ARTILLERY OF CHARLES XII - THE GREAT NORTHERN WAR

Charles XII, descended from the side line of the Wittelsbach dynasty, reigned as king of Sweden from 1697-1718. He spent almost the entire reign of his reign on the Great Northern War (1700-1721), during which he was often able to show off considerable military talents, for example in the battles of Narva (1700), Daugava (1701) or Kliszów (1702). It is worth remembering, however, that Charles XII led an army of high combat value into battle. Artillery played a significant role in it, the corps of which on the eve of the Great Northern War numbered around 1900. It was recruited almost entirely through the system indelningsverket, thus was composed almost entirely of Swedes and Finns. It is worth noting that the regiment of Swedish artillery in 1701 consisted of: 2 16-pounder howitzers, 2 12-pounder cannons, 4 6-pounder cannons and as many as 26 3-pounder cannons. Such a strong emphasis on light artillery (3-pounder guns) clearly shows that artillery was seen primarily as an infantry support weapon, which was to facilitate its implementation of highly aggressive combat tactics.