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Histoire de Charles XII #1-2
XII. Károly svéd király története: nyolc könyvben
XII. Károly svéd király kalandos sorsa, rendkívüli egyénisége, váltakozó hadiszerencséje lázba hozta a világot. Halála után egyre-másra jelentek meg a hadjáratairól szóló krónikák.
A fiatal Voltaire azonnal lecsap a témára, s hozzálát a tudományos kutatáshoz. Hősét a körülmények, a gazdasági és politikai tényezők összefüggéseiben mutatja be. S minthogy vérbeli szépíró is, megpróbálja megérteni Károlyt, jellemrajzot fest, s érdekes epizódokkal tarkítja művét. Mivel pedig egyúttal a feudális társadalom sziporkázóan szellemes bírálója, nem mulasztja el az alkalmat, hogy ironikus megjegyzésekkel fűszerezze az eseményeket.
A fiatal Voltaire azonnal lecsap a témára, s hozzálát a tudományos kutatáshoz. Hősét a körülmények, a gazdasági és politikai tényezők összefüggéseiben mutatja be. S minthogy vérbeli szépíró is, megpróbálja megérteni Károlyt, jellemrajzot fest, s érdekes epizódokkal tarkítja művét. Mivel pedig egyúttal a feudális társadalom sziporkázóan szellemes bírálója, nem mulasztja el az alkalmat, hogy ironikus megjegyzésekkel fűszerezze az eseményeket.
299 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1731
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About the author
Voltaire
9,475 books4,909 followersComplete works (1880) : https://archive.org/details/oeuvresco...
In 1694, Age of Enlightenment leader Francois-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. Jesuit-educated, he began writing clever verses by the age of 12. He launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which Francois adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques (1733), which galvanized French reform. The book also satirized the religious teachings of Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal, including Pascal's famed "wager" on God. Voltaire wrote: "The interest I have in believing a thing is not a proof of the existence of that thing." Voltaire's French publisher was sent to the Bastille and Voltaire had to escape from Paris again, as judges sentenced the book to be "torn and burned in the Palace." Voltaire spent a calm 16 years with his deistic mistress, Madame du Chatelet, in Lorraine. He met the 27 year old married mother when he was 39. In his memoirs, he wrote: "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did, and decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind." He dedicated Traite de metaphysique to her. In it the Deist candidly rejected immortality and questioned belief in God. It was not published until the 1780s. Voltaire continued writing amusing but meaty philosophical plays and histories. After the earthquake that leveled Lisbon in 1755, in which 15,000 people perished and another 15,000 were wounded, Voltaire wrote Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster): "But how conceive a God supremely good/ Who heaps his favours on the sons he loves,/ Yet scatters evil with as large a hand?"
Voltaire purchased a chateau in Geneva, where, among other works, he wrote Candide (1759). To avoid Calvinist persecution, Voltaire moved across the border to Ferney, where the wealthy writer lived for 18 years until his death. Voltaire began to openly challenge Christianity, calling it "the infamous thing." He wrote Frederick the Great: "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." Voltaire ended every letter to friends with "Ecrasez l'infame" (crush the infamy — the Christian religion). His pamphlet, The Sermon on the Fifty (1762) went after transubstantiation, miracles, biblical contradictions, the Jewish religion, and the Christian God. Voltaire wrote that a true god "surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough," or inspired "books, filled with contradictions, madness, and horror." He also published excerpts of Testament of the Abbe Meslier, by an atheist priest, in Holland, which advanced the Enlightenment. Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary was published in 1764 without his name. Although the first edition immediately sold out, Geneva officials, followed by Dutch and Parisian, had the books burned. It was published in 1769 as two large volumes. Voltaire campaigned fiercely against civil atrocities in the name of religion, writing pamphlets and commentaries about the barbaric execution of a Huguenot trader, who was first broken at the wheel, then burned at the stake, in 1762. Voltaire's campaign for justice and restitution ended with a posthumous retrial in 1765, during which 40 Parisian judges declared the defendant innocent. Voltaire urgently tried to save the life of Chevalier de la Barre, a 19 year old sentenced to death for blasphemy for failing to remove his hat during a religious procession. In 1766, Chevalier was beheaded after being tortured, then his body was burned, along with a copy of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary. Voltaire's statue at the Pantheon was melted down during Nazi occupation. D. 1778.
