Swedish Infantry of the Great Northern War, 1700–1721
The Great Northern War 1700–1721 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. Initially, Russia joined the coalition in the war with Denmark and Saxony – composed of the so-called Northern Alliance, but after the outbreak of hostilities the Union collapsed, and was rebuilt in 1709. At various stages of the war other participants attended: on the side of Russia – Hanover, Holland, Prussia, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; on the side of Sweden – The Ottoman Empire, Zaporozhian Cossacks, and others. The war ended with the defeat of Sweden in 1721, leaving Russia dominant in the Baltic Sea and a major player in European politics. The war began as a coordinated attack on Sweden by the coalition in 1700 and ended in 1721 with the Treaty of Nystad and the Stockholm treaties.