Battle of Poltava
WarGreat Northern War
Year1709
LocationUkraine
BelligerentsRussia vs Sweden
About the Battle
Peter the Great destroyed the Swedish army, ending Swedens status as a great power. Charles XII had invaded Russia with 40,000 men; only a few thousand escaped. The battle made Russia the dominant power in Northern Europe. Charles fled to the Ottoman Empire. Sweden never regained its former glory.