Gaining control of more lands, resources, and wealth seemed to be important goals of European countries during the 1700s. Denmark-Norway, Russia, and Saxony-Poland-Lithuania fought the Great Northern War from 1700 - 1721 against the Swedish Empire. Before the war, the Swedish Empire was the major force in Europe. By the end, Swedish dreams of imperialism were dead, but the Russians were much more powerful.
This is a great overview of the things that led up to the war, what took place during the war, and the outcomes. It is important to note that about 25,000 died in the war, but more than 200,000 died due to the "scorched earth" policy used (destroying all food, animals, etc., so the enemy had no way to use any remaining supplies). Finland suffered from famine for years. Thousands of common folk were uprooted because of the conflicts.
An interesting result after the war was that Sweden entered an Age of Liberty, in which the Swedish parliament brought reforms that gave more civil rights to all Swedes and curtailed the absolute power of the monarchy. I thought one of the points mentioned in this book is that 'by the dawn of the seventeenth century, scarcely a day went by when war wasn't waged somewhere in Europe."(location 427 or 454)
This is a great overview of the things that led up to the war, what took place during the war, and the outcomes. It is important to note that about 25,000 died in the war, but more than 200,000 died due to the "scorched earth" policy used (destroying all food, animals, etc., so the enemy had no way to use any remaining supplies). Finland suffered from famine for years. Thousands of common folk were uprooted because of the conflicts.
An interesting result after the war was that Sweden entered an Age of Liberty, in which the Swedish parliament brought reforms that gave more civil rights to all Swedes and curtailed the absolute power of the monarchy. I thought one of the points mentioned in this book is that 'by the dawn of the seventeenth century, scarcely a day went by when war wasn't waged somewhere in Europe."(location 427 or 454)
