What if Charles XII of Sweden survived?- WAR

What happens to the War if Charles XII survived

  • He wins the War, and forces a peace

    Votes: 12 34.3%
  • He losses the War, and forced to make peace

    Votes: 23 65.7%
  • He surrenders, and makes peace

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    35
In 1718, While inspecting trenches close to the perimeter of the fortress, Charles XII of Sweden was struck in the head by a projectile and killed.

But what if the bullet missed? What would Charles do after coming close to death?

Here are a few questions:
Would he win the siege of Fredrikshald?
Would he go back to Sweden?
If he still lost the war, what would his later life be like?
Would Sweden remain a absolute monarchy, would it still be call the Swedish Empire?
If Charles lived a long time, how long would he live to? Would get married and have a child?
How would he go in later conflicts like the War of Austrian Succession or the 7 years war?
 
I imagine he'll get Sweden into more unwinnable wars until his luck runs out and he dies or is so devastatingly defeated that he cannot keep up as absolute monarch. He seems to be a would-be Napoleon without the strongest nation in Europe to back him up.
 
Would he win the siege of Fredrikshald?

Quite possibly, his siege lines were getting closer and closer to the fortress by the day. Unless the defenders somehow throw back the the attack, he most likely takes Frederiksten.

Would he go back to Sweden?

His plan was to advance on Akerhus near modern day Oslo once Frederiksten fell. Whether or not he'd succeed is an open question.

If he still lost the war, what would his later life be like?

He was a very smart young man, but with a rather bad diplomatic record. If he isn't deposed in the course of the ongoing war, he would probably build up his strength for either revanche or to protect against Dano-Norwegian irredentism.

Would Sweden remain a absolute monarchy, would it still be call the Swedish Empire?

Charles was very much the walking and talking incarnation of Scandinavian absolutism, IIRC. If he isn't deposed by his war weary subjects, I can't see him voluntarily bending to the liberal desires of the Riksdag. The term Swedish Empire (Stormaktstiden - “the great power age”) is a historical invention, the realm was known as The Kingdom of Sweden/the Swedish realm.

If Charles lived a long time, how long would he live to? Would get married and have a child?

It was a matter of state security at the time for monarchs to wed, so yes.

How would he go in later conflicts like the War of Austrian Succession or the 7 years war?

It all depends on how the Great Northern War ends and the extent of his royal power.
 
Last edited:
I imagine he'll get Sweden into more unwinnable wars until his luck runs out and he dies or is so devastatingly defeated that he cannot keep up as absolute monarch. He seems to be a would-be Napoleon without the strongest nation in Europe to back him up.

Pretty much this he would keep his idiocy up until either

1: He dies,
2: He's overthrown
3: He runs out of Swedes
 
Pretty much this he would keep his idiocy up until either

1: He dies,
2: He's overthrown
3: He runs out of Swedes

Good summary of options. :)

In OTL the war continued for years after his death with a very serious destruction of the Swedish iron industry and economy in general until the common sense prevailed. Somehow I have difficulty imagining Charles being led by anything but what was his sense of "justice" and this means even longer war with even greater devastation.
 
We would see a more delayed defeat of Sweden in this case. The war for Sweden been lost since the failure in Russia. Charles XII eventually will lose everything, but he will go down fighting and try and take everyone with him.
 
Last edited:
I have a feeling that if he’s alive, nobody is going to dare suggest parliamentary monarchy
I recall that someone threatened with calling the parliament, unless he returned from Turkey.

We would see a more delayed defeat of Sweden in this case. The war for Sweden been lost since the failure in Russia. Charles XII eventually will lose everything, but he will go down fighting and try and take everyone with him.
There was a Russian peace in the making, including Russian assistance against the other enemies. It seems uncertain if the Swedes were serious about this peace or if they were just trying to use the Russians and then turn on them, but as resources were scarcer year by year, even the King must someday face reality and try to end the war.
 
The story of Charles XII is a beautiful one and after reading on it, I can't help but admire him even though I am a Denmark fan. I now know why plenty of people who don't care too much about PLC or Russia in this era are so interested in the Great northern War. However, once he cut his communication lines to Sweden, it was impossible for him to come out on top.
 
I'm not an expert on this portion of history (although the Great Northern War fascinates me), so forgive me if this sounds ignorant, but is it possible that Charles XII would establish colonies in Africa and possibly even Asia and Oceania? Imagine a Swedish colonial empire scattered across the world by the end of the 19th Century.
 
I'm not an expert on this portion of history (although the Great Northern War fascinates me), so forgive me if this sounds ignorant, but is it possible that Charles XII would establish colonies in Africa and possibly even Asia and Oceania? Imagine a Swedish colonial empire scattered across the world by the end of the 19th Century.

You know, I asked that same question in this thread I made

https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...les-xii-of-sweden-survived-later-life.453327/
 
I'm not an expert on this portion of history (although the Great Northern War fascinates me), so forgive me if this sounds ignorant, but is it possible that Charles XII would establish colonies in Africa and possibly even Asia and Oceania? Imagine a Swedish colonial empire scattered across the world by the end of the 19th Century.
On one hand, Sweden had already lost its African colony by then.
On the other, Denmark had Indian colonies until, formally, 1868 or so.

The answer could depend on what happens to Denmark and Norway...
 
Top