Sapura has previously expressed interest in this rather obscure Swedish intervention in Russian affairs. Here is my summary. Enjoy. 
When Tsar Fjodor dies in 1598 it is the end of the ancient dynasty of Rurik. Power is now seized by Boris Godunov, but his reign is very impopular. A monk claiming to be Fjodor's murdered brother Dimitri seizes power with the support of Poland and several Russian noblemen in 1605. The false Dimitri soon becomes impopular and is murdered. The nobleman Vasilij Sjujski is elected Tsar in 1606.
Soon, another false Dimitri appears in Moscow and gains the support of Poland and many Russians. Sjujski's position is precarious and he turns to Sweden for military aid. In February of 1609 a treaty is signed wherein Sweden promises to send 5000 men to the Tsar's aid in return for the province of Kexholm.
The 26 year old Jacob Pontusson De La Gardie enters Russia in March the same year with a force that is somewhat larger than the promised 5000. He marches to Novgorod without incident and meets up with Mikhail Sjujski - nephew to the Tsar. The two become friends, but Mikhail can only add 1000-1500 men to the force. On May 2nd the force leaves for Moscow, which is besieged by the false Dimitri.
On May 12th the force reaches Staraja Russa after defeating a small force of Dimitri's men. Three days later the Swedish/Russian force overtakes the retreating Russians and crushes them soundly near Kamenka. 1500 enemies are killed. On June 17th the city of Torzhok is taken. On July 15th the intervention force wins a battle outside Tver, but fails to take the city quickly and turns to relieve Moscow instead.
When the force reaches Kaljazin the Finnish elements of the army decide to head back home and De La Gardie has to follow them back to convince them to continue the march. He succeeds and returns to Tver where he intends to wait for reinforcements from Sweden. Meanwhile he sends some soldiers under Some to Kaljazin to train more Russian troops. These manage to repel a Polish attack on August 18th.
Once again, Jacob's men become rebellious and have to be brought back into the fold. The most tired ones are allowed to go home and De La Gardie continues to Kaljazin with a reduced force. Mikhail again urges him to march on Moscow, but De La Gardie wants to wait for reinforcements.
In the end the small army marches on to the Troitsko-Sergiev cloister where it defeats a besieging Polish force on October 28th.
In February of 1610 the long awaited Swedish reinforcements arrive and De La Gardie can march on Moscow with 5000 men. The besiegers at Moscow burn their camps and leave upon hearing of the approaching army. The Polish elements head back to Smolensk. On March 12th De La Gardie marches through the gates of Moscow, which has withstood a two-year siege. The force remains for two months.
In the middle of April a force of 400 riders are sent against a Polish camp at Rzjov. The attack is a success, which is followed up by a second force three days later. By this time Mikhail Sjujski is poisoned and dies, leaving the Tsar's incompetent brother Dimitri in charge of the Russian forces.
Finally the Tsar convinces De La Gardie to march on the Polish camp at Smolensk. By now the Poles have abandoned the cause of the false Dimitri and have decided to back Sigismund's own son Vladislav as Tsar.
On June 23rd De La Gardie reaches the village of Klusina. A few miles away the Polish force of 5,000-10,000 stands under the command of the skilled general Stanislav Zolkowski.
By this time the Swedes are extremely rebellious and the Russians are extremely unpredictable. Sensing disaster, De La Gardie attempts to calm things down (but fails). The following morning the Polish army stands battle ready in front of the camp. The Swedish cavalry charges to little effect, but the infantry refuses to move. The mercenaries start to plunder the camp supplies and then begin negotiating with Zolkowski. The Russians flee.
De La Gardie has no choice but to negotiate with the Poles for the right to leave. He gains the right to march home to Sweden if he promises not to fight for Sjujski anymore.
De La Gardie marches home, but the story is not over. Sigismund succeeds in installing his son as Tsar in Russia, but the Russian people is still not happy, and neither is Charles IX of Sweden. He and De La Gardie make new plans to intervene; this time with three possible goals:
1) Install Charles Philip, brother of Gustavus Adolphus, on the Russian throne.
2) Break Novgorod lose from Muscovite control and restore the Republic.
3) Take Ingermanland and Kexholm from Russia.
A new army is raised and DLG starts taking Russian cities and forts around the Gulf of Finland. While besieging Ivangorod the army, which is largely mercenary deserts him once again. The siege is failed, but meanwhile another Swedish force has taken Ladoga.
