Peace of Saint Petersburg

Announcement of the return of the Kingdom of Prussia (East Prussia) to King Friedrich II as a result of the Peace of St. Petersburg, Koenigsberg, July 1, 1762

The Treaty of Saint Petersburg was on 5. May 1762 during the Seven Years' War in St. Petersburg closed peace treaty between Prussia and the Russian Empire .

The situation of Prussia and its King Friedrich II at the end of 1761 - beginning of 1762 was catastrophic. It was, as he himself had to admit, "in agony and awaiting the final unction." Neither the losses in soldiers nor in equipment could be adequately replaced. After the death of Tsarina Elisabeth on January 5, 1762, her successor Peter III. , a Holstein prince and admirer of the Prussian king, proposed a change in Russian foreign policy (so-called “ miracle of the House of Brandenburg ”). Russia immediately stopped all fighting and made peace with Prussia on May 5 in St. Petersburg.

Russia withdrew from the front of the opponents of Prussia in the Seven Years' War and gave back the already annexed Kingdom of Prussia as well as Eastern Pomerania and Neumark without compensation . It was also agreed to create an alliance with which Peter III. wanted to enforce his dynastic goals in Holstein with Prussian support. Friedrich agreed without hesitation and promised to provide 20,000 men for it.

After the overthrow and murder of Peters by his wife and successor Catherine II in July 1762, the peace continued to apply, although she dissolved the alliance with Prussia.

The peace agreement between Prussia and Russia also accelerated peace negotiations between Prussia and Sweden . On May 22, 1762, both powers concluded the Peace of Hamburg . The departure of its allies forced Austria to start negotiations with Prussia, which led to the Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 . This ended the Seven Years War.