Charles XII invasion of Poland

Polish-Swedish War of 1701-1706

Battle of Düna, the first major battle of the Swedish invasion

Date	1701-1706
Location	Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth territory, Eastern Europe
Result	Decisive Swedish victory

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Karl XII

Arvid Horn

Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld

Magnus Stenbock

Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt

Frederick IV †

Duke Charles

Stanisław I Leszczyński

Peter I

Strength

40,000 men

120,000 men

Casualties and losses

8,528:
2,880 killed
3,848 wounded
1,800 captured

66,723:
43,894 killed
6,382 wounded
16,447 captured

The Polish-Swedish War of 1701-1706, also known as Karl XII's invasion of Poland or the Polish front of the Great Northern War, was a conflict in eastern Europe overshadowed by the ongoing Great Northern War fought between the Swedish Empire against the Russian Empire, Denmark-Norway, Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish front was a major part of the greater conflict, and it included some decisive battles in favor of the Swedes that contributed to the length of the war (21 years).

Augustus the Strong had won the Polish crown by military force after a violent election. Among his opponents were the primates of Poland, most notably cardinal Michał Stefan Radziejowski, archbishop of Gniezno, as well as the powerful Sapieha family. Although these factions had promised not to work against Augustus, the agreement was very unstable. To increase his own authority and put down any rebellious elements within his country, the elected monarch considered an invasion of Livland to be the best choice: not only would this restore a part of Poland's former territorial conquests, but it would also put down the Swedish Empire's ability to interfere with Polish affairs. With promised support from tsar Peter in Russia, and Sweden's ongoing conflict with Denmark-Norway in the west, the Polish monarch believed it to become an easy victory. This was in opposition with the nobility, however, and his ambitions were not well-received among any of his advisors, pointing out that Poland-Lithuania was not allied with Denmark nor Russia in the Swedish conflict. Simultaneously, Karl XII announced his intentions to maintain peace with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but that such a thing would hardly be possible as long as Augustus remained on the throne. Accordingly, the Swedish leadership issued a declaration of war against Augustus personally, but not against his nation, and Karl XII began to rally the Polish nobility against their king.

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Wikipedia