Siege of Narva

Overview

The siege of Narva, also known as the second battle of Narva, was the second Russian siege of Swedish Narva during the Great Northern War from 8 July to 20 August 1704.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The 1704 siege of Narva represented a significant reversal for the Tsardom of Russia in the Great Northern War. A Russian force of 45,000 under Peter I and Georg von Ogilvy confronted a Swedish garrison of 3,800, and the disparity in casualties — 3,200 Swedish against 3,000 Russian — indicates the garrison's determined resistance before being overcome. Narva held particular symbolic weight for Russia: the town had been the site of a catastrophic Russian defeat in 1700, when a much smaller Swedish force under Charles XII shattered Peter's army at the outset of the war. Its capture in 1704 therefore marked a strategic and reputational recovery, demonstrating that the Russian military had developed the capacity to reduce a fortified Swedish position despite heavy resistance. Within the broader arc of the Great Northern War, securing Narva gave Russia firmer control of the eastern Baltic littoral and strengthened Peter's position as he pressed the campaign against Sweden.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)