The Battle of Poltava: Reshaping the Baltic Region This article will look in more depth at the Battle of Poltava in 1709. During much of Peter the Great's reign he was fighting for power power with a neighboring kingdom that had the same aspirations as him. The Swedish and Russian empires clashed over who would dominate the Baltic. One of the crucial moments of the war was the Battle of Poltava. The article will analyze not only Peter's resolve in gaining the advantage, but also how his planning led to victory at Poltava and how Charles' impetuosity helped Peter. Charles XII led his war machine against a faltering Russian army on June 28, 1709 and a Russian commander named Menshikov. The battle would be a quick victory for the Swedish monarch and would ensure Sweden's victory in the Great Northern War. Charles' forces numbered over 22,000 men, but he had to protect his supply lines, observe his Cossack allies, and observe the Russian retreat, so he only had 16,000 soldiers for this battle. Charles was a great military mind and knew he had to protect his supply lines, as any great commander would. Although Charles had guarded his supply routes, he was not protecting an escape route alone. This is probably due to the impetuous feeling that Charles felt about Sweden's great success in the war thus far. In the first battle with the Russians at Narva his troops numbered around 9,000 men and defeated a Russian force of 40,000. Most of the war had gone his way and his sense of superiority was much earned, but this would cause him a lot of trouble in this battle. Peter would then move his army to Poltava after hearing the news of Charles' invasion and the following night the Swedes would attack the Ru...... half of document ......etail?sid=e8e9f846-c57c-4293-8a25-6c81ef22f726%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=15&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=37021887 (accessed April 24 2011). Moulton, James R. Peter the Great and the Final Years of the Great Northern War, 1719-1721. New York: University Press of America, 2005. Abbott, Jacob. Peter the Great. New York and London: Harper& Brothers Publishers, 1902.Hughes, Lindsey. Russia in the time of Peter the Great. New Haven and London: The University Press, 1998. Anisimov, Eugenii V. The Reforms of Peter the Great. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1993.Bain, Robert N. Charles XII: AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE SWEDISH EMPIRE. Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1969.Stomberg, Andrew A. The Story of Sweden. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1931. Oliva, L. Jay. Russia in the era of Peter the Great. Eaglewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969.