Voltaire (1694-1778), pseudónimo de François-
In 1694, Age of Enlightenment leader Francois-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire, was born in Paris. Jesuit-educated, he began writing clever verses by the age of 12. He launched a lifelong, successful playwriting career in 1718, interrupted by imprisonment in the Bastille. Upon a second imprisonment, in which Francois adopted the pen name Voltaire, he was released after agreeing to move to London. There he wrote Lettres philosophiques (1733), which galvanized French reform. The book also satirized the religious teachings of Rene Descartes and Blaise Pascal, including Pascal's famed "wager" on God. Voltaire wrote: "The interest I have in believing a thing is not a proof of the existence of that thing." Voltaire's French publisher was sent to the Bastille and Voltaire had to escape from Paris again, as judges sentenced the book to be "torn and burned in the Palace." Voltaire spent a calm 16 years with his deistic mistress, Madame du Chatelet, in Lorraine. He met the 27 year old married mother when he was 39. In his memoirs, he wrote: "I found, in 1733, a young woman who thought as I did, and decided to spend several years in the country, cultivating her mind." He dedicated Traite de metaphysique to her. In it the Deist candidly rejected immortality and questioned belief in God. It was not published until the 1780s. Voltaire continued writing amusing but meaty philosophical plays and histories. After the earthquake that leveled Lisbon in 1755, in which 15,000 people perished and another 15,000 were wounded, Voltaire wrote Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster): "But how conceive a God supremely good/ Who heaps his favours on the sons he loves,/ Yet scatters evil with as large a hand?"
Voltaire purchased a chateau in Geneva, where, among other works, he wrote Candide (1759). To avoid Calvinist persecution, Voltaire moved across the border to Ferney, where the wealthy writer lived for 18 years until his death. Voltaire began to openly challenge Christianity, calling it "the infamous thing." He wrote Frederick the Great: "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." Voltaire ended every letter to friends with "Ecrasez l'infame" (crush the infamy — the Christian religion). His pamphlet, The Sermon on the Fifty (1762) went after transubstantiation, miracles, biblical contradictions, the Jewish religion, and the Christian God. Voltaire wrote that a true god "surely cannot have been born of a girl, nor died on the gibbet, nor be eaten in a piece of dough," or inspired "books, filled with contradictions, madness, and horror." He also published excerpts of Testament of the Abbe Meslier, by an atheist priest, in Holland, which advanced the Enlightenment. Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary was published in 1764 without his name. Although the first edition immediately sold out, Geneva officials, followed by Dutch and Parisian, had the books burned. It was published in 1769 as two large volumes. Voltaire campaigned fiercely against civil atrocities in the name of religion, writing pamphlets and commentaries about the barbaric execution of a Huguenot trader, who was first broken at the wheel, then burned at the stake, in 1762. Voltaire's campaign for justice and restitution ended with a posthumous retrial in 1765, during which 40 Parisian judges declared the defendant innocent. Voltaire urgently tried to save the life of Chevalier de la Barre, a 19 year old sentenced to death for blasphemy for failing to remove his hat during a religious procession. In 1766, Chevalier was beheaded after being tortured, then his body was burned, along with a copy of Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary. Voltaire's statue at the Pantheon was melted down during Nazi occupation. D. 1778.
Voltaire (1694-1778), pseudónimo de François-
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 19, 2015
Read this in Moscow, 1812.
March 9, 2024
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
I made the post-processing of this book and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.
I made the post-processing of this book and Project Gutenberg will publish it pretty soon.
July 30, 2018
A really super dual mirror for princes, with Karl XII as the virtuous but bad king, and Peter the Great as the Good Prince blighted by personal vices. This is from the old school of biography and historical writing, in which truth and fact are subordinate to the didactic value of the story. As long as the reader is aware of this, and can read critically, I think there is still value to this sort of work, and I would agree with Voltaire that facts and figures quoted uncritically with no style are no better than white noise. It must also be remembered that Voltaire set new high standards for research and referencing with this biography, and that most of the basic information presented is quoted directly from eye witnesses or from contemporary letters, documents, diaries etc. in the strong tradition of Thucydides.
What I find most bizarre is that Napoleon must have read this landmark in French literature, and not only read it, but known it well. Despite all this, he ignored Voltaire's advice completely and outmatched even Karl XII for personal brilliance and national tragedy, even following him into Russia to destroy another great army. No one, it seems, can hope to learn from history...
JM 30/07/18
What I find most bizarre is that Napoleon must have read this landmark in French literature, and not only read it, but known it well. Despite all this, he ignored Voltaire's advice completely and outmatched even Karl XII for personal brilliance and national tragedy, even following him into Russia to destroy another great army. No one, it seems, can hope to learn from history...
JM 30/07/18
June 6, 2020
There aren't many history books on the Great Northern War (1700–1721). This little known (in the US) war featured the major imperial belligerents of Sweden and Russia joined by a cornucopia of other states including, at various times, Denmark, Saxony, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Ottoman Empire, and a dozen other players. Finding biographies of Russia's Peter I (the Great) is relatively easy as they are plentiful. Books on his foe, Sweden's King Charles XII, are few and far between. I believe this is primarily because of not only what they did during their lives, but perhaps even more, what their lasting legacies are. Peter had wide and diverse interests, Westernized his country based on the ideals of the Enlightenment, built St. Petersberg, secured a Baltic port, and greatly expanded the Russian Empire. Charles XII was married to war and though he had early military successes, often against incredible odds, in the end, due to his stubborn intransigence, he left his empire in shambles. From his death on, absolute royal power in Sweden was curtailed and Sweden fell to a second-tier player in the game of empires.
