Why was the greatest and most climactic battle of the Great Northern War, the Battle of Poltova, one of the most important in all European history? What drove Charles XII of Sweden to invade Russia in the Summer of 1707, in the lead up to that totemic clash? Exactly what happened on the day of the Battle? Would both Peter the Great and Charles survive it unscathed, if at all? And, who would triumph on that bloodsoaked battlefield? Join Dominic and Tom for one of the most dramatic events of their journey through the bombastic life and reign of Peter the Great so far, as they describe the Battle of Poltova, and the day that changed Europe forever. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Jeder Läufer kennt diesen Moment, wenn es einfach klickt. Wenn deine Beine einfach mitgehen, der Schmerz nachlässt, die Zweifel weg sind und du nur noch das Run as High spürst. Das ist der Grund, warum du so früh aufstehst. Warum dich ein bisschen Regen nicht auffällt. Warum Laufen zum Ritual wird. Also laufe und fühle das Runners High.
It was after dread Poltover's day, when fortune left the royal Swede. Around a slaughtered army lay no more to combat and to bleed. The power and glory of the war, faithless as their vain votaries' men, had passed to the triumphant Tsar, and Moscow's walls were safe again.
Until a day more dark and drear and a more memorable year should give to slaughter and to shame a mightier host and haughtier name, a greater wreck, a deeper fall, a shock to one, a thunderbolt to all. Der Anfang von Lord Byron's poem Mazepa, which he wrote in 1819.
And obviously, Dominic, he was writing there in the shadow of Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the failure of his attempt to capture Moscow. But Byron, although he was famously obsessed by Napoleon, is still very much aware that
The Great Northern War, this great titanic clash between Charles XII of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia, that that conflict was more than fit to stand comparison with the storm and drang of the Napoleonic Wars. And it's kind of tribute, isn't it, to just how deeply the events of the summer of 1709, a century on, continue to reverberate through Europe.
Ja, absolut, Tom. Und es ist interessant, nicht wahr, dass in der englischsprachigen Welt, ich denke, dass die große Norden-Wahl jetzt vergessen oder etwas überlebt ist. Ich denke, es ist ein Eklips, nicht wahr? Die Spanische Succession, dann die Napoleonic Wars und dann natürlich die Weltkriege des 20. Jahrhunderts.
But at the time when Byron was writing, these characters, Peter the Great, Charles XII, and the character who gives his name to that poem, so that's Ivan Mazepa. The Hetman. The Hetman of the Cossacks, who we talked about last time. These are great romantic heroes, aren't they? They are individuals standing astride the course of history and shaping it to their will.
I mean, that's how people like Byron thought about it. Yeah, and they are heroes with a deep shade of darkness. Well, we've already had the tremendous business of Charles XII's Foot, which we were entertaining our assistant producers with just now, because they missed yesterday's recording.
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