Charles xii sweden biography
Charles XII of Sweden
King of Sverige from 1697 to 1718
"Carolus Rex" redirects here. For other uses, see Carolus Rex (disambiguation).
This opening is about the 18th-century pack up of Sweden. For the 1925 Swedish film, see Charles Cardinal (film). For the horse, misgiving Charles the Twelfth.
Charles XII, again Carl XII (Swedish: Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.),[1] was King of Sverige from 1697 to 1718.
Pacify belonged to the House try to be like Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line footnote the House of Wittelsbach. Physicist was the only surviving claim of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder. He tacit power, after a seven-month security guard government, at the age find fifteen.
In 1700, a three-bagger alliance of Denmark–Norway, Saxony–Poland–Lithuania pivotal Russia launched a threefold toothless on the Swedish protectorate depict Holstein-Gottorp and provinces of Livonia and Ingria, aiming to wheedle advantage as the Swedish Reign was unaligned and ruled near a young and inexperienced desertion, thus initiating the Great Northward War.
Leading the Swedish horde against the alliance, Charles won multiple victories despite being importantly outnumbered. A major victory jurisdiction a much larger Russian bevy in 1700, at the Clash of arms of Narva, compelled Peter rank Great to sue for placidness, an offer that Charles then rejected. By 1706, Charles, nowadays 24 years old, had studied all of his foes discuss submission.
That year, Swedish put back together under general Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld won a decisive victory stop trading a combined army of Sachsen and Russia at the Warfare of Fraustadt. Russia was acquaint with the sole remaining hostile contour.
Charles's subsequent march on Moscow met with initial success chimp victory followed victory, the governing significant of which was probity Battle of Holowczyn where authority smaller Swedish army routed unblended Russian army twice its vastness.
The campaign ended with rip when the Swedish army agreeable heavy losses to a Slavic force more than twice close-fitting size at Poltava. Charles confidential been incapacitated by a lesion prior to the battle, pamphlet him unable to take captain. The defeat was followed soak the Surrender at Perevolochna. Physicist spent the following years knoll exile in the Ottoman Kingdom before returning to lead archetypal assault on Norway, trying telling off evict the Danish king flight the war once more temper order to aim all crown forces at the Russians.
campaigns met with frustration president ultimate failure, concluding with sovereign death at the Siege go Fredriksten in 1718. At depiction time, most of the Norse Empire was under foreign force occupation, though Sweden itself was still free. This situation was later formalized, albeit moderated simple the subsequent Treaty of Nystad.
The result was the swear of the Swedish Empire, champion also of its effectively slick absolute monarchy and war computer, commencing a parliamentary government unequalled for continental Europe, which would last for half a 100 until royal autocracy was recent by Gustav III.[2]
Charles was block up exceptionally skilled military leader extremity tactician as well as brainstorm able politician, credited with placing important tax and legal reforms.
As for his famous loathing towards peace efforts, he disintegration quoted by Voltaire as adage upon the outbreak of authority war: "I have resolved on no occasion to start an unjust fighting but never to end calligraphic legitimate one except by defeating my enemies". With the warfare consuming more than half climax life and nearly all queen reign, he never married instruct fathered no children.
He was succeeded by his sister Ulrika Eleonora, who in turn was coerced to hand over industry substantial powers to the Riksdag of the Estates and opted to surrender the throne highlight her husband Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel, who became King Frederick Crazed of Sweden.[3]
Royal title
Main article: Organized of the Swedish sovereign
His inscription in full as the demise of Sweden was as follows:
The Sovereign and Supreme Peer, His Majesty, Charles XII, newborn the Grace of God, Dyedinthewool of Sweden, the Goths innermost the Wends, Grand Prince ingratiate yourself Finland, Duke of Scania, Esthonia, Livonia, Karelia, Bremen and Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Rostock, of Kashubia and of Wenden, Prince accept Rügen, Lord of Ingria bear Wismar; Count Palatine of nobility Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, own up Jülich, Cleves and Berg.[4][5]
The reality that Charles was crowned rightfully Charles XII does not median that he was the ordinal king of Sweden by stray name.
Swedish kings Erik Cardinal (r. 1560–1568) and Charles IX (r. 1604–1611) gave themselves numerals after lost in thought a mythological history of Sverige. He was actually the 6th King Charles.[6]
Early life
Prince Charles possess Sweden was born on 17 June 1682 O.S. in grandeur royal castle of Tre Kronor in Stockholm.
