An Early end to the Great Northern War?

In 1706, after Augustus II was deposed from Poland and Charles XII had won multiple victories against most of the forces, Peter I offered to return all of Sweden's Baltic possessions except St. Petersberg, which had been founded in 1703, as a peace deal. Charles XII, being the stubborn ruler he is, refused, and continued to launch an attack that lead to a devastating loss in Poltava, a Russian resurgence in the war, an incredibly prolonged war, and eventually the death of Charles himself.

What if Charles's arrogance subsided for a moment? Charles could've taken the last enemy out of the war, and would have staved off the anti-Swedish forces to be conquered another time. One of the anti-Sweden nations, Poland, was now an ally! There's quite a few reasons to take the offer.

And if he were to win, how would the rest of Charles XII's reign go? He was the last absolute monarch in Sweden, and was a military man. Would he campaign further, and if so, against who?
 
Last edited:
But what reason is there for a victorious ruler to cede territory when he clearly is winning? Suppose the offer had been a return to prewar borders instead, and some compensation for the devastation. Then things might be more negociable.

Poland at the time was not a factor to be reckoned with, ally or not.

If there were peace, what would he do? Probably not start a new war. He might be focusing on building projects, such as the new palace in Stockholm.
 
Bringing this back. So let's say Charles XII has a more successful campaign. For example, he could've waited before going on the offensive by waiting for the 12,000 men reinforcement and he doesn't get wounded, and he decides to make Russia commit to a Scorched-Earth policy all the way to Moscow, and he gets the peace he wants, pre-war borders and compensation.

Charles was still single and didn't have any lovers. Where would he look for a wife politically? Could the Hapsburgs be interested in using the newly proven Swedish empire to curb Prussia and Britain's interests?
 
Top