Russia's significant unpreparedness for the fight in the Baltic Sea, Gustav III began preparing for war. Since 1771, he increased the size of the fleet to 23 battleships, 11 frigates, and the rowing fleet to 140 ships. Russia also had a fleet, and it was superior to the Swedish one in numbers, not in quality. It was scattered and consisted of 49 ships and 25 frigates. But due to disrepair and old age, half could not leave the ports. Almost all ships suitable for battle were sent to the Archipelago to distract Turkey from the Black Sea.

The plan for attacking Russia was as follows:

1. Concentration of ground forces in Finland in order to pull the Russian army away from St. Petersburg and liberate the coast.
2. A general battle at sea, the defeat of the Russian fleet, the blockade of Kronstadt, where, in his opinion, the remaining Russian troops should have taken refuge.
3. Separation of the 20,000-strong corps from its troops and loading them onto rowing ships. And then unhindered passage to St. Petersburg. From there he wanted to dictate peace terms to Russia.

Having information about Russia's unpreparedness, Gustav III had no doubt about success. But he was in a hurry and made a huge mistake - he did not allow the entire Russian fleet to leave for the Archipelago. The attack on Russia caused great commotion in St. Petersburg. Neither the navy nor the army were ready for war. Everyone was aware of this.

Battle of Hogland

The battle took place on July 6 (17), 1788 near the island of Gogland in the Gulf of Finland. Composition of forces: Russians - 17 battleships, Swedes - 16 battleships and 7 frigates. The Swedes had an advantage in guns (1.5 times). The personnel of the Swedish fleet were well trained, while the Russians “learned on the fly.”

The squadron was divided into 3 parts, but the rearguard was seriously lagging behind, and at this time the vanguard came within cannon shot range. "Rostislav" (on which Greig was also) caught up with the enemy's rear admiral's ship. Despite the fact that at that moment the balance of forces was 12 Swedish ships against 7 Russians, Greig was the first to open fire - and the battle immediately became general. The Swedish ships concentrated their fire on the Rostislav and Vladislav. But Greig, on his ship Rostislav, attacked the Swedish vanguard so much that the first Swedish ships deviated and went out of order. However, “Rostislav” was also badly damaged. By this time no one was holding the line; everyone tried to cause more harm to the enemy.

Formally, the Swedes also celebrated their victory - they captured “Vladislav”. But the fleet was in a terrible state, and it was impossible to think about attempts to attack Kronstadt. The Russian victory thwarted the Swedes' plans to establish dominance in the Baltic and capture St. Petersburg from the sea.

Admiral Greig was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The rest of the team was no less generously rewarded.

Because the rearguard moved too slowly, the battle was not won by the Russians immediately. Three commanders of the rearguard ships - captains Kokovtsev, Valrond and Baranov - were put on trial and demoted to sailors. The commander of the rearguard, Martyn Fondezin, was also removed from command.

Eland fight

Battle of Revel

Naval battle on May 2 (13), 1790, on the roadstead of the port of Revel (Baltic Sea), during the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790. This battle cost the Swedes great casualties: 61 killed, 71 wounded and about 520 prisoners, 1 ship fell into the hands of the enemy, 1 was wrecked, and 42 guns were lost from the 3rd, dropped to refloat. Russian losses were only 8 killed and 27 wounded. The strategic result of the battle was the collapse of the Swedish campaign plan - it was not possible to defeat the Russian forces piecemeal, and the losses incurred, which had previously been planned to be more than compensated for by captured Russian ships, had a heavy impact on the condition of the Swedish fleet.

Battle of Krasnogorsk

May 23-24 (June 3-4), 1790 northwest of Krasnaya Gorka. As in the campaign two years ago, the Swedes planned to establish dominance in the Baltic and capture St. Petersburg. The Russian Kronstadt squadron (29 ships, including 17 battleships, commander - Vice Admiral A. I. Cruz) attacked the squadron of the Duke of Südermanland (34 ships, including 22 battleships). The battle lasted two days without a clear superiority of the sides, but, having received news of the approach of the Russian Revel squadron, the Swedes retreated and took refuge in the Vyborg Bay.

