Siege of Fredriksten
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Fredriksten was a siege of the Norwegian fortress of Fredriksten
in the city of Halden
by Charles XII of Sweden
. While inspecting his troops' lines, Charles XII was killed by a projectile that shot into the left side of his head and out of the right. The Swedes broke the siege off, and the Norwegians kept the fortress.
made several campaigns into the city during the Great Northern War
during his campaign to capture Denmark–Norway
. At the close of the Great Northern War
, the Norwegian Army had been weakened in early 1716 by withdrawal of 5000 of the best troops to Denmark. When rumors reached Christiania that Charles XII
was preparing to invade, all remaining troops in Østerdal and Gudbrandsdal
were ordered to the border at Halden and Fredrikstad. The Norwegians expected the Swedes to invade at Kongsvinger
, Basmo
and/or Halden. It was at Basmo where Charles XII struck, crossing the border March 8, 1716. The Norwegian scorched earth
policy and guerrilla raid interdiction of supply chains by the residents of Bohuslen deprived Charles of supplies, while the fortresses still held by the Norwegians behind his lines threatened his supply chain and his retreat if seriously weakened in combat. Charles took Christiania (now Oslo), but without heavy siege artillery, was unable to take Akershus
.
After a brief occupation, Charles retraced his steps to the Norwegian fortresses
in southeastern Norway with the objective of capturing Frederiksten. This would remove the threat at his back, and the fortifications could serve as the base for a renewed offensive later that year. Capturing the harbours at the mouth of the Glomma
river would also allow him to land the necessary provisions for a successful siege of Akershus.
Charles' troops attempted to take Frederiksten by storm on July 4. His troops took the town after fierce fighting, but the citizens set fire to their own houses, forcing Charles, unable to take the fortress, to retreat and await the arrival of heavy siege guns. Unfortunately for the invading army the entire Swedish transport fleet was captured or destroyed by the Norwegian naval hero Tordenskjold at the Battle of Dynekilen
in Bohuslen. Running low on supplies, Charles retreated hastily across the Svinesund
and burned the bridges behind him. By July 12, 1716 all Swedish troops had been withdrawn from the area around Fredriksten.
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
tried to take the city of Trondheim
via Fredriksten
while the siege was still going on. Poorly equipped, Armfelt pulled out after the king fell at Fredriksten
. The ensuing disaster that struck his army is known as the Carolean Death March
. On New Year's Eve
1718 he arrived at Norwegian Tydal
, with 80 kilometers to the closest Swedish village in Jämtland
. When the troops had marched 10 kilometers from Tydalen, a severe blizzard
struck from the northwest. The bitter cold killed the guide
on the very first day, and the army scatted blindly in the mountains (Sylan
mountain range). On the following nights hundreds more perished. Of the over 5,000 men who left Tydalen, only 870 were found alive on arrival at Duved, mostly hardened Finnish veteran
s.
The siege in 1718 was the last invasion of Norway in the Great Northern War
. The war ended on the end of the siege of Fredricksten and the death of Charles XII.
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
in the city of Halden
Halden
is a both a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The seat of the municipality, Halden is a border town located at the Tista river delta on the Iddefjord, the southernmost border crossing between Norway and Sweden.-History:...
by Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
. While inspecting his troops' lines, Charles XII was killed by a projectile that shot into the left side of his head and out of the right. The Swedes broke the siege off, and the Norwegians kept the fortress.
Background
King Charles XII of SwedenCharles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
made several campaigns into the city during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
during his campaign to capture Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
. At the close of the Great Northern War
Great Northern War and Norway
The Great Northern War was the war fought between a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Russia and Saxony-Poland on one side and Sweden on the other side from 1700 to 1721. It started by a coordinated attack on Sweden by the coalition in 1700, and ended 1721 with the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad,...
, the Norwegian Army had been weakened in early 1716 by withdrawal of 5000 of the best troops to Denmark. When rumors reached Christiania that Charles XII
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
was preparing to invade, all remaining troops in Østerdal and Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
were ordered to the border at Halden and Fredrikstad. The Norwegians expected the Swedes to invade at Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
, Basmo
Basmo Fortress
Basmo fortress is located in the north-western part of Marker municipality in Østfold near the Swedish border on an isolated mountain outcropping between Rødenessjøen and Hemnessjøen....
and/or Halden. It was at Basmo where Charles XII struck, crossing the border March 8, 1716. The Norwegian scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
policy and guerrilla raid interdiction of supply chains by the residents of Bohuslen deprived Charles of supplies, while the fortresses still held by the Norwegians behind his lines threatened his supply chain and his retreat if seriously weakened in combat. Charles took Christiania (now Oslo), but without heavy siege artillery, was unable to take Akershus
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
.