So why read about him? He was a fascinating mix of remarkable, even phenomenally gifted military leader and willfully truculent, incredibly short-sighted political autocrat. It is often observed that a great military leader asks nothing of his troops that he wouldn't do and if this is true -- and who am I to argue the point? -- then Charles XII was that leader personified. Reading both Voltaire's account and R. Nisbet Bain's account (to be reviewed shortly), what the Swedish king put himself though borders on masochistic. Or, so it appears to me. Some have called him the "Lion of the North" and the "Comet of the North." Both monikers would fit but I also would consider him the "Meteor of the North." He blazed across the sky but briefly and after much political and even more military pyrotechnics, what he had to show for it was just the large ruined crater of the Swedish Empire.
In the opening pages of Voltaire's wonderfully even beautifully written Enlightenment-tinged biography of Charles XII, he calls him "perhaps the most extraordinary man ever to live on earth." Whilst Charles was beyond ordinary I would hardly laud him the adverbial praise of the word "ever." But much of Voltaire's intent seems to consistently and constantly relegate Peter I to a poor second place. Some of that is surely deserved -- especially when comparing military tactics and perhaps even personal courage. But if one considers Charles' Russian invasion strategy -- such as it was (or, more accurately, wasn't) -- as compared to Peter's responses, it is easy to see, as did both Czar Alexander I and Stalin, who was more adroit at grand strategizing.
Fortunately Voltaire's hero-worshiping does not veer into fetishism. Though the writer is clearly in awe of the king he also doesn't hesitate to call out the latter's self-destructive stubbornness or over-active self-confidence when the need arises. This account also benefits from the fact that Voltaire had access to not only many written accounts that had recently been penned but also to some of the players who fought with or against the King's forces. If for no only reason, this book is invaluable. But also this no mere history but rather a historical discourse on the times from the perspective of a philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment. This too is reason enough to pick it up.
So why read about him? He was a fascinating mix of remarkable, even phenomenally gifted military leader and willfully truculent, incredibly short-sighted political autocrat. It is often observed that a great military leader asks nothing of his troops that he wouldn't do and if this is true -- and who am I to argue the point? -- then Charles XII was that leader personified. Reading both Voltaire's account and R. Nisbet Bain's account (to be reviewed shortly), what the Swedish king put himself though borders on masochistic. Or, so it appears to me. Some have called him the "Lion of the North" and the "Comet of the North." Both monikers would fit but I also would consider him the "Meteor of the North." He blazed across the sky but briefly and after much political and even more military pyrotechnics, what he had to show for it was just the large ruined crater of the Swedish Empire.
In the opening pages of Voltaire's wonderfully even beautifully written Enlightenment-tinged biography of Charles XII, he calls him "perhaps the most extraordinary man ever to live on earth." Whilst Charles was beyond ordinary I would hardly laud him the adverbial praise of the word "ever." But much of Voltaire's intent seems to consistently and constantly relegate Peter I to a poor second place. Some of that is surely deserved -- especially when comparing military tactics and perhaps even personal courage. But if one considers Charles' Russian invasion strategy -- such as it was (or, more accurately, wasn't) -- as compared to Peter's responses, it is easy to see, as did both Czar Alexander I and Stalin, who was more adroit at grand strategizing.
Fortunately Voltaire's hero-worshiping does not veer into fetishism. Though the writer is clearly in awe of the king he also doesn't hesitate to call out the latter's self-destructive stubbornness or over-active self-confidence when the need arises. This account also benefits from the fact that Voltaire had access to not only many written accounts that had recently been penned but also to some of the players who fought with or against the King's forces. If for no only reason, this book is invaluable. But also this no mere history but rather a historical discourse on the times from the perspective of a philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment. This too is reason enough to pick it up.
November 1, 2018
A classic written by a legend. Charles XII, King of Sweden is not an historical figure well-known to the wider world but his impact is tremendous. Taking over the Swedish kingdom as a young man he proved himself an unlikely military genius---or perhaps it was his courage. He had Russia, Poland, Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire on their heels. Tactics not thought of before, or again, dared, proved to be the ticket. Added to the foray, the necessary diplomatic skills, and it is easy to see why Voltaire's text has become a master piece itself enlightening generations about Charles XII.
April 26, 2020
Voltaire as a fan boy!
