Invasion of Livonia
Augustus II sends Saxon troops into Swedish Livonia, opening his campaign against Sweden.
181 historical records
Augustus II sends Saxon troops into Swedish Livonia, opening his campaign against Sweden.
Augustus II's Saxon army begins operations against Riga.
Prepares Sweden's response as enemies attack its Baltic empire.
Aligns Danish civil dating more closely with most of western Europe.
Helps introduce the Gregorian calendar in Denmark-Norway.
The Second Partition Treaty makes Archduke Charles the proposed heir to Spain and the Indies.
William III of Orange agrees the Second Partition Treaty with France and the Dutch Republic in another attempt to avoid a European succession war.
Louis XIV agrees the Second Partition Treaty with England and the Dutch Republic after Joseph Ferdinand's death.
The Second Partition Treaty reserves important Italian possessions for the French Dauphin.
Heinsius supports the Dutch Republic entering the Second Partition Treaty after the Bavarian heir dies.
Defends Sweden's ally after Denmark attacks Holstein-Gottorp.
Frederick IV invades Holstein-Gottorp, Sweden's ally, at the opening of the Great Northern War.
Death of Samuel Pepys, naval administrator and diarist.
Augustus Saxon troops begin to besiege Riga
The Treaty of Constantinople confirms Russia's possession of Azov and frees Peter I to turn against Sweden.
Yemelyan Ukraintsev concludes the Treaty of Constantinople with the Ottoman Empire.
Peter I secures peace with the Ottoman Empire and confirmation of Russian possession of Azov.
Prince William complains of illness after his eleventh birthday celebrations at Windsor.
The death of the Duke of Gloucester leaves the Protestant succession dangerously narrow and creates a major constitutional problem for William III of Orange.
Prince William, Anne's only surviving child, dies aged eleven and leaves the Protestant succession uncertain.
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, Anne's only surviving child, dies aged eleven, creating a Protestant succession crisis.
The death of her son Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, leaves Anne without a surviving direct heir.
The death of Prince William of Gloucester leaves Anne without a surviving child and makes a new succession settlement urgent.
Augustus II loses Denmark as an active ally after Charles XII's landing on Zealand forces the Treaty of Travendal.
The landing at Humlebaek threatens Copenhagen and forces Denmark toward the Treaty of Travendal.
Charles XII's army and fleet advance toward Copenhagen and force Denmark to seek peace.
Charles XII lands near Copenhagen with Anglo-Dutch naval support and forces Denmark toward peace.
Lands near Copenhagen with naval support and threatens Denmark's capital.
The Treaty of Travendal removes Denmark from Augustus II's anti-Swedish coalition.
Denmark is forced out of the anti-Swedish alliance, weakening Augustus II's coalition against Charles XII.
Charles XII forces Denmark-Norway to make peace and abandon hostilities against Sweden.
Denmark-Norway makes peace and withdraws from the first anti-Swedish coalition.
Forces Denmark-Norway out of the war temporarily.
Peter I declares war on Sweden after securing peace with the Ottoman Empire.
Death of Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl of Berkeley.
Peter I sends Russian forces into Swedish Ingria at the opening of the Great Northern War.
Charles II's final will rejects partition by naming Philip of Anjou heir to the undivided monarchy.
Charles II signs a final will naming Philip of Anjou as heir to the Spanish monarchy.
Charles II signs his final will naming Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, as heir to the Spanish monarchy.
Charles XII lands in Livonia and begins the campaign to relieve Narva.
Moves east to relieve Swedish positions threatened by Russia.
Charles XII invades Livonia
Russian forces struggle to maintain supply lines while besieging Narva.
Peter I's army begins the siege of the Swedish fortress of Narva.
Peter the Greats army of 40,000 besiege Narva
Cardinal Portocarrero becomes a leading figure in the government after Charles II's death.
Portocarrero helps direct the government after Charles II's death and before Philip V reaches Spain.
Charles II dies childless in Madrid, triggering the succession crisis that leads to European war.
Charles II dies childless, ending the Spanish Habsburg line.
The death of Charles II ends nearly two centuries of Habsburg rule in Spain.
Maria Anna of Neuburg becomes the widow of Charles II after his death.
Charles II dies childless at Madrid, ending the Spanish Habsburg line and triggering the succession crisis.
Charles II's death without children opens the succession conflict over the Spanish monarchy.
Charles II's death makes the partition treaties obsolete and opens the Spanish succession dispute.
Considers Charles II's will naming Philip of Anjou.
Louis XIV considers the will of Charles II naming Philip of Anjou heir to Spain.
Peter I & his forces are forced to flee by the Swedish. 13-19 Nov, Charles XII scatters Russian forces blocking the Swedish route to Narva
Charles XII's army advances through harsh weather toward Narva and scatters Russian blocking forces.
Philip of Anjou is proclaimed heir to Spain after Charles II leaves him the Spanish crown.
Louis XIV accepts Charles II's will naming Philip of Anjou as heir to the Spanish monarchy.