Battle of Vyborg

June 22 (July 3), 1790. After the failure at Krasnaya Gorka, the squadron of the Duke of Södermanland in the Vyborg Bay met with a rowing flotilla under the command of King Gustav III. The Kronstadt squadron of Vice Admiral Cruz, having met with the Revel squadron of Admiral Chichagov, blocked the Vyborg Bay. For several days the opponents launched attacks against each other. On June 22, a wind favorable for the Swedes blew, they managed to break through and leave for Sveaborg. Admiral Chichagov, who was pursuing the enemy fleet, showed slowness and indecisiveness. The Swedes lost 67 ships, including 7 battleships and three frigates. The Russian fleet had no losses in ships. As a result of this battle, the Swedish plan to land troops and capture St. Petersburg was finally thwarted.

Russo-Swedish War 1788-1790 unleashed by Sweden, supported by England, Holland and Prussia, with the aim of returning territories lost during previous wars with Russia.

The pretext for war was the armament of the Russian squadron assigned to operate in the Mediterranean Sea.

Taking advantage of the fact that the main Russian forces were diverted to the war with Turkey, the Swedish army in the count. 38 thousand people under the command of King Gustav III, invaded Russian territory on June 21, 1788, but was stopped by Russian troops of about 19 thousand people. under the command of Chief General V.P. Musin-Pushkin.

The main events of the war took place at sea.

War on land

On June 21, 1788, a detachment of Swedish troops crossed the border, broke into the outskirts of Neyslot and began bombarding this fortress.

Simultaneously with the outbreak of hostilities, the Swedish king presented the following demands to the Russian Empress Catherine II:

• punishment of the Russian ambassador Count Razumovsky for his alleged machinations that tended to violate the peace between Russia and Sweden;

• cession to Sweden of all parts of Finland acquired under the Nystadt and Abos treaties;

• accepting Swedish mediation to conclude peace with Turkey;

• disarmament of the Russian fleet and the return of ships that sailed into the Baltic Sea.

The response to this was the expulsion of the Swedish embassy from St. Petersburg. Only about 14 thousand Russian troops managed to be collected on the Swedish border (some of them were newly recruited); They were confronted by a 36,000-strong enemy army, under the personal leadership of the king. Despite this inequality of forces, the Swedes did not achieve decisive success anywhere; their detachment, besieging Neyshlot, was forced to retreat, and at the beginning of August 1788 the king himself, with all his troops, left the territory of Russia.

Naval battles

Battle of Hogland

Battle of Hogland

Battle of Revel

Naval battle on May 2 (13), 1790 on the roadstead of the port of Revel (Baltic Sea), during the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790. This battle cost the Swedes great casualties: 61 killed, 71 wounded and about 520 prisoners, 1 ship fell into the hands of the enemy, 1 was wrecked, and 42 guns were lost from the 3rd, dropped to refloat. Russian losses were only 8 killed and 27 wounded. The strategic result of the battle was the collapse of the Swedish campaign plan - it was not possible to defeat the Russian forces piecemeal, and the losses incurred, which had previously been planned to be more than compensated for by captured Russian ships, had a heavy impact on the condition of the Swedish fleet.

Battle of Krasnogorsk

Battle of Krasnogorsk

May 23-24 (June 3-4), 1790 northwest of Krasnaya Gorka. As in the campaign two years ago, the Swedes planned to establish dominance in the Baltic and capture St. Petersburg. The Russian Kronstadt squadron (29 ships, including 17 battleships, commander - Vice Admiral A. I. Cruz) attacked the squadron of the Duke of Südermanland (34 ships, including 22 battleships). The battle lasted two days without a clear superiority of the sides, but, having received news of the approach of the Russian Revel squadron, the Swedes retreated and took refuge in the Vyborg Bay.