Overblown, flamboyant and myth creating. Yet, still informative, interesting and entertaining. It is after all Voltaire writing about "den märkvärdigaste man som någonsin levat på jorden".
Overblown, flamboyant and myth creating. Yet, still informative, interesting and entertaining. It is after all Voltaire writing about "den märkvärdigaste man som någonsin levat på jorden".
May 13, 2025
läste den på svenska...
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April 17, 2016Fun when young, though on reflection Charles XII is possibly not the role model that parents, save for the particularly violent kind, would wish for their child.
Charles the XII became king of Sweden as a teenager in 1697 and spent his reign at war until a musket ball brought his life to a close in 1718 (his excuse was that he didn't start it). Reading it one wouldn't have guessed that the same man also wrote Candide. Presumably if cash wasn't the motivating factor then perhaps a desire to please a potential patron was the motivation to write this simple, undistinguished narrative history - which in itself is a interesting as his book on the the age of Louis XIV was apparently and in contrast to this, quite innovative.
The edition I read was an elderly Everyman edition, bought secondhand, probably from the bargain box outside the old bookshop. The cloth cover was pink, if it always was, or had just faded I don't know, but I do recall that this particular edition had a curious dedication to a British member of Parliament by the translator who assumed he would have been inspired to still greater heights of moral integrity and fervent Protestantism by this biography written by a louche French Catholic of an absolutist Monarch happy to fight everyone of what ever religion if they happened to violate his borders.
Charles the XII became king of Sweden as a teenager in 1697 and spent his reign at war until a musket ball brought his life to a close in 1718 (his excuse was that he didn't start it). Reading it one wouldn't have guessed that the same man also wrote Candide. Presumably if cash wasn't the motivating factor then perhaps a desire to please a potential patron was the motivation to write this simple, undistinguished narrative history - which in itself is a interesting as his book on the the age of Louis XIV was apparently and in contrast to this, quite innovative.
The edition I read was an elderly Everyman edition, bought secondhand, probably from the bargain box outside the old bookshop. The cloth cover was pink, if it always was, or had just faded I don't know, but I do recall that this particular edition had a curious dedication to a British member of Parliament by the translator who assumed he would have been inspired to still greater heights of moral integrity and fervent Protestantism by this biography written by a louche French Catholic of an absolutist Monarch happy to fight everyone of what ever religion if they happened to violate his borders.
May 6, 2025
Yes, yes it is one of thee foundational works on Karl XII, Voltaire did actually go out of his way to talk with people who knew him, etc etc, which is awesome and great, especially in such an age. However Voltaire is a gossip queen and mean girl, and we should not forget about that. It was mostly enjoyable to read. My one question that remains is, did Karl actually have horses that had been gifted to him by the Turks executed? No other source that I've been reading makes mention of that. I know this one's going to haunt me forever.
April 13, 2023
Tämä oli yllättävänkin hauska historiateos lukea. Voltaire maalaa isolla pensselillä ja ei aina ole ihan niin tarkka faktoista. Mutta kieli on hienoa, joskin tietysti vanhahtavaa ja rohkeat psokologiset arviot ja vertailut antiikin sankareihin tekee lukemisesta sujuvaa ja kiinnostavaa. Tarina on kyllä traaginen, kuten myös pääosan esittäjäkin. Kaarle XII oli selvästi ihminen jonka käsitys todellisuudesta oli hyvin harhainen, alkuun tuottaen uskomatonta menestystä, myöhemmin valtavan tappion.
Want to read
April 6, 2011Available online at: http://books.google.com.br/books?id=M...
April 23, 2023
The only good thing Voltaire did.
May 20, 2017
First up, having read Robert Massie's excellent book on Peter the Great, I found this book presents a different perspective of Peter the Great, and of course Charles XII. It reinforced the account presented in that book of these two giants of the day. The book is an easy read, and the big print is a bonus if your eyes are not so good. Clearly Charles XII was a warrior king, more interested in conquering than consolidation of his empire. Ultimately he over stretched himself, and paid a high price. This book serves to solidly underline the greatness of Peter the Great, a man who spent a lot of effort trying to modernise his country. I read this book because of the link to Peter the Great, a man whose life is of critical import in Russian History.
If I was to be critical, King Charles sojourn in Turkey was difficult to follow. Hard to get your head around all the various leaders. Having read Robert Massie's book, I feel his explanation is much clearer. Hard to beat that book!
This book though is worth a read. Charles XII was clearly an interesting character.
If I was to be critical, King Charles sojourn in Turkey was difficult to follow. Hard to get your head around all the various leaders. Having read Robert Massie's book, I feel his explanation is much clearer. Hard to beat that book!
This book though is worth a read. Charles XII was clearly an interesting character.