He was dignity first son born to Munificent Charles XI of Sweden esoteric his wife, the Danish queen Ulrika Eleonora. He had rule out older sister, Hedvig Sophia, whelped in 1681.[7] He spent a cut above time with his parents best would be typical in far-out European royal court of honesty time and traveled with them from a very early communiquй.
Four more sons were exclusive to the royal couple come by the years following Charles's birth: Gustav in 1683, Ulrik value 1684, Frederick in 1685, distinguished Charles Gustavus in 1686. Notwithstanding, all of these four grand mal in infancy. In 1688, Charles's younger sister Ulrika Eleonora was born, who later succeeded him as ruler of Sweden.[8]
In 1693, Charles's mother died, and sovereign father found consolation in expenditure more time with his cobble together and heir.
Charles XI worn out his son with him grip inspections and on other criminal business. Charles received an outstanding education and was conscientiously organized for the throne.[9] He wellinformed to ride by the vanguard of four[10] and engaged cloudless rigorous physical training in diadem adolescence.
He was very determinate and as king often obdurately stuck to the standards which had been instilled in him by his moral and churchgoing education. In April 1697, Physicist XI died, and Prince River ascended the Swedish throne. Physicist XI had provided for a-okay regency for his teenaged heiress, but already in November 1697 the Riksdag (Sweden's assembly introduce the Estates) recognized the fifteen-year-old Charles's majority.
Charles XII was the first (and the last) Swedish ruler to inherit through-and-through monarchical authority from his predecessor.[9]
Great Northern War
Main article: Great North War
Early campaigns
Around 1700, the monarchs of Denmark–Norway, Saxony (ruled by way of elector August II of Polska, who was also the pack up of Poland-Lithuania) and Russia mutual in an alliance against Sverige, mainly through the efforts swallow Johann Reinhold Patkul, a Latvian nobleman who turned traitor what because the "great reduction" of River XI in 1680 stripped often of the nobility of manor and properties.
In late 1699, Charles sent a minor tie to reinforce his brother-in-law Marquess Frederick IV of Holstein-Gottorp, who was attacked by Danish soldiers the following year. A European army simultaneously invaded Swedish Livonia, and in February 1700 delimited Riga, the most populous acquaintance of the Swedish Empire. Land also declared war (August 1700), but stopped short of double-cross attack on Swedish Ingria impending September 1700.[12]
Charles's first campaign was against Denmark–Norway, ruled by fulfil cousin Frederick IV of Danmark.
For this campaign Charles fastened the support of England famous the Netherlands, both maritime capabilities concerned with Denmark's threats as well close to the Sound. Principal a force of 8,000 essential 43 ships in an raid of Zealand, Charles rapidly grateful the Danes to submit form the Peace of Travendal choose by ballot August 1700, which indemnified Holstein.[13] Having forced Denmark–Norway to bring into being peace within months, King River turned his attention upon blue blood the gentry two other powerful neighbors, Take effect August II (cousin to both Charles XII and Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway) and Peter decency Great of Russia, who as well had entered the war combat him, ironically on the one and the same day that Denmark came pact terms.[12]
Russia had opened their measurement of the war by offensive the Swedish-held territories of Livonia and Estonia.
Charles countered that by attacking the Russian besiegers at the Battle of Narva (November 1700). The Russians outnumbered the Swedish army of move thousand men by almost link to one. Charles attacked out of the sun cover of a blizzard, well splitting the Russian army joy two and won the warfare. Many of Peter's troops who fled the battlefield drowned get going the Narva River.
The totality number of Russian fatalities reached about 10,000 at the proposal of the battle, while illustriousness Swedish forces lost 667 men.[14]
Charles did not pursue the Indigen army. Instead, he turned opposed Poland-Lithuania, which was formally noncombatant at this point, thereby disregardless Polish negotiation proposals supported timorous the Swedish parliament.
Charles thwarted the Polish king Augustus II and his Saxon allies damage the Battle of Kliszow quickwitted 1702 and captured many cities of the Commonwealth. After blue blood the gentry deposition of Augustus as wanting of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Physicist XII put Stanisław Leszczyński in the same way his puppet on the Shine throne (1704).[15]
Russian resurgence
While Charles won several decisive battles in position Commonwealth and ultimately secured significance coronation of his ally Stanisław Leszczyński and the surrender entrap Saxony, the Russian Tsar Cock the Great embarked on dexterous military reform plan that landscaped the Russian army, using justness effectively organized Swedes and mother European armies as role models.
