Saturday, May 24, 2008
RANDOM E BRITANNICA POST
CHARLES XII- king of sweden, b.1682. well educated + able to speak german, french, + latin fluently. 1697, father died + Ch XII only 15, was declared of age + given royal authority. little disposed to state affairs, time spent in study + amusement. frederick IV, king of Denmark, got the idea of gettingthe crown for himself + adding Sw + augustus II, king of poland + saxony's elector + peter the great of russia agreed to the plan. danes invaded + the duke of that state( who was married to Ch XII's sister), fled to Stockholm + begged assistance. Ch XII immediately made plans to attack DK with help from England + william of orange. w/swedish fleet, brits, drove DK fleet into copenhagen + bombarded the city, but doing little damage. meanwhile Ch XII landed in zealand w/ army. DK inferior in #s, fell back + frederick, seeing his capital in jeopardy, gave up his plans + sued for peace, + Ch XII took arms against P + R.
Ch XII spartan manners- gave up wine, slept on the floor on a cloak, in or outside. plain clothed. whole wardrobe a blue suit w/copper buttons. took no notice of heat or cold. beat peter the great's army w/ inferior #s, but once all enemies conquered, he wanted more. took Saxony + claimed poland, but, twice, forced back to Sw. got large enemy on finnish border, + then marched on russia + almost captured the czar. nearly got moscaow, but severe winter(waterloo), wounded, fled to turkey. there 3 years. tried to stir up war between turks and Rus + almost happened, except forP the great's wife catherine. turks declared Ch XII had broken the laws of hospitality + orders to seize ChXII-dead or alive. fought hard, set house on fire, finally seized. blah blah blah poland blah, prussian blah, escaped turkey, more war. stubbornly in ope. hit in head -dead 1718. assasinated? no. lots of controversy into 1859 when he was dug up again. 1746 also. a mix of good + evil + he brought Sw FROM A HIGH RANK POWER TO A DIMINISHED STATE. GEORGEE!
sweden still has his last blue suit w/ copper buttons.