February 5, 2017
Interesting as a document of the author's thinking and the times, and doubly interesting as a portrait of a conflicted person and the power politics of the day. Has some very ponderous sections like the section that deals with the internal power struggles of the Ottoman court, and some ludicrous claims about the personal exploits of Peter the Great as a carpenter and shipbuilder, but it is interesting to read an author who has apparently personally met many of the people involved in the events.
May 1, 2020
Märklig bedrift av Voltaire, att redan 1730 samla så mycket fakta kring en svensk kung död bara 11-12 år tidigare. Mycket var primäruppgifter han fick muntligt genom samtal med ambassadörer och ministrar som arbetat för Karl XII. Den lär ha stor tillförlitlighet även redan hans samtid såg boken mer som en 'roman' än ett historieverk. Första upplagan beslagtogs och brände, men andra upplagan 1731, omarbetades och trycktes i hemlighet.
August 5, 2023
Voltaire has always interested me. Before venturing into his more “important” books I wanted to test the waters. I was immediately enchanted by his style, which provides a mix of enchantment and sobriety I seldom see.
Since this a biography, I feel the need to state something about the last warrior king of Sweden, but Voltaire’s analysis was so thorough I simply must insist you read the book.
Since this a biography, I feel the need to state something about the last warrior king of Sweden, but Voltaire’s analysis was so thorough I simply must insist you read the book.
September 21, 2024
An absolute treat. The prose of voltaire and his masterly style of laying history before the reader is mesmerising at times. Its a page turner this one. The topic of biography itself, Charles XII being a towering and exciting figure in history, alongwith his exploits across nothern & europe, russia and ottoman empire makes it a much recommended one. Dont miss.
May 30, 2017
so much insight into the life of the king, its amazing, the writing is stunning. it is, however, going more into his war campaigns rather than his early years at court. for those i suggest reading The History of Charles XII by bowen
November 30, 2021
Voltaire not only gives a brief but detailed history of Charles XII’s life, but also pays tribute to the other monarchs of this time and how the decisions of an absolute power can lead to disastrous consequences for an entire nation.
January 13, 2022
Incredible
September 30, 2024
A different kind of history for the time. Written by Voltaire from actual interviews with persons involved.
March 23, 2022
Az utolsó nagy, svéd katonakirály életrajzáról szóló értékelésemet hadd kezdjem egy személyes vallomással. Mindig is lenyűgöztek a nagy, és sikeres uralkodók hőstettei, és maradandó eredményei. Az ilyen életrajzok a saját kis életem hétköznapi, ügyes-bajos dolgaira lefordítható tetteikkel egyféle vonalvezetőként szolgáltak számomra. Sajnos, előre kell bocsátanom, Károly sem példaképnek, sem kisebb minták adójának nem alkalmas.
XII. Károly svéd király ifjúként is becsvágyó volt. Csak azért tanult meg latinul, mert a lengyel király is tudott. Koronázásakor kivette az uppsalai érsek kezéből a fejéket, s önmagát koronázta meg. (Ebben a vonatkozásban biztosan Napóleon előképe.) Ez a felfokozott önhittség végig kísérte egész pályafutását. Voltaire értesülései szerint Károlynak egy alkalommal kétezer embere dőlt ki a fagytól, mert sok, utána következő hadvezérhez hasonlóan ő is jónak látta megtámadni Oroszországot, pedig ott köztudottan farkasordító hidegek a telek… Az északi háborút eldöntő poltavai ütközet előtt így volt 18 ezer legyengült svéd katonája, s a tatár kántól ajándékba kapott, kelletlen oláh katonái. A kancellárja, Piper gróf, Renskjöld tábornok, és sok más, illusztris svéd rabságba esett az oroszoknál, mire Károly vállat vont, s azt mondta, inkább a törökökhöz menekül. (p. 149.) Károly több más oszmán település mellett a dimotikaiakat boldogította katonás temperamentumával, mígnem Baltadzsi Mehmet nagyvezír sírta ki a bécsi udvarnál a svédek menlevelét, csak azok mielőbb kotródjanak a szultán birtokairól. Károly olyan sokáig maradt távol hazulról, hogy nővérét, Ulrika Eleonórát régenssé választották, s eközben Voltaire értesülései szerint 200 ezer svéd halottja, és kb. ugyanennyi svéd túsza volt az (amúgy legitim, tehát honvédelmi céllal indított) északi háborúnak. Károly felelőtlen, s bizonyos nézőpontból elkényeztetett jellemének bizonyítéka a halála is: egy félfontos golyó zúzta be a jobb halántékát, miközben a közlegényeknek való árokásást végezte. Megjegyzés: Talán inkább a hadtáp megszervezésével kellett volna törődnie. Én ilyet például Nagy Szülejmán szultánról sosem hallottam, hogy beállt volna kebabot sütni. Mégis, Szülejmán szultán milyen nagy hadvezérnek számít! Bocsánat, de kikívánkozik belőlem: ez az ember kész vicc volt, teljesen alkalmatlan a betöltött pozíciójára.