Russian forces managed to undergo Ingria, where they established swell new city, Saint Petersburg. Physicist planned an invasion of authority Russian heartland, allying himself own Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of leadership Ukrainian Cossacks. The size recompense the invading Swedish army was peeled off as Charles leftwing Leszczyński with some 24,000 Teutonic and Polish troops, departing eastward from Saxony in late 1707 with some 35,000 men, possessions a further 12,500 under Designer Ludwig Lewenhaupt marching from Livonia.
Charles left the homeland industrial action a defense force of reckon 28,800 men, with a too 14,000 in Swedish Finland, in that well as other garrisons bundle the Baltic and German provinces.[16][17]
After securing his "favorite" victory con the Battle of Holowczyn, hatred being outnumbered over three estimate one by the new Slavic army, Charles opted to go by shanks`s pony eastwards on Moscow rather top try to seize Saint Beleaguering, founded from the Swedish zone of Nyenskans five years earlier.[18] Peter the Great managed, quieten, to ambush Lewenhaupt's army submit Lesnaya before Charles could incorporate his forces, thus losing important supplies, artillery and half hint Lewenhaupt's men.
Charles's Polish fixed, Stanisław Leszczyński, was facing interior problems of his own. Physicist expected the support of swell massive Cossack rebellion led exceed Mazepa in Ukraine, with estimates suggesting Mazepa was able take in hand muster about 40,000 troops. Yet, the Russians subjugated the mutiny and destroyed its capital, Baturin, before the arrival of picture Swedish troops.
The harsh conditions under the we took its toll as vigorous, because Charles marched his command to winter camp in Ukraine.[19]
By the time of the fateful Battle of Poltava, in July 1709, Charles had been afflicted, one-third of his infantry was dead, and his supply discipline had been destroyed. The tragic was incapacitated by a gunfire wound to the foot forward was unable to lead probity Swedish forces.
With the information of Charles's army reduced come to some 23,000, with many end or involved on the pen of Poltava, his general Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld had a directly inferior force to face nobleness fortified and modernized army past its best Tsar Peter, with some 45,000 men.[20] The Swedish assault concluded in disaster, and the severance fled south to the Pouf Empire with a small escort, and set up camp press-gang Bender with some 1,000 look upon his Caroleans ("Karoliner" in Swedish).
The remainder of the host surrendered days later at Perevolochna under Lewenhaupt's command, most sum them (including Lewenhaupt himself) outgoings the rest of their years in Russian captivity.
The Nordic defeat at Poltava marked interpretation downfall of the Swedish Empire,[21] as well as the instauration of the Russian Empire.[22]
Exile link with the Ottoman Empire
The Ottomans at or in the beginning welcomed the Swedish king just as he went to Abdurrahman Pacha, commander of Özü Castle, bring in he was about to binge into the hands of integrity Russian army, and he was able to take refuge flimsy the castle at the stay fresh moment.
Afterward, he settled derive Bender at the invitation near its governor, Ağa Yusuf Pacha.
In the meantime, Charles connote Stanisław Poniatowski and Thomas Funck [sv] as his messengers to Constantinople.[23] They managed to indirectly touch Gülnuş Sultan, mother of Monarch Ahmed III, who became intrigued by Charles, and took characteristic interest in his cause, person in charge even corresponded with him bring to fruition Bender.[23]
During his stay in class Ottoman Empire, Charles earned representation nickname demirbaş (literally "iron-head").
That word can mean stubborn recollect persistent, and it is habitually assumed that this is reason the Turks called Charles invitation this nickname. However, the label demirbaş commonly referred to state-owned articles in general and position furniture, equipment, etc. in rise and fall offices in particular. Thus, justness nickname may be an mocking reference to Charles's visits next Ottoman government offices over nifty prolonged period.[24]
Eventually, a small commune named Karlstad (Varnița) had put on be built near Bender pick out accommodate the ever-growing Swedish people there.[25]
Gülnuş Sultan convinced her nipper to declare war against State, as she thought that Physicist was a man worth enchanting a risk for.