In 1611 Ladoga is retaken by Russians and DLG fails to take Nöteborg. However, he takes Kexholm and marches on Novgorod. After some failed negotiations he decides to take the city by force. A successful nightly attack on July 15th allows De La Gardie to enter the conquered city by dawn. The Russians in Novgorod agree to support Charles Philip as Tsar. On September 12th Ladoga falls to Sweden once more. Tichvin and Staraja Russa follow suit, but Pskov repels the Swedes. On October 30th Charles IX dies, and Gustavus Adolphus assumes the throne. He is not as keen as his father on putting a Swede on the Russian throne, but is more interested in conquered territory.
During the early months of 1612 Staraja Russa falls to cossacks, but these are later completely crushed by Evert Horn. He proceeds to take Nöteborg and Kopore, then Jama and Gdov. Ivangorod falls on December 4th of 1612. Another attack on Pskov fails and the Swedes are by now very tired and disease runs rampant. Meanwhile the Polish puppet Tsar has been deposed after the defeat of Chodkiewicz outside Moscow.
In February of 1613 Michail Romanov is elected Tsar and the Russians manage to retake Gdov and Tichvin. However, the end of the Kalmar war against Denmark means that Gustavus can send reinforments.
Meanwhile the Russians have built up a new army near Bronnicy, and the Swedes lay siege on June 27th of 1614. The Russians are soundly defeated and chased away on July 14th. Now Gustavus himself arrives and takes charge of operations. Gdov is retaken, and Olonets falls to another attack. In the autumn Gustavus and DLG return to Sweden, leaving Novgorod in the hands of Evert Horn. He has orders to convince the city to secede from Russia, but the citizens are not thrilled.
Peace negotiations with Romanov start in 1615 while Gustavus attempts to improve his position by taking Pskov. This fails and the war drags on until 1617. Peace is finally signed on February 17th and the Swedes gain Kexholm and Ingermanland, denying the Russians their access to the Baltic Sea.
The conclusion to this is that the Time of Troubles could have ended much differently if the Poles and Swedes had backed up the same candidate. In fact, Russia was completely in the hands of foreign interests until Michail Romanov could ascend to the throne. It also goes to show that Sweden did not have much trouble handling Russia when not occupied with other conflicts; a state that prevailed until the days of Peter the Great, and a reason that he was so terribly underestimated.
[This message has been edited by Doomdark (edited 22-07-2000).]
When Tsar Fjodor dies in 1598 it is the end of the ancient dynasty of Rurik. Power is now seized by Boris Godunov, but his reign is very impopular. A monk claiming to be Fjodor's murdered brother Dimitri seizes power with the support of Poland and several Russian noblemen in 1605. The false Dimitri soon becomes impopular and is murdered. The nobleman Vasilij Sjujski is elected Tsar in 1606.
Soon, another false Dimitri appears in Moscow and gains the support of Poland and many Russians. Sjujski's position is precarious and he turns to Sweden for military aid. In February of 1609 a treaty is signed wherein Sweden promises to send 5000 men to the Tsar's aid in return for the province of Kexholm.
The 26 year old Jacob Pontusson De La Gardie enters Russia in March the same year with a force that is somewhat larger than the promised 5000. He marches to Novgorod without incident and meets up with Mikhail Sjujski - nephew to the Tsar. The two become friends, but Mikhail can only add 1000-1500 men to the force. On May 2nd the force leaves for Moscow, which is besieged by the false Dimitri.
On May 12th the force reaches Staraja Russa after defeating a small force of Dimitri's men. Three days later the Swedish/Russian force overtakes the retreating Russians and crushes them soundly near Kamenka. 1500 enemies are killed. On June 17th the city of Torzhok is taken. On July 15th the intervention force wins a battle outside Tver, but fails to take the city quickly and turns to relieve Moscow instead.
When the force reaches Kaljazin the Finnish elements of the army decide to head back home and De La Gardie has to follow them back to convince them to continue the march. He succeeds and returns to Tver where he intends to wait for reinforcements from Sweden. Meanwhile he sends some soldiers under Some to Kaljazin to train more Russian troops. These manage to repel a Polish attack on August 18th.
Once again, Jacob's men become rebellious and have to be brought back into the fold. The most tired ones are allowed to go home and De La Gardie continues to Kaljazin with a reduced force. Mikhail again urges him to march on Moscow, but De La Gardie wants to wait for reinforcements.
In the end the small army marches on to the Troitsko-Sergiev cloister where it defeats a besieging Polish force on October 28th.