Szerencsére Voltaire élt a rendelkezésére állt forráskritikai eszközökkel, s a sok bemutatott történelmi aktor között I. Nagy Péter cárt sem kímélte, hiszen megjegyezte a Szentpétervár építése során keletkezett 200 ezres halálozást. Ezt az építkezésre alkalmatlan, mocsaras környezetnek tudta be. Vagy, őszintén számot adott a lengyel köznépnek a saját nemessége, s az országukat megszálló katonák iránt érzett gyűlöletéről is. (p. 111.)
Számomra a XII. Károlyról szóló életrajznak azonban nem is a király bámulatosnak beállított életpályája a legnagyobb erénye, hanem az egyes népek mindennapjainak, és általános hozzáállásának a bemutatása. Szász Móric, Erős Ágost szász fejedelemnek, és választott lengyel királynak a törvénytelen fia is beszámolt arról, hogy a svéd katonák addig nem gyűjtöttek zsákmányt a csatatéren, amíg el nem mondták közös imájukat. (p. 233.) Eközben a dán inváziót Steinbock tábornok parasztkatonái verték vissza, s még bosszúból sikerült felgyújtaniuk a dán király birtokában lévő Altona városát is. Ilyen esetekben egyértelműen a svédeknek drukkolok, mert jobban bírom őket, mint a pökhendi dánokat. A svéd népet szerettem meg Voltaire nagy művén keresztül, nem a királyukat. A szerző pedig, bár manapság nem számítana szerény ismereteim szerint történésznek, de kiváló ítélőerővel bíró, tisztességes publicista volt. Szívesen olvasnék a későbbiekben is Voltaire-től.
XII. Károly svéd király ifjúként is becsvágyó volt. Csak azért tanult meg latinul, mert a lengyel király is tudott. Koronázásakor kivette az uppsalai érsek kezéből a fejéket, s önmagát koronázta meg. (Ebben a vonatkozásban biztosan Napóleon előképe.) Ez a felfokozott önhittség végig kísérte egész pályafutását. Voltaire értesülései szerint Károlynak egy alkalommal kétezer embere dőlt ki a fagytól, mert sok, utána következő hadvezérhez hasonlóan ő is jónak látta megtámadni Oroszországot, pedig ott köztudottan farkasordító hidegek a telek… Az északi háborút eldöntő poltavai ütközet előtt így volt 18 ezer legyengült svéd katonája, s a tatár kántól ajándékba kapott, kelletlen oláh katonái. A kancellárja, Piper gróf, Renskjöld tábornok, és sok más, illusztris svéd rabságba esett az oroszoknál, mire Károly vállat vont, s azt mondta, inkább a törökökhöz menekül. (p. 149.) Károly több más oszmán település mellett a dimotikaiakat boldogította katonás temperamentumával, mígnem Baltadzsi Mehmet nagyvezír sírta ki a bécsi udvarnál a svédek menlevelét, csak azok mielőbb kotródjanak a szultán birtokairól. Károly olyan sokáig maradt távol hazulról, hogy nővérét, Ulrika Eleonórát régenssé választották, s eközben Voltaire értesülései szerint 200 ezer svéd halottja, és kb. ugyanennyi svéd túsza volt az (amúgy legitim, tehát honvédelmi céllal indított) északi háborúnak. Károly felelőtlen, s bizonyos nézőpontból elkényeztetett jellemének bizonyítéka a halála is: egy félfontos golyó zúzta be a jobb halántékát, miközben a közlegényeknek való árokásást végezte. Megjegyzés: Talán inkább a hadtáp megszervezésével kellett volna törődnie. Én ilyet például Nagy Szülejmán szultánról sosem hallottam, hogy beállt volna kebabot sütni. Mégis, Szülejmán szultán milyen nagy hadvezérnek számít! Bocsánat, de kikívánkozik belőlem: ez az ember kész vicc volt, teljesen alkalmatlan a betöltött pozíciójára.
Szerencsére Voltaire élt a rendelkezésére állt forráskritikai eszközökkel, s a sok bemutatott történelmi aktor között I. Nagy Péter cárt sem kímélte, hiszen megjegyezte a Szentpétervár építése során keletkezett 200 ezres halálozást. Ezt az építkezésre alkalmatlan, mocsaras környezetnek tudta be. Vagy, őszintén számot adott a lengyel köznépnek a saját nemessége, s az országukat megszálló katonák iránt érzett gyűlöletéről is. (p. 111.)