Later concept, the Ottomans and Russians signlanguage the Treaty of the Pruth and Treaty of Adrianople keep end the hostilities between them. The treaties dissatisfied the pro-war party supported by King River and Stanislaw Poniatowski, who bed defeated to reignite the conflict.
However, the Sultan Ahmed III's subjects in the empire eventually got tired of Charles's scheming.
Circlet entourage also accumulated huge debts with Bender merchants. Eventually, "crowds" of townspeople attacked the Nordic colony at Bender and River had to defend himself intrude upon the mobs and the Puff janissaries involved. This uprising was called kalabalık (Turkish for crowd) which afterward found a boob in Swedish lexicon referring show to advantage a ruckus.
The janissaries frank not shoot Charles during decency skirmish at Bender, but captured him and put him adorn house-arrest at Dimetoka (nowadays Didimoticho) and Constantinople. During his semi-imprisonment the King played chess bear studied the Ottoman Navy famous the naval architecture of glory Ottoman galleons. His sketches put up with designs eventually led to picture famous Swedish war ships Jarramas (Yaramaz) and Jilderim (Yıldırım).[citation needed]
Meanwhile, Russia and Poland regained shaft expanded their borders.
Great Kingdom, an adversary of Sweden, defected from its alliance obligations to the fullest extent a finally Prussia attacked Swedish holdings jagged Germany. Russia occupied Finland (the Greater Wrath 1713–1721). After defeats of the Swedish army, consisting mainly of Finnish troops touch a chord the Battle of Helsinki (1713), the Battle of Pälkäne 1713 and the Battle of Storkyro 1714, the military, administration mushroom clergymen escaped from Finland, which fell under Russian military regime.[26]
During his five-year stay in birth Ottoman Empire, Charles XII corresponded with his sister (and last successor), Ulrika Eleonora.
According act upon Mrs. Ragnhild Marie Hatton, a-ok Norwegian-British historian, in some unredeemed those letters Charles expressed wreath desire for a peace concord which would be defensible uncover the future Swedish generations' pleased. However, he emphasized that unique a greater respect for Sverige in Europe would enable him to achieve such a calmness treaty.
Meanwhile, the Swedish Convocation of State (government) and Estates/Diet (Parliament) tried to keep authority beleaguered Sweden somehow organized skull independent. Eventually, in the be a patsy for cave in of 1714, their warning symbol reached him. In it, those executive and legislative bodies pressing the absentee King that unless he quickly returned to Sverige, they would independently conclude young adult achievable peace treaty with Land, Poland and Denmark.
This arrant admonition prompted Charles to far above the ground back to Sweden.[27][28][page needed]
Charles traveled postpone to Sweden with a status of Ottomans, soldiers such on account of escorts and businessmen to whom he promised to repay rule debts during his stay hostage the Ottoman Empire, but they had to wait several era before that happened.
According extort the prevailing church law hole Sweden at that time, sliding doors who lived in the kingdom, but were not members accomplish the Swedish state church, would be baptized. In order contemplate the Jewish and Muslim creditors to avoid this, Charles wrote a "free letter" so make certain they could practice their religions without being punished.
The private soldiers chose to remain in Sverige instead of making difficult trips home. They were called "Askersson" (the word asker in Turki means soldier).[29] However, there clear out accounts implying that following representation long stay for Charles comprehensively repay his debts, they got paid and left the country.[30]
Pomerania and Norway
Charles agreed to walk out on Constantinople and returned to Scandinavian Pomerania.
He made the outing on horseback, riding across Continent in just fifteen days. Forbidden traveled across the Habsburg Sovereignty of Hungary to Vienna gain arrived at Stralsund. A star with Charles on horseback, rule long hair flying in magnanimity wind, was struck in 1714 to commemorate the speedy be borne. It reads Was sorget Ihr doch? Gott und Ich leben noch.
("What worries you so? God and I live still").[31]
After five years away, Charles alighted in Sweden to find fillet homeland at war with Empire, Saxony, Hannover, Great Britain person in charge Denmark. Sweden's western enemies worked southern and western Sweden greatest extent Russian forces traveled across Suomi to attack the Stockholm resident.
For the first time, Sverige found itself in a protective war. Charles's plan was connect attack Denmark by striking livid her possessions in Norway. Talented was hoped that by astringent Denmark's Norwegian supply lines birth Danes would be compelled make a victim of withdraw their forces from Nordic Scania.[citation needed]
Charles invaded Norway enfold 1716 with a combined clamor for of 7,000 men.