Battle of Vyborg

June 22 (July 3), 1790. After the failure at Krasnaya Gorka, the squadron of the Duke of Södermanland in the Vyborg Bay met with a rowing flotilla under com. King Gustav III. The Kronstadt squadron of Vice Admiral Cruz, having met with the Revel squadron of Admiral Chichagov, blocked the Vyborg Bay. For several days the opponents launched attacks against each other. On June 22, a wind favorable for the Swedes blew, they managed to break through and leave for Sveaborg. Admiral Chichagov, who was pursuing the enemy fleet, showed slowness and indecisiveness. The Swedes lost 67 ships, including 7 battleships and three frigates. The Russian fleet had no losses in ships. As a result of this battle, the Swedish plan to land troops and capture St. Petersburg was finally thwarted.

2nd Battle of Rochensalm

Treaty of Verel

The Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790 ended with the signing Treaty of Verel August 3 (14) (Verel, now Värälä in Finland) on the condition of maintaining pre-war borders.

Literature

Based on materials from the Military. encyclopedist Dictionary, Moscow “ONIX 21st century”, 2002; Marine encyclopedia. Dictionary, St. Petersburg, “Shipbuilding”, 1994.

see also

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For many centuries, military disputes between Russia and a very small state - Sweden - have not subsided. The land located in the northern and northwestern parts of our country has always been a bone of contention. The first Russian-Swedish war broke out at the beginning of the 12th century, and since then, for almost seven hundred years, this fire either died out or flared up with renewed vigor. It is interesting to trace the development of relations between these powers.

Centuries-old conflicts between two peoples

The history of the Russian-Swedish confrontation is replete with bright and dramatic events. Here are the repeated attempts of the Swedes to seize the Gulf of Finland with the adjacent territories, and aggressive forays to the Ladoga shores, and the desire to penetrate deep into the country all the way to Veliky Novgorod. Our ancestors did not remain in debt and paid the uninvited guests with the same coin. Stories about raids carried out by one side or the other were confirmed in many historical monuments of those years.

The campaign of the Novgorodians in 1187 against the ancient capital of the Swedes, the city of Sigtuna, and the brilliant victory won in 1240, and many other episodes where Russian weapons served as reliable protection against the encroachments of the “arrogant neighbor” went down in history. We will be transported to the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Boris Godunov, when another Russian-Swedish war broke out. By this time, an experienced courtier and intriguer, who came from the family of a poor landowner and in a short time reached the heights of state power, became the closest and most trusted person of the tsar.

An attempt to revise the results of the Livonian Wars

The Russian-Swedish War of 1590-1593 was the result of Boris Godunov’s unsuccessful attempts to diplomatically return the lands lost by Russia during the unsuccessful Livonian War. We were talking about Narva, Ivangorod, Yama and Koporye. But Sweden not only did not agree with his demands, but also tried - under the threat of military intervention - to impose a new treaty that was contrary to the interests of Russia. The Swedish king made his main bet on his son Sigismund, who shortly before became the Polish king.

Johan III planned with his help to bring down on the Russian state the military power of not only his native power, but also its allied Poland. It was impossible to avoid war in such a situation, and therefore Boris Godunov took the most energetic actions to repel aggression. It was necessary to hurry, since King Sigismund, who had recently ascended to the Polish throne, did not yet have sufficient authority in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but the situation could change. In the shortest possible time, Godunov formed an army of 35,000 people, led by Emperor Fyodor Ioannovich.

Victories that returned previously lost lands

Without waiting for help from the Poles, the Swedes attacked the Russian border garrisons. In response to this, the Russian army located in Novgorod moved in the direction of Yam and soon captured the city. Her further path lay to Ivangorod and Narva, where the main battles were to unfold. To support the army, siege weapons and ammunition were sent from Pskov. In parallel with this, a large detachment was sent to besiege Kaporye.

