Russo-Ottoman War of 1710-1711

The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710-1711

A.) The Diplomatic Pre-History of the War

In 1696 the Ottoman Empire had lost AZOV to Russia (Peter the Great); the loss threatened the emergence of a Russian fleet on the Black Sea. Russia was preoccupied with the Great Northern War 1700-1721. When Swedish King Charles XII. lost battle and army in the BATTLE OF POLTAVA 1709, he fled to Istanbul. There he convinced the Sultan to give him command over the Ottoman army and declare war on Russia (1710).

B.) The Military Course of Events

Charles XII. encircled the Russian army, with Czar Peter, on the RIVER PRUTH (1711); Peter had to accept Ottoman conditions which included safe passage for Charles to Sweden and turning AZOV over to the Ottomans.

C.) The Legacy

Russia ceded Azov to the Ottoman Empire. Charles XII., however, stayed at his 'residence' in Bender / Bessarabia and left, ignoring an order to leave, left only when a force was sent to expel him (1713); he went to Norway where he commanded a Swedish force fighting the Danes and Norwegians.

EXTERNAL
FILES

The Black Sea Dilemma, from History of the Russian Navy

DOCUMENTS

Voltaire : Campagne du Pruth, from Histoire de Russie, in French

REFERENCE

Melvin K. Wren, The Course of Russian History, Prospect Heights 1994 : The Northern War

This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 19th 2004

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