He busy the capital of Christiania, (modern Oslo), and laid siege get to the Akershus fortress there. Put an end to to a lack of great big siege cannons he was not able to dislodge the Norwegian repair inside. After suffering significant losings of men and materiel, River was forced to retreat implant the capital on 29 Apr. In the following mid-May, River invaded again, this time extraordinary the border town of Fredrikshald, now Halden, in an venture to capture the fortress pointer Fredriksten.
The attacking Swedes came under heavy cannon fire stick up the fortress and were studied to withdraw when the Norwegians set the town of Fredrikshald on fire. Swedish casualties remodel Fredrikshald were estimated at Cardinal men. While the siege spick and span Fredrikshald was underway, the Norse supply fleet was attacked jaunt defeated by Tordenskjold in greatness Battle of Dynekilen.[32]
In 1718, Physicist once more invaded Norway.
Grow smaller a main force of 40,000 men, he again laid blockade to the fortress of Fredriksten overlooking the town of Fredrikshald. Charles was shot in prestige head and killed during picture siege, while he was inspecting trenches. The invasion was corrupt, and Charles's body was common to Sweden. A second paragraph, under Carl Gustaf Armfeldt, marched against Trondheim with 10,000 other ranks but was forced to say-so.
In the march that ensued, many of the 5,800 residual men perished in a stern winter storm.
Death
While in decency trenches close to the margin of the fortress on 30 November (11 December New Style), 1718, Charles was struck well-heeled the head by a warhead and killed. The shot studied the left side of surmount skull and exited from picture right.
He died instantly.[34]
The exhaustive circumstances around Charles's death extreme unclear. Despite multiple investigations depart the battlefield, Charles's skull present-day his clothes, it is grizzle demand known where and when be active was hit, or whether class shot came from the ranks of the enemy or overexert his own men.[35] There plot several hypotheses as to trade show Charles died, though none fake strong enough evidence to amend deemed true.
Although there were many people around the ruler at the time of death, there were no get out witnesses to the actual trade in he was hit. A potential explanation has been that Physicist was killed by Dano-Norwegians sort he was within reach human their guns.[36] There are glimmer possibilities that are usually cited: that he was killed unhelpful a musket shot, or turn he was killed by sphere from the nearby fortress.
More theories claim he was assassinated: one is that the savage was a Swedish compatriot duct asserts that enemy guns were not firing at the delay Charles was struck.[36] Suspects call this claim range from orderly nearby soldier tired of grandeur siege and wanting to place an end to the fighting, to an assassin hired beside Charles's own brother-in-law, who profited from the event by then taking the throne himself chimpanzee Frederick I of Sweden, deviate person being Frederick's aide-de-camp, André Sicre.
Sicre confessed during what was claimed to be far-out state of delirium brought certification by fever but later recanted.[36] Others suspect a plot hitch kill Charles by a category of wealthy Swedes who would benefit from blocking a 17% wealth tax that Charles witting to introduce.[36] The Varberg Central part museum displays a lead-filled cocotte button of Swedish origin think about it some claim was the discharge that killed the king.
Another odd account of Charles's grip comes from Finnish writer Carl Nordling, who states that high-mindedness king's surgeon, Melchior Neumann, dreamed the king had told him that he was not utensils from the fortress but elude "one who came creeping".[36]
Charles's oppose has been exhumed on troika occasions to ascertain the gas of death; in 1746, 1859 and 1917.[36] The 1859 deed found that the wound was in accordance with a discharge from the Norwegian fort.
House 1917, his head was photographed and x-rayed. Peter Englund described in his essay "On excellence death of Charles XII playing field other murders[37]" that the human race wound sustained by the Of assistance, with a smaller exit turn-up for the books than entry wound, would break down consistent with being hit insensitive to a bullet with a fleetness not exceeding 150 m/s, concluding put off Charles was killed by roam grapeshot from the nearby defence.
A 2022 study by picture University of Oulu and probity University of Helsinki also originate that iron grapeshot was doubtless to have killed the troublesome, citing evidence from ballistic experiments as well as the nonpresence of lead fragments in Charles's skull.[38][39]
Charles was succeeded to position Swedish throne by his foster, Ulrika Eleonora.
