Siege of Pskov (1615)

Last updated
Siege of Pskov
Part of the Ingrian War
Vlas'evskaia bashnia i Krom.jpg
Pskov Kremlin
Date9 August – 27 October 1615
Location
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg  Swedish Empire Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg  Tsardom of Russia
Commanders and leaders
Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg Gustavus Adolphus
Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg Evert Horn  
Naval Ensign of Sweden.svg Jacob De la Gardie
Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg Vasily Morozov  [ ru ]
Units involved
Unknown Banner of the Most Merciful Savior, 1552.svg Pskov garrison
Strength
9,000–16,000 1,100 soldiers, 3,100 militia
Casualties and losses
Heavy Heavy

The siege of Pskov between 9 August and 27 October 1615 was the final battle of the Ingrian War with which the hostilities ended. Swedish forces under Gustav II Adolf laid siege to Pskov, but were unable to take the city.

Contents

Prelude

After the Battle of Klushino, the Swedish troops, located in Russia, called in 1609 by Vasily Shuisky, declared war on Russia and in 1611 occupied Novgorod Land. The siege of Tikhvin in 1613 was unsuccessful for the Swedes, but in 1614 they managed to take Gdov. In 1615 the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus intended to subdue the Pskov land. [1]

Siege

Approaching Pskov, the Swedes tried to take it immediately, but were repelled by the Pskov garrison with heavy losses. In front of the king, famed field marshal Evert Horn was shot dead from the wall.

During the siege, the Swedes shelled the city with artillery, but at night Pskovites successfully closed any breach in the walls, and repeatedly made bold sallies causing the Swedes considerable losses. In September, Pskov even received reinforcements from Moscow. [2]

In early October, the Swedes undertook a second decisive assault. The attackers managed to occupy part of the city wall and one of the towers. However, the Pskovites managed to blow up the tower, together with the Swedes that were in it, and went into a fierce counterattack.

After two and a half months, the Swedes withdrew from Pskov to Narva in view of the coming cold weather, as well as the high mortality from diseases and famine. [3]

Aftermath

After a cruel defeat, King Gustavus Adolphus decided not to continue the war with Russia. Sweden already then planned to resume the struggle with Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for the Baltic states and was not ready for a war on two fronts. On December 15, 1615, a truce was concluded, and both parties initiated peace negotiations that ended with Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johan Banér</span> Swedish field marshal (1596–1641)

Johan Banér was a Swedish field marshal in the Thirty Years' War.

During the 17th century, despite having scarcely more than 1 million inhabitants, Sweden emerged to have greater foreign influence, after winning wars against Denmark–Norway, the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Its contributions during the Thirty Years' War under Gustavus Adolphus helped determine the political, as well as the religious, balance of power in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)</span> Part of the Thirty Years War

The Battle of Breitenfeld or First Battle of Breitenfeld, was fought at a crossroads near Breitenfeld approximately 8 km north-west of the walled city of Leipzig on 17 September, or 7 September, 1631. A Swedish-Saxon army led by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Saxon Elector John George I defeated an Imperial-Catholic League Army led by Generalfeldmarschall Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly. It was the Protestants' first major victory of the Thirty Years War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Stolbovo</span> 1617 peace treaty between Sweden and Russia

The Treaty of Stolbovo was a peace treaty that ended the Ingrian War, which had been fought between the Swedish Empire and the Russian Tsardom between 1610 and 1617.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrian War</span> Conflict between Sweden and Russia (1610–17)

The Ingrian War was a conflict fought between the Swedish Empire and the Tsardom of Russia which lasted between 1610 and 1617. It can be seen as part of Russia's Time of Troubles and is mainly remembered for the attempt to put a Swedish duke on the Russian throne. It ended with a large Swedish territorial gain in the Treaty of Stolbovo, which laid an important foundation to Sweden's Age of Greatness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pskov Republic</span> Russian city-state (1348–1510)

The Pskov Republic was a city-state in northern Russia. It won its formal independence from the Novgorod Republic in 1348. Its capital city was Pskov and its territory was roughly equivalent to modern-day Pskov Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)</span> Fourth stage of the Polish-Swedish wars

