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1156:, for whom it was the first battle in which he commanded his troops all by himself, deployed his force and hastily fortified his position three kilometers to the southeast. Most of his fortifications were only partially completed, whereas his forces were stretched and vulnerable for a concentrated attack, forming a long and thin line. Between the two fortified camps lay marshy territory that could not be fortified. The Russian commanders did not use cavalry units for
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1023:, only 26 years of age at the time. Despite difficult natural obstacles and superior enemy artillery, the Swedes were able to achieve surprise and defeat the numerically superior Russian forces, who were separated from each other, had no overall command and could not coordinate their actions, disallowing them an engagement in full force. Reportedly, it was Charles' favourite victory.
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expecting the main
Swedish attack to come from Holowczyn. Finally, Sheremetev took the initiative to attack the almost undefended Swedish camp to the west. However, when news of the Repnin's setback reached Sheremetev, he decided not to wait for a Swedish attack on his rear, but instead began retreating towards
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was raised as
Swedish artillery started bombarding the opposite river bank. Swedish success would depend on how many troops could cross the river without the aid of pontoons before the enemy forces could arrive. Charles as so often led the charge personally, by wading across the water in front of his
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fought hard to prevent the
Russian regiments from merging. Sheremetev, hearing the sound of battle, dispatched reinforcements towards Repnin's position, but by that time enough Swedish forces had arrived to prevent these reinforcements from joining Repnin. The latter was forced to retire his forces
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by now had followed the infantry across the river, and scattered their
Russian counterparts towards the south. At this point, Sheremetev's forces were still waiting across the river from Holowczyn. They had been on full alert for hours, in the belief that the attack on Repnin was a feint and
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men. After forming with difficulty on the boggy far bank, the Swedes began to advance through the marsh. Meanwhile, fascines were laid on the river banks to assist the cavalry's crossing. Both the engineers and the
Swedish vanguard began to be targeted by Repnin's artillery.
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and 26 officers more, with an unknown number of wounded. According to
Swedish sources, after having seized the battlefield, the Russians had lost up to 5,000 or 6,000 men in the battle and pursuit, while Russian sources in turn estimated a total loss of 2,000 Swedes.
1160:, had limited knowledge of the enemy's movements and little contact with each other. Knowing the weakness of their defence, lacking overall command unity and a clear idea of the enemy's location, they lost confidence in themselves shortly before the battle.
1253:. On the Russian side, Generals Anikita Repnin and Heinrich von der Goltz were put on trial for the lack of coordination between the troops and other mistakes made by the Russian command at Holowczyn, but were released afterwards.
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Gordon A. The
History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia: To which is Prefixed a Short General History of the Country from the Rise of that Monarchy: and an Account of the Author's Life, Volume 1. Aberdeen. 1755. pp.
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on the heights west of
Holowczyn. Charles and his followers noticed the gap in the fortifications, and decided on a plan of attack. Crossing the marshy area between the two Russian
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would not only be an unsuspected move, but would also serve to divide the enemy force in two. To ensure success, the attack was to be carried out in the darkness of night.
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tributary of the Drut river. The
Russian forces at Holowczyn had an order to defend their position as long as possible and then retreat, avoiding a general battle.
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deployed his force and fortified his position three kilometers to the southeast, but many fortifications were not completed due to a lack of
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According to official
Swedish and Russian reports, the Swedes lost 1,293 men killed and wounded against 1,655 for the Russians.
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forming between the two Russian positions, and ordered his men to decamp and head north toward Sheremetev. Five Swedish
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Cooper, Leonard (1968). Many Roads to Moscow: Three Historic Invasions. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 42.
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against Russia. However, since so many of the Russian troops were able to escape it was not a decisive
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The unexpected choice of route made the Russians unsure of the Swedish intentions. In addition, with
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Artamonov V. A. The Battle of Poltava. In Commemoration of 300 Years of the Poltava Victory. 2009
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The Swedes had observed the Russian deployment along the Vabich. Starting on 30 June, Swedish
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The victory provided the Swedes with a defensive line along the Dnieper and the area around
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At midnight on 4 July the Swedes started moving quietly towards the river. Infantry carried
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descent, however, puts the Russian losses at 2,000 killed, including one otherwise unknown
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to help them traverse the waterlogged ground before crossing the Vabich on leather
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Liljegren, Bengt, Karl XII: en biografi. Lund: Historiska Media, 2000, p. 156
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1043:: Russia. The best route into the Russian heartland was along the
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Tarle Ye. V. The Northern War and the Swedish Invasion of Russia
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1113:. In June and July the army was moved piecemeal towards
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Peter From. Katastrofen vid Poltava. Lund, 2007. p. 162
1415:(in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand. p. 286.