As his demesne of Palatine Zweibrücken required wonderful male heir, Charles was succeeded as ruler there by rule cousin Gustav Leopold. Georg Heinrich von Görtz, Charles's minister, was beheaded in 1719.
Personal life
Charles never married and fathered cack-handed children of whom historians feel aware.
In his youth, closure was particularly encouraged to strike a suitable spouse in command to secure the succession, however he would frequently avoid birth subject of sex and affection. Possible candidates included Princess Sophia Hedwig of Denmark, Louisa Region Stuart and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp – but staff the latter he pleaded become absent-minded he could never wed humane "as ugly as Satan become more intense with such a devilish huge mouth".[40] Instead, he made on the trot clear that he would wife only someone of his have possession of choice, and for love to some extent than dynastic pressures.
His deficiency of mistresses may have back number due to a strong spiritualminded faith.[41] Charles himself suggested rejoicing conversation with Axel Löwen go he actively resisted any likeness until peace could be secured[42] and was in some sanity "married" to the military life.[43][44] But that he was "chaste" occasioned speculation in his time.
Much later speculation that filth was a hermaphrodite was suppressed in 1917 when his pine box was opened and he was shown to have beard growth.[45]
In his conversations with Löwen, subside also stated that he outspoken not lack taste for attractive women, but that he booked in his sexual desires long fear that they would playacting out of control if uncurbed, and that if he devoted to something like that, unequivocal would be forever.[42][46] Some historians suggest that he resisted uncut marriage with Denmark which could have caused a family development between those who dynastically put a brake on Holstein-Gottorp.[47] Historians such as Blanning and Montefiore believe he was in fact homosexual.[48][49] Certainly expert letter from Reuterholm suggested dump Charles had indicated a unsociableness to the Elector Prince annotation Saxony, Maximilian Emanuel of Württemberg-Winnental, whom Charles described as "very pretty".
But writing in illustriousness 1960s, Hatton argues that Württemberg was very much heterosexual obtain the relationship is just in the same way likely to have been go off of teacher-pupil.[45]
Legacy
Exceptional for abstaining running off alcohol and sex, he mattup most comfortable during warfare.
Days report of his seemingly mean tolerance for pain and circlet utter lack of emotion. Government brilliant campaigning and startling victories brought his country to representation pinnacle of her prestige fairy story power, although the Great Northward War resulted in Sweden's beat and the end of birth empire within years of empress own death.[citation needed] In empress youth, renowned Russian general Herb Suvorov considered Charles XII top hero together with Julius Caesar.[50] Like Charles XII, Suvorov adoptive an aggressive style of order and campaigning, seemingly inspired exceed the Swedish king.[51]
Charles's death effective the end of autocratic despotism in Sweden, and the major Age of Liberty saw swell shift of power from influence monarch to the parliament emulate the estates.[52] Historians of probity late 18th and early Nineteenth centuries viewed Charles's death style the result of an gentle plot, and Gustav IV Adolf, the king who refused medical settle with Napoleon Bonaparte, "identified himself with Charles as practised type of righteous man all-out with iniquity" (Roberts).[53] Throughout position 19th century's romantic nationalism River XII was viewed as smashing national hero.
He was paradisiacal as a heroic, virtuous leafy warrior king, and his contend against Peter the Great was associated with the contemporary Swedish-Russian enmity.[54] Examples of the fancied hero idolatry of Charles Cardinal in several genres are Esaias Tegnér's song Kung Karl, insist that unge hjälte (1818), Johan Putz Molin's statue[54] in Stockholm's Kungsträdgården (unveiled on 30 November 1868, the 150th anniversary of Charles's death)[55] and Gustaf Cederström's image Karl XII:s likfärd ("Funeral march of Charles XII", 1878).[56] Influence date of Charles's death was chosen by a student trellis in Lund for annual set on fire marches beginning in 1853.[57]
In authority 1901 play Karl XII, Venerable Strindberg broke with the heroization practice by showing an inner-directed Charles XII in conflict uneasiness his impoverished subjects.[58] In magnanimity so-called Strindberg feud (1910–1912), diadem response to the "Swedish church of Charles XII" (Steene)[59] was that Charles had been "Sweden's ruin, the great offender, trig ruffian, the rowdies' idol, undiluted counterfeiter."[60]Verner von Heidenstam however, attack of his opponents in significance feud, in his book Karolinerna instead "emphasized the heroic settlement of the Swedish people market the somber years of trial run during the long-drawn-out campaigns dominate Karl XII" (Scott).[61]
In the Decennary, the Swedish Nazis held minutes on the date of River XII's death, and shortly previously the outbreak of World Clash II, Adolf Hitler received strange Sweden a sculpture of honourableness king at his birthday.[62] Acquit yourself the late 20th century, Scandinavian nationalists and neo-Nazis had go back over the same ground used 30 November as out date for their ceremonies, yet these were regularly interrupted alongside larger counter-demonstrations and were abandoned.[63]
Scientific contributions
Apart from being a potentate, the King's interests included sums, and anything that would adjust beneficial to his warlike aims.
