Russian devastation in Sweden from 1719 to 1721
The Russian Devastation ( Swedish rysshärjningarna ) is a name that is used today to describe the war activities of the Russian fleet along the Swedish Baltic coast from 1719 to 1721. The Swedish civilian population was particularly affected by these forays and expeditions in the final years of the Great Northern War , some of which also penetrated into the interior of the country .
The aim of the actions was to force Sweden to make concessions in the peace negotiations in Åland . The Swedish representative Georg Heinrich von Görtz tried to delay these negotiations because Sweden was waiting for British military intervention .
The first attacks on the Swedish heartland took place during the Russian naval operation in the Gulf of Bothnia in 1714 . Despite high ship losses, the Russian attacks were continuously expanded from then on.
Summer 1719
At the end of June the Russian deep sea fleet from Tallinn and the Russian galley fleet from Åbo gathered near Hangö . On June 28, the galley fleet sailed towards the Åland Lemland , while battleships formed a line further south to protect the galley fleet from the English squadron under Admiral John Norris , which was patrolling the southern Baltic Sea .
On July 10th, all preparations were completed and the galley fleet lifted anchor . During the 11th of July this was near Söderarms skärgård and Kapellskär . There the fleet was divided into two departments.
Northern Department
The northern section under Peter von Lacy burned Öregrund and Östhammar as well as Forsmarks bruk and Lövstabruk . The aim of these operations was to burn Gävle down. But despite all efforts, this attempt failed because Fredriksskan's fortress and 1000 men from Jämtland's Dragoons regiment put up stiff resistance. On the way back, the northern division attacked Norrtälje and burned it down.
Southern Department
The southern section under Feodor Apraxin slowly moved towards Stockholm's skärgård , while Yxlan , Blidö , Ljusterö , Norröra , Söderöra and Rödlöga were burned down and looted . An attempt to land at Svartlöga failed because the seal hunters resident there resisted bitterly.
The wave of looting continued in Husarö , Östra Lagnö , Ingmarsö , Svartsö , Möja , Harö , Eknö and Sandhamn . A stop was made at Vårholma to check the possibility of an attack on Fredriksborg and Vaxholms fortress . Apraxin decided against an attack and decided to move further south and pillage the cities of Djurö , Runmarö including the manors, Brevik and Fågelbro .
On July 15, Apraxin's unit in Dalarö Skans encountered resistance for the first time. Instead of attacking the fortress , he decided to make an advance on Stockholm via Baggensstäket . During July 16, a smaller unit of 500 Cossacks and infantry attacked the Swedish positions at Baggensstäket. Meanwhile the southern section found the strait blocked. There the 3 Swedish galleys patrolled Svärdfisken ( German swordfish ), Jungfrun ( German virgin ) and Draken ( German dragon ) together with the gunboat Svarta Björn ( German black bear ). The attack on Baggensstäket was repulsed, but the Russian forces managed to burn Boos and Beatelund's manors down.
The Russian fleet moved on towards Gålö , Ornö , Muskö and to the economically important ore mines on Utö . On July 21st they approached Södertälje , where they were chased to flight by a Swedish cavalry detachment under Carl Gustaf Bielke . Trosa was burned down on July 23, and Nyköping the next day , despite bitter resistance from Swedish troops under General Kristoffer Urbanowicz . After a few days of recovery, the Russian galley fleet sailed up the Motala and burned Norrköping down.
Association of Armed Forces
In early August, Peter von Lacys and Feodor Apraxin's fleets moved back to Stockholm skärgård . Their goal was to join forces to fight their way to Stockholm. On August 13, a Russian force of about 6,000 landed at Baggensstäket. The place had been taken a month before by Swedish troops under Baltzar von Dahlheim , who are now holed up there. Dahlheim's Tremänninger (a special Swedish regiment from this time) offered bitter resistance. However, these were poorly trained and ultimately succumbed to the superiority. They would have been almost completely defeated, if it is not a department of the Södermanland - regiment under Colonel Rutger Fuchs would be able to save themselves.
Summer 1720
At the end of July 1720, a squadron of 35 galleys with a crew of 6,200 attacked Umeå and the coast of Västerbotten . The purpose of this attack was to lure the Swedish fleet away from Stockholm and the Åland Sea .
This time the Swedish fleet was better prepared than a year before. They were determined to stop the devastation caused by the Russians. To this end, Admiral Erik Siöblad sailed with a smaller fleet unit to Åland on July 21st to locate the Russian galley fleet . On the 26th he reached Vaxholm and reported that he had sighted the Russian fleet off Föglö and Kökar . The Vaxholmer squadron under Admiral Carl Georg Siöblad then set off to meet the advance party in Rödhamn .
When the two squadrons met at Rödhamn, Carl Georg took command of the troops. He decided, against the instructions of the fleet chief Hans Wachtmeister , to attack the Russian fleet. At the beginning the attack went well. The Russian ships were locked inside Föglö Land so that the Swedish squadron could pass. These then shot their broadsides at the Russian ships. Then the frigate Danske Örn ( German Danish eagle ) ran aground and was boarded by the Russian troops . When trying to support the Danske Örn , three other frigates ran aground, whereupon they were encircled by the Russian ships. The Swedes successfully defended themselves for several hours, but when the wind subsided, the battleship Pommern and the frigate Svarta Örn ( German Black Eagle ) were forced to withdraw and leave their comrades to their fate.
Summer 1721
Peace negotiations resumed on May 26, this time in Nystad . To support the Swedes, the British sent a squadron to Kapellskar , which ensured that the Russian forces were now concentrated on the coasts of Norrland . They attacked the cities of Söderhamn , Hudiksvall , Sundsvall , Härnösand , Piteå and later Umeå and burned them down. This destruction forced the peace of Nystad between Sweden and Russia on August 30, 1721 .
See also
Individual evidence
- Magnus Ullman: Rysshärjningarna på Ostkusten sommaren 1719 . Bokförlaget Magnus Ullman, Stockholm 2006, ISBN 91-631-7602-5 .