After a brief occupation, Charles retraced his steps to the Norwegian fortresses
Norwegian Fortresses
Norwegian fortresses or fortifications have been constructed from some of the earliest recorded periods, down through the 20th century. The geography and topography of glacially carved, mountainous Norway constrain both the sea and the land routes which an aggresser must follow...
in southeastern Norway with the objective of capturing Frederiksten. This would remove the threat at his back, and the fortifications could serve as the base for a renewed offensive later that year. Capturing the harbours at the mouth of the Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
river would also allow him to land the necessary provisions for a successful siege of Akershus.
Charles' troops attempted to take Frederiksten by storm on July 4. His troops took the town after fierce fighting, but the citizens set fire to their own houses, forcing Charles, unable to take the fortress, to retreat and await the arrival of heavy siege guns. Unfortunately for the invading army the entire Swedish transport fleet was captured or destroyed by the Norwegian naval hero Tordenskjold at the Battle of Dynekilen
Battle of Dynekilen
The naval Battle of Dynekilen took place on 8 July 1716 during the Great Northern War.-Background:On 28 October 1709 Frederik IV of Denmark, the Danish-Norwegian king declared the war against Sweden...
in Bohuslen. Running low on supplies, Charles retreated hastily across the Svinesund
Svinesund
Svinesund is a sound separating the Swedish municipality of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän in the county of Västra Götaland from the Norwegian municipality of Halden in the county of Østfold....
and burned the bridges behind him. By July 12, 1716 all Swedish troops had been withdrawn from the area around Fredriksten.
Siege of 1718
Charles came again to besiege the fortress in autumn of 1718 with 40,000 men. He did this intending to first capture Halden to be able to sustain a siege of Akershus. By first taking the border areas, Charles wished to avoid a repeat of the fiasco he had suffered two years before. The 1,400 strong garrison of Frederiksten fought ferociously to hold back the invasion, but suffered a severe setback when, on December 8 the forward fortification Fort Gyldenløve fell. Encouraged by their very hard-fought success the Swedish army intensified their efforts against the main fort. The Swedish trenches had almost reached the main fortification walls when on the evening of December 11 (Swedish calendar: November 30), 1718, a projectile struck and killed Charles XII while he inspected the work. The death of the king effectively ended the attack on Fredriksten and the invasion was called off, leading to the conclusion of the war. A memorial is located in the park named in his memory where the Swedish king fell, just in front of the fortress.Expedition by Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt was a Swedish officer, general and friherre who took part in the Great Northern War....
tried to take the city of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
via Fredriksten
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
while the siege was still going on. Poorly equipped, Armfelt pulled out after the king fell at Fredriksten
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
. The ensuing disaster that struck his army is known as the Carolean Death March
Carolean Death March
The Carolean Death March or the Catastrophe of Øyfjellet refers to the disastrous retreat by a Swedish Carolean army under the command of Carl Gustaf Armfeldt across the Tydal mountain range in Trøndelag around the new year 1718-1719.-Background:...
. On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1718 he arrived at Norwegian Tydal
Tydal
Tydal is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås. Other villages include Østby, Gressli, Aunet, and Stugudalen. There is a school and a kindergarten in Tydal....
, with 80 kilometers to the closest Swedish village in Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
. When the troops had marched 10 kilometers from Tydalen, a severe blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
struck from the northwest. The bitter cold killed the guide
Guide
A guide is a person who leads anyone through unknown or unmapped country. This includes a guide of the real world , as well as a person who leads someone to more abstract places .-Guide - meanings related to travel and recreational pursuits:There are many variants of...
on the very first day, and the army scatted blindly in the mountains (Sylan
Sylan
Sylan , Sylarna , Bealjehkh is a mountain range on the border between Norway and Sweden, in the counties Sør-Trøndelag and Jämtland....
mountain range). On the following nights hundreds more perished. Of the over 5,000 men who left Tydalen, only 870 were found alive on arrival at Duved, mostly hardened Finnish veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s.
Aftermath
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
. The war ended on the end of the siege of Fredricksten and the death of Charles XII.