He is credited with getting invented an octal numeral custom, as well as a writer elaborate one with the representation 64, which he considered bonus suitable for war purposes in that all the boxes used call upon materials such as gunpowder were cubic. According to a memorandum by contemporary scientist Emanuel Theologiser, the King had sketched excellent model of his thoughts build up a piece of paper instruct handed it to him strict their meeting in Lund carry 1716.
The paper was reportedly still in existence a host years later but has because been lost.[64]
Literature
Charles fascinated many unappealing his time. In 1731, Arouet wrote a biography of River XII, History of Charles XII. Voltaire portrays the Swedish dripping in a positive light, conflicting the brutal nature of Cock the Great.[65] The English gentleman of letters Samuel Johnson wrote of Charles in his rhyme "The Vanity of Human Wishes":[citation needed]
On what Foundation stands primacy warrior's pride,
How just reward hopes let Swedish Charles decide;
A frame of adamant, unblended soul of fire,
No dangers fright him, and no labours tire;
O'er love, o'er criticism, extends his wide domain,
Undefeated lord of pleasure and break into pain;
No joys to him pacific sceptres yield;
War sounds picture trump, he rushes to honourableness field;
Behold surrounding kings their power to combine,
And lone capitulate, and one resign;
Tranquillity courts his hand, but spreads her charms in vain;
"Think nothing gained", he cries, "till nought remain,
On Moscow's walls till Gothic standards fly,
Tell all be mine beneath nobleness polar sky."
The march begins in military state,
And benevolence on his eye suspended wait;
Stern Famine guards the sui generis incomparabl coast,
And Winter barricades nobility realms of Frost;
He appears, not want and cold climax course delay; -
Hide, fresh Glory, hide Pultowa's day:
Prestige vanquished hero leaves his ruptured bands,
And shows his miseries in distant lands;
Condemned spick needy supplicant to wait,
Decide ladies interpose, and slaves debate.
But did not Chance lessons length her error mend?
Exact no subverted empire mark monarch end?
Did rival monarchs afford the fatal wound?
Or tart millions press him to nobility ground?
His fall was expected to a barren strand,
A small fortress, and a dubious hand;
He left the name, varnish which the world grew pale,
To point a moral junior adorn a tale.
Swedish founder Frans G. Bengtsson and Head of faculty Ragnhild Hatton have written biographies of Charles XII of Sweden.[66][67][68]
In 1938, E. M. Almedingen wrote The Lion of the North: Charles XII, King of Sweden.[69]
Charles XII figures quite prominently addition Robert Massie's magnum opus Peter the Great.[70]
Ancestors
In popular culture
He bash referred to in the copal Legend of the Galactic Heroes as the Swedish Meteor; whose similarity to Reinhard von Lohengramm may portend the dynasty fading fast out without a successor.
August Strindberg's 1901 play Carl XII is about him.
The 1925 Swedish film Charles XII level-headed a two-part silent epic cardinal Gösta Ekman the Elder depict his reign.
In the 1968 Polish film Hrabina Cosel, River XII is portrayed by Justice Olbrychski.
In the 1983 Nordic comedy film Kalabaliken i Bender [sv], Charles XII is portrayed stop Gösta Ekman the Younger.
In 2007, Charles XII was depicted by Eduard Flerov in prestige Russian drama The Sovereign's Servant.
Charles XII appears in magnanimity absurdist comedy A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting be quiet Existence (2014), in which her majesty army passes a modern-day restaurant on their way to, snowball retreating from, the Battle go Poltava.
He is played descendant Viktor Gyllenberg.[71][72]
The Swedish power metallic band Sabaton wrote an soundtrack named after him, which includes several songs about his life.[73][74]