In February of 1610 the long awaited Swedish reinforcements arrive and De La Gardie can march on Moscow with 5000 men. The besiegers at Moscow burn their camps and leave upon hearing of the approaching army. The Polish elements head back to Smolensk. On March 12th De La Gardie marches through the gates of Moscow, which has withstood a two-year siege. The force remains for two months.
In the middle of April a force of 400 riders are sent against a Polish camp at Rzjov. The attack is a success, which is followed up by a second force three days later. By this time Mikhail Sjujski is poisoned and dies, leaving the Tsar's incompetent brother Dimitri in charge of the Russian forces.
Finally the Tsar convinces De La Gardie to march on the Polish camp at Smolensk. By now the Poles have abandoned the cause of the false Dimitri and have decided to back Sigismund's own son Vladislav as Tsar.
On June 23rd De La Gardie reaches the village of Klusina. A few miles away the Polish force of 5,000-10,000 stands under the command of the skilled general Stanislav Zolkowski.
By this time the Swedes are extremely rebellious and the Russians are extremely unpredictable. Sensing disaster, De La Gardie attempts to calm things down (but fails). The following morning the Polish army stands battle ready in front of the camp. The Swedish cavalry charges to little effect, but the infantry refuses to move. The mercenaries start to plunder the camp supplies and then begin negotiating with Zolkowski. The Russians flee.
De La Gardie has no choice but to negotiate with the Poles for the right to leave. He gains the right to march home to Sweden if he promises not to fight for Sjujski anymore.
De La Gardie marches home, but the story is not over. Sigismund succeeds in installing his son as Tsar in Russia, but the Russian people is still not happy, and neither is Charles IX of Sweden. He and De La Gardie make new plans to intervene; this time with three possible goals:
1) Install Charles Philip, brother of Gustavus Adolphus, on the Russian throne.
2) Break Novgorod lose from Muscovite control and restore the Republic.
3) Take Ingermanland and Kexholm from Russia.
A new army is raised and DLG starts taking Russian cities and forts around the Gulf of Finland. While besieging Ivangorod the army, which is largely mercenary deserts him once again. The siege is failed, but meanwhile another Swedish force has taken Ladoga.
In 1611 Ladoga is retaken by Russians and DLG fails to take Nöteborg. However, he takes Kexholm and marches on Novgorod. After some failed negotiations he decides to take the city by force. A successful nightly attack on July 15th allows De La Gardie to enter the conquered city by dawn. The Russians in Novgorod agree to support Charles Philip as Tsar. On September 12th Ladoga falls to Sweden once more. Tichvin and Staraja Russa follow suit, but Pskov repels the Swedes. On October 30th Charles IX dies, and Gustavus Adolphus assumes the throne. He is not as keen as his father on putting a Swede on the Russian throne, but is more interested in conquered territory.
During the early months of 1612 Staraja Russa falls to cossacks, but these are later completely crushed by Evert Horn. He proceeds to take Nöteborg and Kopore, then Jama and Gdov. Ivangorod falls on December 4th of 1612. Another attack on Pskov fails and the Swedes are by now very tired and disease runs rampant. Meanwhile the Polish puppet Tsar has been deposed after the defeat of Chodkiewicz outside Moscow.
In February of 1613 Michail Romanov is elected Tsar and the Russians manage to retake Gdov and Tichvin. However, the end of the Kalmar war against Denmark means that Gustavus can send reinforments.
Meanwhile the Russians have built up a new army near Bronnicy, and the Swedes lay siege on June 27th of 1614. The Russians are soundly defeated and chased away on July 14th. Now Gustavus himself arrives and takes charge of operations. Gdov is retaken, and Olonets falls to another attack. In the autumn Gustavus and DLG return to Sweden, leaving Novgorod in the hands of Evert Horn. He has orders to convince the city to secede from Russia, but the citizens are not thrilled.
Peace negotiations with Romanov start in 1615 while Gustavus attempts to improve his position by taking Pskov. This fails and the war drags on until 1617. Peace is finally signed on February 17th and the Swedes gain Kexholm and Ingermanland, denying the Russians their access to the Baltic Sea.
The conclusion to this is that the Time of Troubles could have ended much differently if the Poles and Swedes had backed up the same candidate. In fact, Russia was completely in the hands of foreign interests until Michail Romanov could ascend to the throne. It also goes to show that Sweden did not have much trouble handling Russia when not occupied with other conflicts; a state that prevailed until the days of Peter the Great, and a reason that he was so terribly underestimated.
[This message has been edited by Doomdark (edited 22-07-2000).]
