Northern War, Second

Northern War, Second

 or Great Northern War

(1700–21) Military conflict to challenge Sweden's supremacy in the Baltic area. Sweden's expansion in the Baltic Sea coastlands antagonized Russia, Denmark-Norway, and Saxony-Poland, which formed an anti-Swedish coalition in 1698. They attacked Swedish-held regions in 1700, but Sweden's Charles XII successfully countered the attacks and restored the status quo. The Russians eventually succeeded in establishing their power on the eastern Baltic coast, and Peter I the Great founded his new capital of St. Petersburg there in 1703. Sweden renewed its attack on Russia in 1707, but was defeated at the Battle of Poltava (1709). Despite an alliance with Turkey against Russia (1710–11), Swedish forces suffered defeats in its territories by the revived anti-Swedish coalition, which by then included England and Prussia. Charles opened peace negotiations in 1717, but in 1718 he invaded southeastern Norway, where he was killed. His successor, Frederick I (1676–1751), negotiated peace settlements in 1719–21, including the Treaty of Nystad, which ceded Estonia, Livonia, and other territory to Russia. The war marked the decline of Swedish influence and the emergence of Russia as a major power.