CHARLES XII, King of Sweden: b. Stockholm, 27 June 1682; d. Frederikshald, 11 Dec. 1718. On the death of his father, in 1697, he was declared of age by the Estates, Mean while the young King showed but little inclina tion for business: he loved violent bodily exer cises, and especially bear hunting. To his jealous neighbors this seemed a favorable time to humble the pride of Sweden. Frederick IV of Denmark, Augustus II of Poland and the Czar Peter I of Russia therefore concluded an alliance which resulted in the Great Northern War (1699). The Danish troops first invaded the territory of the. Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Charles proposed in the council of state the most energetic measures against Denmark, the result of which was the discomfiture of the Danes; thus ended the first enterprise of Charles XII, in which he exhibited as much in telligence and courage as disinterestedness. He adopted at this time that severe and tem perate mode of life to which he ever remained true, avoiding relaxation and useless amuse ments and living on the simplest fare.
After thus checking Denmark the attacks of Augustus and Peter remained to be repelled. The former was besieging Riga, the latter menaced Narva and the country situated about the Gulf of Finland. Without returning to his capital — which in fact he never revisited- Charles caused 20,000 men to be transported to Livonia, and went to meet the Russians, whom he found 80,000 strong in a fortified the walls of Narva. On 30 Nov. 1700, between 8,000 and 10,000 Swedes placed themselves in order of battle, under the fire of the Russians, and the engagement began. In less than a quarter of an hour the Russian camp was taken by storm. Thirtg thousand an Russis perished on the field or threw them selves into the Narva; the rest were taken prisoners or dispersed. After this victory Charles crossed the Dwina, attacked the en trenchments of the Saxons and gained a de cisive victory.
The war continued: the Swedes gained a brilliant victory at Clissau; in 1703 all Poland was in possession of the conquerors. At Al transtadt Charles I dictated the conditions .of peace in 1706.
In September 1707 the Swedes left Saxony on a Quixotic scheme of conquest. They were 43,000 strong, well clothed, well disciplined and enriched by the contributions imposed on the conquered. Six thousand men remained for the protection of the king of Poland; with the rest of the army Charles took the shortest route to Moscow. But having reached the region of Smolensk he altered his plan at the suggestion of the Cossack hetman, Mazeppa, and proceeded to the Ukraine, in the hope the Cossacks would join him. But Peter laid waste their country, and the proscribed Mazeppa could not procure the promised aid. The difficult marches, the want of provisions, the perpetual attacks of the enemy and the severe cold, weakened Charles' army in an un common degree. Poltava, abundantly fur nished with stores, was about to be invested when Peter appeared with 70,000 men. Charles in reconnoitering was dangerously wounded in the thigh; consequently, in the battle of 8 July 1709, which changed the fortunes of the Swed ish hero and the fate of the North, he was obliged to issue his commands from a litter without being able to encourage his soldiers by his presence. They were obliged to yield to superior force and the enemy obtained a com plete victory. He himself, together with Mazeppa, fled with a small guard, and finally found refuge and an honorable reception at Bender, in the Turkish territory. The regency
in Stockholm took measures for the defense of the Swedish territory. Charles meanwhile negotiated at Bender with the Porte; succeeded in removing the ministers who were opposed to him, and induced the Turks to declare war against Russia. The armies met on the banks of the river Pruth, 1 July 1711. Peter seemed nearly ruined when the courage and prudence of his wife produced a peace, in which the in terests of Charles were entirely neglected. This monarch, however, projected new plans, and through his agents solicited of the Porte auxiliaries against his enemies. But the Rus sian agents were no less active to prepossess the Porte against him, pretending that Charles designed to make himself, in the person of Stanislaus, the actual master of Poland, in or der from thence, in conjunction with the Ger man Emperor, to attack the Turks. The seras kier of Bender was ordered to compel the King to depart, and in case he refused, to bring him, living or dead, to Adrianople. Little used to obey the will of another and apprehensive of being given up to his enemies, Charles resolved to defy the forces of the Porte with the 200 or 300 men of which his retinue consisted, and, sword in hand, to await his fate. When his residence at Varnitza, near Bender, was at tacked by the Turks he defended it against a whole army, and yielded only step by step. The house took fire, and he was about to abandon it when, his spurs becoming entangled, he fell and was taken prisoner. The Turks now re moved their prisoner from Bender to Demotica, near Adrianople. Escaping in disguise he reached Stralsund on the night of 22 Nov. A combined army of Danes, Saxons, Russians and Prussians immediately invested Stralsund. Charles, during the defense, performed miracles of bravery. But being obliged to surrender the fortress, on 23 Dec. 1715, he proceeded to Lund, in Schonen, and took measures to secure the coast. He then attacked Norway. The Baron of GOrtz, whose bold but intelligent plans were adapted to the situation of the Swedish mon archy, was at that time his confidential friend. His advice was, that Charles should gain Peter the Great to the interest of Sweden by import ant concessions, make himself master of Nor way, and from thence land in Scotland, in order to dethrone George I, who had declared himself against Charles. Gortz discovered re sources for prosecuting the war, and entered into negotiations at Aland with the plenipoten tiaries of the Czar. Peter was already gained and a part of Norway conquered; the fortunes of Sweden seemed to assume a favorable aspect; Charles was besieging Frederikshald, when, on 30 Nov. 1748, as he was in the trenches, leaning against the parapet and ex amining the workmen, he was struck on the head by a cannon-ball.
At Charles' death Sweden sank from the rank of a leading power. If that King knew when to make war, he did not know when to make peace. The Great Northern War passed through three stages— a war of defense on the part of Sweden, then a war of aggression and finally a struggle for its existence as a In his last years Charles formed great plans for the improvement of its navy, trade and com merce. Firmness, valor and love of justice were the grand features of Charles' character, hut were disfigured by rashness and obstinacy. These defects in his character earned him the nickname of the °Madman of the North)) Consult Bain, R. N., 'Charles XII and the CM lapse of the Swedish Empire' (London 1895).