Philip, Duke of Anjou, is presented at Versailles as the new King of Spain.
Louis XIV accepts Charles II's will on behalf of his grandson Philip of Anjou.
Recognises his grandson Philip as King of Spain.
Louis XIV accepts Charles II of Spain's will naming Philip of Anjou as heir to the Spanish monarchy.
Philip of Anjou is proclaimed King of Spain as Philip V.
Augustus II loses strategic momentum after Charles XII destroys the Russian army at Narva.
The Swedish victory at Narva strengthens Charles XII and worsens Augustus II's position.
Adam Veyde commands a Russian division during the Battle of Narva.
Avtonom Golovin commands part of the Russian army during the Battle of Narva.
Ivan Trubetskoy is among the Russian commanders captured after Narva.
Boris Sheremetev's cavalry is caught in the Russian defeat at Narva.
Charles Eugene de Croy commands Russian forces at Narva after Peter I leaves the army.
Iakov Dolgorukov is taken prisoner after the Russian defeat at Narva.
Charles XII positioned his 8,000 men (another 2,500 men were garrisoned in the city and would take part in the battle at a later stage) opposite the besieging Russian army of about 34,000 to 40,000 troops.
If Sweden had invaded Russia immediately after Narva, Peter would have been almost powerless to stop them.
The Russian surrender brought to Charles XII's army all of Peter's cannons, muskets and military supplies.
This left Russia's remaining armed forces with essentially no equipment.
Peter I's army loses artillery, muskets and supplies after the defeat at Narva.
Carl Gustav Rehnskiold helps command the Swedish attack at Narva.
Magnus Stenbock serves in the Swedish army during the victory at Narva.
Otto Vellingk serves among the senior Swedish officers during Charles XII's Narva campaign.
Henning Rudolf Horn commands the Swedish garrison at Narva before Charles XII relieves the fortress.
Charles XII defeats Peter I's much larger Russian army at Narva and captures guns and supplies.
Charles XII defeats Peter I's much larger Russian army at Narva.
Charles XII leads a smaller Swedish army to victory over Peter I's larger Russian force at Narva.
Defeats a much larger Russian army outside Narva.
Charles XII defeats the Russian army besieging Narva and relieves the Swedish fortress.
Relieves the Swedish fortress and captures Russian artillery.
After Narva, Charles XII turns south toward Livonia and Poland-Lithuania rather than invading Russia.
Louis XIV convenes council over whether to accept the Spanish inheritance for his grandson.
Louis XIV publicly recognises Philip of Anjou as King of Spain.
Torcy manages French diplomacy during the Spanish succession crisis.
The Grand Dauphin's line becomes central to the Bourbon claim to the Spanish throne.
Philip of Anjou assumes the title Philip V of Spain.
The Duke of Berry remains part of the Bourbon family calculations during the Spanish succession crisis.
The Duke of Burgundy remains in the French succession while his brother Philip accepts Spain.
Madame de Maintenon is present at court as Louis XIV weighs acceptance of the Spanish will.
Louis XIV's acceptance of the Spanish will provokes alarm among France's rivals.
Peter I leaves the siege of Narva shortly before the Swedish relief army arrives.
Portocarrero supports the acceptance of Philip of Anjou as Charles II's successor.
Philip V becomes the first Bourbon monarch of Spain.
The Crown of Castile accepts Philip V as the heir named in Charles II's will.
Charles II is buried in the royal pantheon at El Escorial.
Portocarrero helps steer the Spanish council toward acceptance of the Bourbon succession.
Archduke Charles is advanced by the Austrian Habsburgs as a rival claimant to Spain.
Philip V claims the whole Spanish inheritance under Charles II's will.
Henning Rudolf Horn commands the Swedish garrison at Narva during the Russian siege.
Charles XII marches through difficult weather toward Narva to relieve the Swedish fortress.
Marches through harsh weather to relieve Narva.
Charles XII leads the Swedish relief army toward Narva while Russian troops besiege the fortress.
The Spanish testament naming Philip of Anjou is debated at Versailles amid fears of a European war.
Louis XIV issues measures preserving Philip V's French dynastic status, increasing European concern.
Torcy prepares diplomatic communications explaining the Bourbon acceptance of Spain.
Chamillart faces rising military pressure as the Spanish succession crisis moves toward war.
Philip V prepares to leave Versailles for Spain after being named heir to the Spanish throne.
Philip leaves Versailles for Spain to take possession of the Spanish throne.
Louis XIV supports his grandson Philip as king of Spain while seeking to preserve Bourbon influence.
Philip V leaves the French court to take possession of the Spanish monarchy.
Vendome is considered among France's leading commanders as the Bourbon succession crisis develops.
Louis XIV's decision threatens to unite Bourbon interests across France and Spain.
Nicolas Catinat is among the senior French commanders available as war over Spain becomes likely.
Nikita Repnin is associated with the rebuilding of Russian forces after the Narva disaster.
After Narva, Peter I begins urgent efforts to rebuild and reform the Russian army.