Számomra a XII. Károlyról szóló életrajznak azonban nem is a király bámulatosnak beállított életpályája a legnagyobb erénye, hanem az egyes népek mindennapjainak, és általános hozzáállásának a bemutatása. Szász Móric, Erős Ágost szász fejedelemnek, és választott lengyel királynak a törvénytelen fia is beszámolt arról, hogy a svéd katonák addig nem gyűjtöttek zsákmányt a csatatéren, amíg el nem mondták közös imájukat. (p. 233.) Eközben a dán inváziót Steinbock tábornok parasztkatonái verték vissza, s még bosszúból sikerült felgyújtaniuk a dán király birtokában lévő Altona városát is. Ilyen esetekben egyértelműen a svédeknek drukkolok, mert jobban bírom őket, mint a pökhendi dánokat. A svéd népet szerettem meg Voltaire nagy művén keresztül, nem a királyukat. A szerző pedig, bár manapság nem számítana szerény ismereteim szerint történésznek, de kiváló ítélőerővel bíró, tisztességes publicista volt. Szívesen olvasnék a későbbiekben is Voltaire-től.
March 6, 2014
Hardcover: 285 pages
Publisher: Folio Society; 1st ed thus edition (1976)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0850670985
ISBN-13: 978-0850670981
Translated by Antonia White
Introduction by R M Hatton
NB - my particular copy comes without the sheath
Condition: Used - Good
Sold by: O'Donoghue Books
The back story as to why I needed to hunt down this book - Christian VII of Denmark (sort of an early blueprint for Bram Brontë) id(o)(ea)lised the Swedish King Charlie twelve afterobsessivesuccessive readings of this book. Charlie twelve was nothing but a war-monger who spent very little time in Sweden, and nowadays he is 'revered by the neo-nazis' here in sverige (Quote from husband).
First lines: - Sweden and Finland compose a kingdom about two hundred of leagues broad and three hundred long. It extends from south to north from roughly latitude 55 to latitude 70, and has a rigorous climate with almost no spring or autumn.
Stanislas Leszczynski was born 1766 in Lwów (Poland - today Lviv in Ukraine), on October 20th. He's the only son of Rafal Leszczynski, Duke and Count of Lesno, Palatin of Lenezin, and Anna Katarzyna Jablonowska. He started his political career in 1696, after the death of the King Jean Sobieski.
In 1702, Poland was invaded by King Charles II of Sweden, who forced the Polish nobility to depose King Augustus II of Saxony. In 1704 he placed Stanislas Leszczynski on the throne. But in 1709, he was defeated by the Russians in Poltava. Augustus II of Saxony returned on his throne and Stanislas was forced to go into exile.
After ten years of wandering, which led him from Bender - where he was imprisoned by the Turks - to the Duchy of Zweibrücken (Germany) - of which he got the enjoyment from his friend Charles XII in 1714. He finally settled in Wissembourg, in the Intendancy of Alsace, where the Regent offered him a residence and allowed him a small rent.
In 1725, the unexpected wedding of his daughter Marie Leszczynska with the young Louis XV let him the door open for a new life. Stanislas got now a rent from France, he settled in Chambord, then in Ménars.
Publisher: Folio Society; 1st ed thus edition (1976)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0850670985
ISBN-13: 978-0850670981
Translated by Antonia White
Introduction by R M Hatton
NB - my particular copy comes without the sheath
Condition: Used - Good
Sold by: O'Donoghue Books
The back story as to why I needed to hunt down this book - Christian VII of Denmark (sort of an early blueprint for Bram Brontë) id(o)(ea)lised the Swedish King Charlie twelve after
First lines: - Sweden and Finland compose a kingdom about two hundred of leagues broad and three hundred long. It extends from south to north from roughly latitude 55 to latitude 70, and has a rigorous climate with almost no spring or autumn.
Stanislas Leszczynski was born 1766 in Lwów (Poland - today Lviv in Ukraine), on October 20th. He's the only son of Rafal Leszczynski, Duke and Count of Lesno, Palatin of Lenezin, and Anna Katarzyna Jablonowska. He started his political career in 1696, after the death of the King Jean Sobieski.
In 1702, Poland was invaded by King Charles II of Sweden, who forced the Polish nobility to depose King Augustus II of Saxony. In 1704 he placed Stanislas Leszczynski on the throne. But in 1709, he was defeated by the Russians in Poltava. Augustus II of Saxony returned on his throne and Stanislas was forced to go into exile.
After ten years of wandering, which led him from Bender - where he was imprisoned by the Turks - to the Duchy of Zweibrücken (Germany) - of which he got the enjoyment from his friend Charles XII in 1714. He finally settled in Wissembourg, in the Intendancy of Alsace, where the Regent offered him a residence and allowed him a small rent.