As a result of artillery shelling of the fortresses of Narva and Ivangorod, the Swedes requested a truce and agreed to sign an agreement to end the war. However, negotiations dragged on and no agreement was reached. The fighting resumed, and this dispute lasted for another three years over lands that belonged to Russia, but were so coveted by the Swedish king. Sometimes, reading documents from those years, you are amazed at the stubbornness with which he constantly returned to this topic, so painful for him.

The Russian-Swedish war of 1590-1593 ended with the signing of a treaty that went down in history as the Tyavzin Peace. And it was then that the extraordinary diplomatic abilities of Boris Godunov manifested themselves. Having very sensibly assessed the situation and taking into account the internal political problems of Sweden, he managed to achieve the return of such cities as Ivangorod, Kaporye, Yam, Oreshek and Ladoga to Russia. In addition, several fortresses captured during the Livonian War were also recognized as Russian.

Military actions in the coastal zone

After the events described, the peace between the two states was broken several more times: in 1610 by the campaign of the Swedish field marshal Jacob Delagardie, who occupied the Karelian and Izhora lands and captured Novgorod, as well as by a three-year war that broke out in 1614 and ended with the signing of another peace treaty. We are now interested in the Russian-Swedish war of 1656-1658, one of the main goals of which was to gain access to the sea, since almost the entire coastal zone was captured by the Swedes over the previous centuries.

Sweden during this period was unusually strong and was considered the dominant power in the Baltic. As a result of the aggression, she captured Warsaw, established her control over the Principality of Lithuania and threatened to invade Denmark. In addition, the Swedish state openly called on the Poles and Lithuanians to march on Russia. Parliament even allocated the necessary funds for this. As often happens in history, the sound of gold had the desired effect, and the future allies entered into an agreement, which, fortunately for Russia, turned out to be just a paper fiction and fell apart at the very beginning of the war.

New military expeditions

Realizing the inevitability of war, the Russians launched a preemptive strike. Having begun military operations in the summer of 1656, in October they drove the Swedes out of Poland and concluded a truce with it. This year, the main battles took place near Riga, where the Russians, led by the sovereign, tried to capture the city. For a number of reasons, this operation was not successful; Russia had to retreat.

In the military campaign of the following year, a large military formation consisting of Novgorodians and residents of Pskov played a significant role. Their victory, won near Gdov over the corps of the famous Swedish field marshal Jacob Delagardie, significantly weakened the enemy. But its main significance was that, perceived in the Russian army as a triumph, it served to raise its morale.

The Russian-Swedish war of 1656-1658 ended with the signing of a truce, beneficial and extremely necessary for Russia. It allowed her to intensify military operations against the Polish-Lithuanian troops, who, in violation of previously established agreements, switched to open aggression. However, literally three years later, having recovered from military losses and having concluded an alliance with Poland, the Swedes forced Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to enter into an agreement with them that deprived Russia of many lands that had been conquered recently. The Russian-Swedish War of 1656-1658 left the main problem unresolved - possession of the coast. Only Peter the Great was destined to open a “window to Europe”.

The war about which so much has been written

So much has been written and said about her that it is hardly possible to add anything new. This war became the topic of many scientific works and inspired the creation of outstanding works of art. It lasted from 1700 to 1721 and ended with the birth of a new powerful European state - the Russian Empire with its capital St. Petersburg. Let us recall only its main stages.

Russia entered hostilities as part of the Northern Alliance, of which Saxony, Poland and the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway were also members. However, this alliance, created to confront Sweden, soon fell apart, and Russia, as has happened more than once in history, alone bore all the hardships of the war. Only nine years later the military coalition was restored, and the fight against the Swedes received a source of new human and material resources.

According to historians, the eighteen-year-old king of Sweden, still very young in those years, was a good commander, but a bad politician, inclined to set impossible tasks for the country and army. His main opponent, Peter I, on the contrary, in addition to his extraordinary military leadership talent, had organizational skills and was a highly gifted strategist. He always knew how to make a correct analysis of the current situation, and a number of victories were won thanks to the fact that the king took advantage of the mistakes of the overly arrogant Swedish king in a timely manner.