The Polish–Swedish War of 1626–1629 was the fourth stage in a series of conflicts between Sweden and Poland fought in the 17th century. It began in 1626 and ended four years later with the Truce of Altmark and later at Stuhmsdorf with the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gdov Kremlin</span> Fort in Gdov, Pskov Oblast, Russia

The Gdov Kremlin is located on a bank of the Gdovka River, overlooking the Russian town of Gdov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish–Swedish War (1617–1618)</span> Phase of the Polish-Swedish war

The Polish–Swedish War (1617–1618) was a phase of the longer Polish–Swedish War of 1600–1629. It continued the war of 1600–1611 and was an attempt by Sweden to take Polish pressure off Russia. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was then also fighting Tartars and the Ottoman Empire. Russia and Sweden were at that stage allied, prior to the Ingrian War, part of Russia's Time of Troubles. The 1617–1618 war's cause was a dispute over Livonia and Estonia, and a dispute between Sigismund III Vasa and Gustavus Adolphus over the Swedish throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Empire</span> Historical period in the history of Sweden (1611–1721)

The Swedish Empire or the Age of Greatness was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region. During this period it also held territories on the North Sea and some overseas colonies, including New Sweden. The beginning of the period is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and its end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaujiena Castle</span> Castle ruins in Latvia

Gaujiena Castle is a castle in the historical region of Vidzeme, in northern Latvia. It was built between 1236 and 1238. Severely damaged in 1702 during the Great Northern War, the structure was abandoned.

The Battle of Gniew or the Battle of Mewe was fought during the Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629), between Sweden and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 22 September with initial skirmishes, to the main battle of October 1 1626. Both the Swedish and Polish army were commanded by their kings – Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Sigismund III Vasa. The battle ended indecisively. However, Polish and Swedish armies had different objectives. Sigismund Vasa wanted to protect Gdańsk from besieging. Gustav had to protect Gniew, which was important for the prestige of his army. The battle ended in a Swedish victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustavus Adolphus</span> King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632

Gustavus Adolphus, also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph, was King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, and is credited with the rise of Sweden as a great European power. During his reign, Sweden became one of the primary military forces in Europe during the Thirty Years' War, helping to determine the political and religious balance of power in Europe. He was formally and posthumously given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great by the Riksdag of the Estates in 1634.

Dietrich von Falkenberg was a German statesman and army officer in Swedish service, who commanded the defence of Magdeburg during the course of the Thirty Years' War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bronnitsy</span> Battle in the Ingrian War

The Battle of Bronnitsy was part of the Ingrian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Gdov</span>

The siege of Gdov was part of the Time of Troubles and an episode of the Ingrian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Dorpat (1656)</span>

The siege of Dorpat, also known in Russian historiography as the German campaign of Trubetskoy, was a siege of the Swedish castle Dorpat by Russian troops that took place from August to October 1656.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bamberg</span> 1632 battle of the Thirty Years War

The Battle of Bamberg took place on 9 March 1632 during the Thirty Years' War. The army of the Catholic League led by Count Tilly surprised and routed the Swedes led by Gustav Horn and captured the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prussian campaign (1626–1629)</span> Campaign in Prussia during the Polish-Swedish War

The Prussian campaign (1626–1629) was a Swedish invasion of Ducal Prussia during the Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629). Despite initial success, the campaign became a war of attrition and was inconclusive. Around 30,000 or more died on the Swedish side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Riga (1621)</span> Siege of Riga in 1621

The siege of Riga was a successful Swedish siege of Riga during the Polish–Swedish War (1621–1625). It led to the capture of the city, and subsequently sent shockwaves through Europe.

References

  1. 1 2 The Cambridge history of Russia. Perrie, Maureen, 1946-, Lieven, D. C. B., Suny, Ronald Grigor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2006. ISBN   9780521812276. OCLC   77011698.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Željko., Fajfrić (2008). Ruski carevi (1. izd ed.). Sremska Mitrovica: Tabernakl. ISBN   9788685269172. OCLC   620935678.
  3. Velikai︠a︡ russkai︠a︡ smuta : prichiny vozniknovenii︠a︡ i vykhod iz gosudarstvennogo krizisa v XVI-XVII vv. Strizhova, I. M., Стрижова, И. М. Moskva: Dar. 2007. ISBN   9785485001230. OCLC   230750976.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)