Peter I orders new artillery production after the loss of guns at Narva.
Peter I refuses to abandon the Baltic war despite the heavy defeat at Narva.
Spanish ministers begin issuing government business in the name of Philip V.
Philip V prepares to leave France for his new Spanish kingdom.
Philip V assumes the royal style of King of Spain while still at Versailles.
Philip V's accession alarms powers opposed to a Bourbon union of France and Spain.
After Narva, Charles XII turns toward Livonia and Poland-Lithuania rather than immediately invading Russia.
Turns south against Augustus II rather than marching directly on Moscow.
Leopold I advances the Spanish succession claim of his son Archduke Charles after the impending extinction of the Spanish Habsburg line.
Frederick IV joins Peter I and Augustus II in the coalition against Charles XII of Sweden.
Thomas Trevor serves as Attorney General during the late Williamite government.
John Methuen represents English diplomatic interests in Portugal during the succession crisis.
James Vernon continues as Secretary of State during the succession crisis.
John Hawles continues as Solicitor General for England.
Appointed Speaker of the House of Commons
Robert Harley is chosen Speaker of the House of Commons.
Appointed Lord High Treasurer, 1st term
Sidney Godolphin is appointed Lord High Treasurer during William III's final years.
William III of Orange accepts the need for a new parliamentary settlement to secure a Protestant successor after the Duke of Gloucester's death.
John Somers is removed from office as Lord Keeper amid party conflict.
Death of Thomas Belasyse, his Earldom becomes extinct but the viscountancy passes to his nephew
After Prince William of Gloucester's death, Anne has no surviving child, forcing Parliament to consider a new Protestant succession settlement.
Robert Harley emerges as a key Tory manager in the House of Commons.
Charles Montagu remains a leading Whig figure during disputes over finance and succession.
Walpole marries Catherine Shorter
Accumulated records of transits and apparent stellar positions strengthened the empirical foundation for navigation tables. The episode illustrates the growing value of calibrated scientific instruments.
John Somers continues as President of the Royal Society.
As a young writer Pope cultivated the pastoral verse that would establish his early literary reputation.
Defoe published The Pacificator, a satirical poem engaging in contemporary religious and political disputes.
Tidal access to the diverted Frome continued to form part of Bristol's commercial harbour system. Its legacy can be traced in the layout of the city waterfront.
Rajaram dies at Sinhagad while the prolonged Maratha war against Aurangzeb remains unresolved.
Tarabai assumes the regency for her young son Shivaji II and directs Maratha resistance against the Mughal Empire.
Berkeley entered Trinity College Dublin and encountered a curriculum increasingly attentive to modern natural philosophy. His university education furnished the logical and scientific background for his critique of abstraction.
Appointed Pope, Giovanni Francesco Albani
Augustus II pursues Baltic ambitions through his Saxon army rather than a unified Commonwealth mobilisation.
Hieronim Augustyn Lubomirski remains a major Polish military figure as Augustus II opens the northern war.
Augustus II seeks to use the anti-Swedish coalition to strengthen his position in Livonia.
Augustus II seeks to gain Livonia from Sweden and increase Saxon-Polish influence on the Baltic.
Augustus II coordinates with Russia and Denmark against Charles XII of Sweden.
Augustus II opens the war by sending Saxon troops into Swedish Livonia, aligning Poland-Saxony with Russia and Denmark against Sweden.
Augustus II's forces fail to secure Riga quickly at the beginning of the war.
Augustus II's Russian ally invades Ingria while Saxon troops press the war against Swedish Livonia.
Charles XII invades Livonia. The invasion of Livonia precipitates the Great Northern War with Sweden
Peter I, Augustus II & Frederick IV form a secret alliance against Charles XII
Peter I seeks a Baltic outlet and challenges Sweden's control of the eastern Baltic.
Peter I seeks access to the Baltic and challenges Sweden's dominance while Charles XII is still a young monarch.
Peter I joins Augustus II and Frederick IV in the anti-Swedish coalition.
Peter I declares war on Sweden after securing peace with the Ottoman Empire, joining the coalition against Charles XII.
Peter I coordinates with Augustus II of Poland-Saxony and Frederick IV of Denmark against Sweden.
The Count of Oropesa represents a faction wary of French influence at the Spanish court.
Manuel Arias participates in high-level Spanish deliberations over the succession.
Charles XII personally leads Sweden's response to the attacks by Denmark, Saxony and Russia.
Peter I, Augustus II and Frederick IV form a coalition against Charles XII and the Swedish Empire.
Charles XII defends Sweden's Baltic empire against the coalition of Denmark, Russia and Saxony-Poland.
Sweden responds to Saxon and Russian attacks on its Baltic provinces at the opening of the war.
Charles XII answers attacks by Denmark, Saxony and Russia as the Great Northern War begins.
Charles XII defends Sweden's ally Holstein-Gottorp after Denmark attacks at the start of the war.
Leads the Swedish army personally for much of the war.