Bitter lesson near Narva and Poltava triumph

As you know, the Northern War began for Russia with the defeat near Narva in 1700, which was the reason for the opinion that the Russians were incapable of fighting, which spread in Europe. But Peter I, showing the true talent of a statesman, was able to draw a proper lesson from the defeat and, having rebuilt and modernized the army in the shortest possible time, began a systematic and steady movement towards future victory.

Within three years, several strategically important victories were won, and the Neva along its entire length was under Russian control. At its mouth, by order of Peter, a fortress was founded, which gave rise to the future capital of the state, St. Petersburg. A year later, in 1704, Narva was taken by storm - the same fortress that became a bitter lesson for the Russian troops at the beginning of the war.

Since 1708, the war was completely transferred to Russia. The invasion of the troops of Charles XII begins, which was destined to end ingloriously far from St. Petersburg, among the flowering gardens of Poltava. A general battle took place here - the Battle of Poltava. It ended with the complete defeat of the enemy and his flight. Humiliated and having lost all fighting ardor, the Swedish king fled from the battlefield along with his army. Many participants in the Russian-Swedish war of those years became holders of the highest orders. The memory of them will forever remain in the history of Russia.

Russian-Swedish War of 1741-1743

Twenty years after the victorious salvoes of the Northern War died down and Russia became one of the leading European states, Sweden made an attempt to regain its former territories. On June 28, 1741, the Russian ambassador in Stockholm was informed of the start of the war. From documents stored in the archives of Sweden, it is known that in the event of victory, the Swedes intended to make peace, naturally, subject to the return of all the lands lost during the Northern War. Simply put, the goal of the military campaign was revenge.

The Russian-Swedish War of 1741-1743 began with a major battle in Sweden near the city of Vilmanstrand. The Russian troops were commanded by Field Marshal P.P. Lassi. As a result of his competent tactical actions, it was possible to completely neutralize enemy artillery and, after a series of flank attacks, overthrow the enemy. In this battle, 1,250 Swedish soldiers and officers were captured, including the commander of their corps. In the same year, several major battles took place with the enemy in the Vyborg area, after which a truce was concluded.

The Tsarina's Manifesto and the signing of the Assurance Act

The following year, the truce was violated by the Russian side, and hostilities resumed. The famous manifesto of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna dates back to this period, calling on the Finns to refuse to participate in the war with Russia and not to support Sweden. In addition, the manifesto promised assistance to everyone who wished to secede from Sweden and become a citizen of an independent state.

In May of the same year, the troops of the Russian Field Marshal Lassi, having crossed the border, began a victorious march through enemy territory. It took only four months to capture the last fortified point - the Finnish city of Tavastgus. Throughout the next year, fighting took place almost exclusively at sea. The Russian-Swedish war of 1741-1743 ended with the signing of the so-called “Act of Assurance”. In accordance with it, Sweden abandoned its revanchist plans and fully recognized the results of the Northern War, enshrined in 1721 by the Treaty of Neuslot.

New attempt at revenge

The next major armed confrontation between the two countries, which went down in history as the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790, was also one of Sweden’s attempts to regain the lands that it had lost during previous military campaigns. This time the aggression she launched was supported by Great Britain, Prussia and Holland. One of the reasons for their invasion was the reaction of King Gustav III to Russia’s readiness to become the guarantor of the Swedish constitution, which was so hated by the monarch.

The next Russian-Swedish war began on June 21 with the invasion of the 38,000-strong Swedish army. However, Russian troops, led by Chief General V.P. Musin-Pushkin, not only stopped the enemy, but also forced him to leave the country. Anticipating his offensive, Gustav III sent a message to St. Petersburg with a number of completely unacceptable demands. But we must pay tribute to the Russian empress, who took a tough position and responded to the king’s claims by urgently sending the army to the border. In the future, military happiness was changeable. In particular, the enemy managed to win a victory in the area of ​​​​the city of Kernikoski.