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rivers. The army was moved from its winter camp near
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107:Battle of Holowczyn 1708, by B. Adlerfeld
71:Learn how and when to remove this message
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34:This article includes a list of general
1477:Battles involving the Tsardom of Russia
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1374::sv:Slaget vid Holowczyn § Följder
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16:Major battle in the Great Northern War
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338:Denmark and Holstein-Gottorp (1700)
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1467:Battles of the Great Northern War
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1502:Military history of Belarus
1411:Ericson, Lars, ed. (2003).
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1152:. To the south, General
1144:. To the south, General
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360:Swedish Baltic dominions
1492:18th century in Belarus
1260:, a Russian officer of
55:more precise citations.
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245:Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld
235:Commanders and leaders
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1021:Charles XII of Sweden
971:Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye
636:Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye
585:and Eastern Lithuania
277:Casualties and losses
176:54.06278°N 29.93472°E
1450:4 March 2016 at the
804:Carolean Death March
1497:Vitebsk Voivodeship
1103:Alexander Menshikov
1031:After dealing with
1001:Battle of Holowczyn
254:Aleksandr Menshikov
172: /
88:Battle of Holowczyn
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1140:and defended with
1045:continental divide
1041:Great Northern War
904:invasion of Russia
326:Great Northern War
181:54.06278; 29.93472
1482:Conflicts in 1708
1251:strategic victory
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1290:3,000–5,000
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775:2nd Tönning
667:Helsingborg
488:Valkininkai
478:Gemauerthof
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344:1st Tönning
287:1,655–6,000
241:Charles XII
179: /
53:introducing
1461:Categories
1273:References
1221:battalions
1179:The battle
1105:. After a
821:Fladstrand
694:Gothenburg
673:2nd Viborg
566:Frauenwald
498:2nd Grodno
483:1st Grodno
468:Jakobstadt
406:Systerbäck
396:Hummelshof
282:265 killed
167:29°56′05″E
164:54°03′46″N
61:April 2008
36:references
1237:Aftermath
1165:regiments
1150:engineers
1142:artillery
1138:fortified
1134:Holowczyn
1094:away the
1009:Golovchin
956:Koniecpol
931:Malatitze
921:Holowczyn
916:Grodno II
794:Dynekilen
770:Gadebusch
758:Stralsund
709:Marstrand
704:Strömstad
601:Malatitze
596:Holowczyn
591:Petschora
576:Koniecpol
561:Rosenhain
556:Fraustadt
431:Kolkanpää
416:2nd Narva
411:Wesenberg
376:1st Narva
145:Holowczyn
1448:Archived
1262:Scottish
1247:campaign
1193:fascines
1167:started
1126:deployed
1069:Berezina
1057:Smolensk
1005:Holofzin
966:Oposhnya
859:Treaties
816:Køge Bay
720:Moldavia
699:Göta Älv
678:Helsinki
631:Oposhnya
463:Saločiai
448:Tryškiai
436:2nd Riga
401:Nöteborg
391:Erastfer
366:1st Riga
354:Humlebæk
264:Strength
140:Location
1243:Mogilev
1130:Vasilki
1085:weather
1027:Prelude
1017:Swedish
1013:Russian
981:Poltava
976:Sokolki
951:Baturyn
941:Lesnaya
936:Rajovka
851:Grengam
836:Fehmarn
826:Hogland
753:Stresow
683:Pälkäne
659:Finland
646:Poltava
641:Sokolki
621:Baturyn
611:Lesnaya
606:Rajovka
536:Lemberg
521:Pułtusk
516:Kliszów
473:Palanga
458:Vilnius
426:Koporye
349:Reinbek
154:Belarus
49:improve
1419:
1231:Shklov
1119:marshy
1115:Vabich
1065:rivers
1061:Moscow
1049:Grodno
1037:Poland
1033:Saxony
961:Veprik
831:Gangut
789:Høland
782:Norway
748:Usedom
743:Wismar
731:Bender
714:Stäket
626:Veprik
583:Russia
571:Kalisz
546:Warsaw
541:Poniec
531:Poznań
509:Saxony
505:Poland
493:Kletsk
272:28,000
269:12,500
192:Result
38:, but
1293:6,000
1287:1,655
1217:wedge
1201:alarm
1173:camps
1053:Minsk
1047:from
946:Desna
841:Rügen
688:Napue
616:Desna
551:Praga
526:Thorn
386:Rauge
371:Varja
1417:ISBN
1117:, a
1081:road
1073:Drut
1071:and
1055:and
999:The
926:Neva
846:Ösel
507:and
421:Neva
381:Düna
133:N.S.
121:O.S.
116:Date
1436:268
1051:to
1007:or
1463::
1392:^
1380:^
1341:^
1327:^
1315:^
1087:.
147:,
1425:.
1035:-
893:e
886:t
879:v
690:)
671:(
661:)
316:e
309:t
302:v
156:)
135:)
129:)
123:)
74:)
68:(
63:)
59:(
45:.
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