Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - XIII. Reign of Charles XII, 1697–1718 - D. War with Augustus II
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
War with Poland 225
Invasion of Saxony. To compel Augustus himself to
recognize Stanislaus Lesczinski as king of Poland,
Charles finally invaded Saxony and compelled the elec-
tor to accept the Peace of Altranstadt, in 1706. Augus-
tus abdicated the Polish throne, recognized the new
king, and renounced the alliance with Sweden’s foes.
For his own part Charles took nothing.* He hoped
now to have received in Poland a good ally and a
country from which he could direct a decisive blow
against Russia.
Peace was concluded, but Charles gave no signs of
leaving Saxony. He had to keep an eye on Augustus
and make sure of the fulfillment of the terms of peace,
and at the same time to rest and recuperate his forces
in the rich lands of the elector.
Here gathered in the Swedish headquarters at Alt-
ranstadt princes, generals, and ambassadors from
nearly every land in Europe. Some came merely to see
the celebrated hero-king, others to solicit the aid of
his victorious army in the great war which was being
fought in central and western Europe simultaneously
with the Great Northern War. The question was who
should succeed to the vacant throne in Spain. This
war, in which nearly all the states in Europe were in-
volved, is known as the War of the Spanish Succession.
These gatherings at Altranstadt around Charles XII
remind one of the days of Gustavus Adolphus in Mainz.
. It was a strange spectacle to see the richly decorated
lords in silk hose and gold-embroidered vestments of
satin and velvet in gaudy colors, and decked with
* Charles never declared war against any country, nor did he ever aim at
adding new territory to his own.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