Victories of Russian sailors

The fact is that in those years a dispute was being resolved with Turkey over control of the Black Sea, and most of the Russian fleet was far from Russia. The Swedish king decided to take advantage of this and made his main bet on the fleet. The Russian-Swedish war of those years went down in history primarily with a number of large naval battles.

Among them, especially noteworthy is the battle that took place in the Gulf of Finland, near the island of Gogland, as a result of which Russian sailors prevented the capture of Kronstadt and a possible invasion of St. Petersburg from the sea. The victory of the Russian fleet in the battle near the Baltic island of Öland also played an important role. The squadron of Admiral V. Ya. Chigachev defeated thirty-six enemy ships. Further, one cannot help but recall Rochensalm, Revel, Krasnogorsk, Vyborg and a number of other naval battles that covered St. Andrew’s flag with unfading glory.

The final point was set on August 14, 1790. The Russian-Swedish war ended with the signing of a treaty under which both sides recognized the pre-war borders. Thus, the treacherous plans of Gustav III failed, and Russia wrote a new page in the book of glorious victories of the Catherine era.

The last war between Russia and Sweden

The Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809 ends the series of wars between the two states. It was a consequence of the complex political confrontation that arose in Europe after the end of the Russian-Prussian-French war in 1807. Napoleon tried in every possible way to stop the growth of Sweden's military potential. To this end, he provoked its conflict with Russia. Great Britain, interested in weakening Alexander I, also contributed to the outbreak of the conflict.

This war was equally unpopular among both the Swedish and Russian publics. It was believed that the French emperor would receive the main benefit. Its beginning was very unsuccessful for Russia. One of the reasons for this was the actions of partisan detachments formed by the Finns. With their unexpected and covert attacks they inflicted significant damage on Russian troops. In addition, a powerful Swedish squadron approached from the sea, forcing a large detachment under the command of Colonel Vuich to surrender.

But soon the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809 was marked by a radical turning point in the course of hostilities. Emperor Alexander I, having every reason to be dissatisfied with his commander-in-chief, Count Buxhoeveden, removed him from command, transferring full power to the infantry general Knorring. By signing this appointment, the emperor categorically ordered that the continuation of the war be transferred to enemy territory.

Such a strict demand had an effect, and a plan was urgently developed, according to which an energetic advance through the lands of Sweden and the capture of Stockholm was envisaged. And although reality made its own adjustments to the command’s plans, and not everything was implemented, nevertheless, from that moment on, a significant advantage appeared in favor of Russia. The Swedish king was forced to ask for a temporary truce, which was soon signed.

The end of the war and the annexation of Finland to Russia

The Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809 ended with the complete defeat of the enemy in the territory belonging to what is now Finland. By this time, General Barclay de Tolly was at the head of the Russian troops. This outstanding military leader was distinguished not only by his ability to accurately make decisions in difficult combat situations, but also by his great personal courage.

By that time, changes had also occurred in the Swedish government. A new king ascended the throne, a man ill suited to such a high rank. The Russian-Swedish War of 1809, which took place entirely on the territory of Finland and demonstrated a clear superiority of the Russians, ended with the signing of a peace treaty in the city of Friedrichsham. In accordance with it, Russia received all of Finland into its possession for eternity.

The results of the Russian-Swedish war of those years gave rise to many subsequent events in the life of the peoples of Russia and Finland. Over the course of more than two centuries that have passed since those times, there have been periods of friendship and spiritual closeness in their relationship, there have been stages of hostility, and even military conflicts. And today, a wide field for activity is still open for diplomats of both countries, but the beginning of the entire joint Russian-Finnish history was the Russian-Swedish war that ended in 1809, the peace treaty and the subsequent entry of Finland into Russia.