In 1725, the unexpected wedding of his daughter Marie Leszczynska with the young Louis XV let him the door open for a new life. Stanislas got now a rent from France, he settled in Chambord, then in Ménars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2016
one of the best and most insightful portraits of the Swedish king Karl XII
April 25, 2014
Published in 1733 this is currently the oldest book in my library.
It is an interesting and captivating biography of Charles XII, King of Sweden. This line from the book is a good representation of his character: "[He] knew no other pleasure, but that of making Europe tremble".
The book starts with a brief introduction of Charles's parents and childhood then launches into a riveting historical record with Charles's coronation and the subsequent invasion of the Swedish Empire by an triple alliance of Peter I of Russia, Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway and Augustus II of Saxony-Poland-Lithuania who perceived Charles as weak and easy pickings. When then follow Charles's sweeping victories as he dispatches all comers but over extends himself then flees to Turkey under the protection of the Ottoman Empire who then betray him in favour of Tsar Peter I. The book then finishes up with Charles XII's death and the immediate outcomes of such (it is worth noting the Great Northern War continued 3 more years after his death).
Really interesting book written close to the events which took place; events covered in the book finish in 1708 and the book was first published in 1731.
One thing to be aware of though - if you get your hands on an original mid 1700s copy (such as this 1733 C Davis edition), or a facsimile of such, the book was published using the 'long s' letter which makes reading it rather unique with modern eyes.
It is an interesting and captivating biography of Charles XII, King of Sweden. This line from the book is a good representation of his character: "[He] knew no other pleasure, but that of making Europe tremble".
The book starts with a brief introduction of Charles's parents and childhood then launches into a riveting historical record with Charles's coronation and the subsequent invasion of the Swedish Empire by an triple alliance of Peter I of Russia, Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway and Augustus II of Saxony-Poland-Lithuania who perceived Charles as weak and easy pickings. When then follow Charles's sweeping victories as he dispatches all comers but over extends himself then flees to Turkey under the protection of the Ottoman Empire who then betray him in favour of Tsar Peter I. The book then finishes up with Charles XII's death and the immediate outcomes of such (it is worth noting the Great Northern War continued 3 more years after his death).
Really interesting book written close to the events which took place; events covered in the book finish in 1708 and the book was first published in 1731.
One thing to be aware of though - if you get your hands on an original mid 1700s copy (such as this 1733 C Davis edition), or a facsimile of such, the book was published using the 'long s' letter which makes reading it rather unique with modern eyes.
December 27, 2021
Historia Karola XII. Autor je sucasnik tohto krala, cize pise o niekom z prvej ruky. Autor verne dokumentuje a zaznamenava zivot a dobrodruzny pribeh jedneho z najakcnejsich vladcov o akych som kedy cital. Miestami sa mi az nechcelo verit, ze toto vsetko stihol a bolo to v silach jedneho panovnika co vsetko Karol XII. dokazal. Za priklad uvediem niekolko stoviek az tisicok kilometrov dlha jazda na koni niekolko dni za sebou(kone striedal), krizom cez pol Europy. Jazyk je starsi, nudnejsi, nezazivny ale faktov o jeho zivote, o tom ake dohody urobil, kde bojoval, kde sa ukryval atd je tam fakt podrobne. Za mna zo starsich diel je toto jedno z tych lepsich. Myslim si, ze filmove spracovanie epickych rozmerov by o tomto kralovi nebolo na skodu.
Want to read
September 21, 2020Read this history of Charles XII for research for a project and read up to the point I needed for my edit. I plan to resume after I get my project done. A great find from a historian, Voltaire, who lived at the time of The Great Northern War and saw personal letters and evaluated other historical records of the time. I found the answers to many of the questions I had relating to this subject. Voltaire was quite readable, if you can get past the fancy 's' that look like 'f's in this print book. I found a quote by him on one of my characters and it led me to this book.
March 6, 2014
I plan to have a month of re-reads once TBR Busting has been cracked, and this, is top of the list!
Introduction by R M Hatton
Dissertation
Opening: Sweden and Finland compose a kingdom about two hundred of our leagues broad and three hundred long. It extends from south to north from roughly latitude 55° to latitude 70°, and has a rigorous climate with almost no spring or autumn.
Introduction by R M Hatton
Dissertation
Opening: Sweden and Finland compose a kingdom about two hundred of our leagues broad and three hundred long. It extends from south to north from roughly latitude 55° to latitude 70°, and has a rigorous climate with almost no spring or autumn.
February 2, 2014
Riktigt kul att läsa historia om personer av personer från deras egen tid. Den här boken skrevs 1731 och Karl XII dog 1718. En spännande tanke är ju att en världsberömd författare och filosof intresserade sig för en svensk kung, men så var också Sverige ett viktigare land i Europa på den tiden.
on-hold
September 2, 2013I love, love, love, love, love Voltaire in my heart of hearts, but! I'm not a Swedish history major, so...
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