The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I of Russia, Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway and Augustus II the Strong of Saxony–Poland–Lithuania. Frederick IV and Augustus II were defeated by Sweden, under Charles XII, and forced out of the alliance in 1700 and 1706 respectively, but rejoined it in 1709 after the defeat of Charles XII at the Battle of Poltava. George I of Great Britain and the Electorate of Hanover joined the coalition in 1714 for Hanover and in 1717 for Britain, and Frederick William I of Brandenburg-Prussia joined it in 1715.
The Battle of Narva on 30 November [O.S. 19 November] 1700 was an early battle in the Great Northern War. A Swedish relief army under Charles XII of Sweden defeated a Russian siege force three to four times its size. Previously, Charles XII had forced Denmark–Norway to sign the Treaty of Travendal. Narva was not followed by further advances of the Swedish army into Russia; instead, Charles XII turned southward to expel August the Strong from Livonia and Poland-Lithuania. Tsar Peter the Great of Russia took Narva in a second battle in 1704.
Frederick IV was King of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of Christian V of Denmark-Norway and his wife Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel.
Colonel-in-chief is a ceremonial position in a military regiment. It is in common use in several Commonwealth armies, where it is held by the regiment's patron, usually a member of the royal family.
The Battle of Sehested was fought between Danish and Russian-Prussian-British troops at Sehested on 10 December 1813 during the War of the Sixth Coalition. The Danish Auxiliary Corps, which fought on the side of the French defeated the coalition forces commanded by Major General Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn.
Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–1711) was the first significant attempt to topple the rule of the Habsburgs over Hungary. The war was conducted by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by Francis II Rákóczi and resigned soldiers and peasants fought alongside the noblemen. The insurrection was unsuccessful, ending with the Treaty of Szatmár; however, the Hungarian nobility managed to partially satisfy Hungarian interests.
Charles O'Brien, 5th Viscount Clare (1673–1706) was the son of Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare and Philadelphia Lennard. He married Charlotte Bulkeley, daughter of Henry Bulkeley and Sophia Stuart, on 9 January 1696, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Henry Bulkeley was the "Master of the Household" for Kings Charles II and James II.
Battle of Zsibó was fought on 15 November 1705 between the Kuruc (Hungarian) army and forces of the Habsburg Empire, Kingdom of Denmark and Vojvodian Serbs in Zsibó, Principality of Transylvania. The Austrian marshal Ludwig Herbeville marched against Transylvania. Although the Kuruc-French army was equal in size to the combined Austrian, Danish and Serbian forces, Francis II Rákóczi went on the defense due to the inferior training of his troops. The Danes and Austrians launched a powerful attack on the French and Kuruc infantry. Although the Kuruc infantry held its ground, the Kuruc cavalry could not launch an attack due to a lack of leadership and an overly muddy battlefield. The Austrian cavalry was thus capable of flanking the Hungarians on the left, forcing the Hungarians to retreat and crushing their cavalry in the process. After the battle, the combined Austrian-Danish army bought Transylvania.
Imperial Army or Imperial Troops was a name used for several centuries, especially to describe soldiers recruited for the Holy Roman Emperor during the early modern period. The Imperial Army of the Emperor should not be confused with the Army of the Holy Roman Empire, which could only be deployed with the consent of the Imperial Diet. The Imperialists effectively became a standing army of troops under the Habsburg Emperors from the House of Austria, which is why they were also increasingly described in the 18th century as "Austrians", although its troops were recruited not just from the Archduchy of Austria but from all over the Holy Roman Empire.
The regiment was a cavalry unit raised in the 17th century for the Imperial Habsburg Army. Over the course of time, this unit became the 8th Bohemian Dragoons (Count Montecuccoli's) (Böhmischen Dragoner-Regiment „Graf Montecuccoli“ Nr. 8) within the "Common Army" that formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Army. From 1888 the unit was to bear this new title "in perpetuity".
The Battle of Smolenice was a battle between the Kuruc, and the forces of the Habsburg Empire, soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire and auxiliaries from Denmark. The battle occurred on 28 May 1704 at Smolenice in Upper Hungary, where the Kuruc army routed the Habsburg forces, capturing the Austrian commander. For a short time, the rebels threatened the safety of Vienna, marauding through a number of villages in Lower Austria, Marchfeld, and Moravia.
The Battle of Zvolen was a battle between the Kuruc's and the army of Habsburg monarchy on 15 November 1703 at Zvolen in Upper Hungary. General Miklós Bercsényi was routed by the Austrian army under Simon Forgách. Forgách in 1704 went over to the Kuruc side.
The Battle of Koroncó took place on 13 June 1704 at Koroncó in Győr County, Hungary between the Kurucs (Hungarians) and the army of Habsburg Empire. The Kuruc army was defeated in the battle. Although the Austrian army retired to Austria after the battle, the Kuruc positions in the Dunántúl remained uncertain until 1705 because of the fiasco near Koroncó.
Jürgen Christoph von Koppelow or Jørgen Christopher von Koppelau (1684–1770) was a Norwegian nobleman and officer that fought in the Great Northern War on behalf of Denmark–Norway. Von Koppelow was the son of Curt Christoph von Koppelow, a German-Norwegian nobleman from the House of Koppelow in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Von Koppelow led the Norwegian Army's 3rd Søndenfjeldske Dragoon Regiment upon its establishment in 1750.
Scanian Regiment, was a Danish national infantry regiment 1615–1658. It was raised among the peasantry in Skåneland to augment the mercenary army, and fought against Habsburg during the Thirty Years' War and against Sweden in 1657–1658. When Skåne was ceded to Sweden in 1658, it was disbanded.
Having been forced to sue for peace with Sweden in 1700, the Danish army was much larger than the kingdom could support. The King decided to put almost half of the army under Allied command during the War of the Spanish Succession. Twelve thousand soldiers were in 1701 made available to the Allied powers in Flanders through a treaty with the Dutch Republic and England. The Danish corps fought under Marlborough at the battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet suffering heavy losses. It returned to Denmark in 1713 and 1714.
The Danish Auxiliary Corps was a corps of 7,000 Danish soldiers sent to fight with William of Orange who was at war in Ireland. Disappointed with his alliance with France's King Louis XIV, Christian V of Denmark–Norway in 1689 entered into a treaty of military assistance with King William III of England. The corps was transported to Ireland, fighting against the Jacobites, participating in the battles of the Boyne and Aughrim, as well as the sieges of Limerick, Cork, Kinsale, Athlone, and Galway. In early 1692 the corps was transported to Flanders for future service in English pay.
Johann Dietrich von Haxthausen , born 1652, died 1703, was one of many North German noblemen serving the King of Denmark, becoming a major-general and commander of the Danish Auxiliary Corps in Habsburg service.
The Drabant Corps of Charles XII was the most prestigious unit in the Swedish Army during the time of the Great Northern War. As a result of the reforms of 1700, all personnel in the corps received an officer's rank with increased wages, while its size was eventually set at 168 men. Those serving as Drabants were almost exclusively recruited from the Swedish Empire, with most coming from Sweden. The corps was issued the finest weapons, horses, and clothing was often adorned with gold lacing. They fought according to the cavalry regulations of the Caroleans, emphasizing the cold-steel charge in slight wedge formations, knee behind knee, over the more common caracole. This strategy allowed them to function as a bodyguard for the king as well as an elite combat unit, often playing a crucial role in the battles despite their relatively small size. During the war, the corps frequently marched with the main army and the king, fighting in most battles.
