Russo-Swedish War (1808-1809)

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The Russo-Swedish War (1808-1809) was a war between the Russian Empire and Sweden for supremacy in what was then Swedish Finland . After the peace of Tilsit, the background was the participation of Russia in Napoleon's continental blockade against England ( Russo-English War (1807-1812) ), which was allied with Sweden. Russia attempted to gain control of the Gulf of Finland in order to secure the capital, Saint Petersburg, against potential British attacks. Denmark appeared as a traditional ally of Russia against Sweden .

The war began on February 21, 1808 with the invasion of Finland by Russian troops. The Russian troops of 24,000 men outnumbered the Swedish-Finnish troops - of 13,000 and 8,000 men. They won numerous victories over the Swedes under General Johan August Sandels and occupied Helsingfors , Tavastehus , the coast between Åbo and Vasa , conquered the Åland Islands, Gotland Island and Sveaborg fortress . After England entered the war, the Russians had to evacuate the islands and some cities on the mainland and go over to defense.

The only victory of the Swedes during this time was the victory of Sandels on October 27, 1808 in the battle of the Virtabrücke (Koljonvirta), in which the subordinate officers Colonel Fahlander , Major Malm and Major Joachim Zachris Duncker played an important role. A Russian offensive in March 1809 shifted the many battles of this war from Finland to Sweden. In the Battle of Piteå on August 25, 1809, the main army of Sweden was defeated and Sweden de facto forced to surrender. On September 2, the Förstkåge armistice was concluded and peace negotiations were conducted, which ended with the Fredrikshamn Peace Treaty on September 17, 1809. The treaty strengthened Russia's power in the Baltic region . As the Grand Duchy of Finland, Finland became an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. The personal union with Russia lasted until the abdication of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II in 1917.

literature

  • Norbert Götz: The Good Plumpuddings' Belief: British Voluntary Aid to Sweden During the Napoleonic Wars. In: International History Review 37 (2015), No. 3, pp. 519-539. doi : 10.1080 / 07075332.2014.918559
  • Philip J. Haythornthwaite: The Russian army of the Napoleonic Wars. 2 volumes. Osprey Publishing, London 1987;
  • Bertil Nelsson: Duncker and Savolax Brigades. Finska kriget 1808-09. Historiska Media, Lund 2000, ISBN 91-88930-81-5 .
  • Fred Sandsted (Ed.): Between the Imperial Eagles. Swedens armed forces during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars 1780-1820 (= Armémuseum. Meddelande. Bd. 58/59, 1998/99). Armémuseum, Stockholm 2000, ISBN 91-86478-23-0 .

Web links

Commons : Finnish War  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files