The Battle of Helsingborg was the last major engagement of the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
to take place on Swedish soil, and resulted in a decisive victory of a Swedish force of 14,000 men under the command of
Magnus Stenbock
Count Magnus Stenbock (22 May 1665 – 23 February 1717) was a Swedish field marshal ('' Fältmarskalk'') and Royal Councillor. A renowned commander of the Carolean Army during the Great Northern War, he was a prominent member of the Sten ...
against a Danish force of equal strength under the command of
Jørgen Rantzau, ensuring that Denmark's final effort to regain the Scanian territories that it had lost to Sweden in 1658 failed. The battle was fought on March 10, 1710, in the province of
Scania
Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
, just outside the city of
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
, and directly on the Ringstorp heights just north-east of the city.
[''Svenska slagfält'', Lars Ericson, Martin Hårdstedt, Per Iko, Ingvar Sjöblom och Gunnar Åselius, Wahlström & Widstrand 2003, .][Marklund (2008), pp. 206−208][Eriksson (2007), pp. 205−209]
Denmark-Norway had been forced out of the Great Northern War by the
Treaty of Traventhal
The Peace of Travendal was a peace treaty concluded at the outset of the Great Northern War on 18 August 1700 between the Swedish Empire, Denmark–Norway and Holstein-Gottorp in Traventhal.Weigley (2004), p.108 Denmark had to return Holstein-Go ...
in 1700, but had long planned on reopening hostilities with the goal of reconquering the lost provinces Scania,
Halland
Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömsebro ...
and
Blekinge
Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second ...
. After the Swedish defeat at
Poltava
Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
in 1709, the Danes saw an opportunity and declared war on Sweden the same year. The declaration of war arrived at the Swedish state council on October 18, 1709. The pretext given was that Sweden had been intentionally trying to avoid paying the
Sound Dues
The Sound Dues (or Sound Tolls; da, Øresundstolden) were a toll on the use of the Øresund, or "Sound" strait separating the modern day borders of Denmark and Sweden. The tolls constituted up to two thirds of Denmark's state income in the 16th a ...
, and that the population of Scania, Halland, Blekinge and Bohuslän had been mistreated by the Swedish.
[''Svenska slagfält'', Lars Ericson, Martin Hårdstedt, Per Iko, Ingvar Sjöblom och Gunnar Åselius, Wahlström & Widstrand 2003, .]
In January 1710 the Danish invasion force defeated a smaller Swedish force outside
Kristianstad
Kristianstad (, ; older spelling from Danish language, Danish ''Christianstad'') is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 40,145 inhabitants in 2016. During the last 15 years, it has ...
in a small skirmish. On March 10, 1710, the Danish force finally engaged the Swedish army, which had been hastily drafted from the surrounding regions to try to resist the Danes. The Swedish cavalry carried the day during the engagement, with the Danish lines crumbling and retreating under repeated charges. The battle proved to be a total rout for the Danes, with more than half of their force killed, wounded or captured. The battle ended any hopes for the Scanian territories to return to Danish rule, and the territories became a permanent part of Sweden.
[''Svenska slagfält'', Lars Ericson, Martin Hårdstedt, Per Iko, Ingvar Sjöblom och Gunnar Åselius, Wahlström & Widstrand 2003, .]
Background
![Magnus Stenbock, 1665-1717](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Magnus_Stenbock%2C_1665-1717.jpg)
In late fall 1709, an enormous Danish fleet gathered in Øresund, and on November 2 it arrived at
Råå
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
. The Danish invasion force was led by general
Christian Ditlev Reventlow and consisted of 15,000 men divided into six
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
regiments, four
dragoon
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
regiments, eight
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
regiments and six
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
companies
A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
. It was met with virtually no resistance from the Swedes. The Swedish army was in terrible shape after
Poltava
Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
, when several regiments had been completely annihilated. The work on reconstructing and recruiting the regiments had begun immediately after Poltava, but by late summer 1709, general
Magnus Stenbock
Count Magnus Stenbock (22 May 1665 – 23 February 1717) was a Swedish field marshal ('' Fältmarskalk'') and Royal Councillor. A renowned commander of the Carolean Army during the Great Northern War, he was a prominent member of the Sten ...
only had one Scanian line regiment in battle-ready condition. The Swedish counterattack would have to wait and the army retreated into
Småland
Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden.
Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized fo ...
. In the beginning of December, the Danes controlled almost all of central Scania except for
Landskrona
Landskrona (old da, Landskrone) is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona t ...
and
Malmö
Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...
. Their objective was to capture the naval base at
Karlskrona
Karlskrona (, , ) is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Swed ...
in
Blekinge
Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second ...
, and the Danish army advanced quickly into Swedish territory. In January 1710, it defeated a smaller Swedish force in a skirmish outside
Kristianstad
Kristianstad (, ; older spelling from Danish language, Danish ''Christianstad'') is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 40,145 inhabitants in 2016. During the last 15 years, it has ...
.
Stenbock had frantically tried to assemble a new army and several fresh regiments had begun to assemble in
Växjö
Växjö ( ) is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County ...
, from where Stenbock had planned to march. The raw recruits were exercised daily on a frozen lake close to the city. By February 5, Stenbock had moved his force to
Osby
Osby () is a locality and the seat of Osby Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 7,157 inhabitants in 2010.
Swedish ice hockey goaltender Magnus Åkerlund was born in Osby.
The toy manufacturer BRIO was based in Osby, but moved to Malmö in ...
where additional regiments joined them. By now, about 14,000 men were part of his army.
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
was the key to Scania and Stenbock intended on marching through Rönneå to
Kävlingeån, in doing so cutting off the Danish supply lines. The Danish commander, Reventlow, saw the threat and turned immediately to meet the Swedes, but when they reached
Ringsjön
Ringsjön is a lake situated in the middle of Skåne County, Sweden. At , it is the second largest lake in the county. The western and eastern parts of the lake, called Västra Ringsjön and Östra Ringsjön respectively, are separated by a headla ...
in central Skåne, Reventlow was suddenly struck down with illness and had to yield command of his army to lieutenant-general
Jørgen Rantzau. Rantzau feared being wedged between the main Swedish army and the Swedish garrison in Malmö and therefore moved towards Helsingborg. Once in the city, Rantzau could be reinforced and when he camped his force amounted to 10,000 foot soldiers and 4,000 horsemen. Stenbock received the news of the Danish march and raced towards Helsingborg. On the night of February 28, he camped northeast of the city. The Swedish army was at the time roughly as large as the Danish army.
Battle
![Stenbocks getapojkar vid Hälsingborg 1710](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Stenbocks_getapojkar_vid_H%C3%A4lsingborg_1710.jpg)
On the morning of February 28, Stenbock marched south towards Helsingborg. When he approached the Danish positions he ordered his army to assume battle formations. A thick morning fog lay over the area and hid the two parties from seeing each other. When the fog lifted the two commanders reviewed the terrain and the position of their respective armies. Rantzau saw that the Swedish army outflanked his own left flank in the west and was forced to dispatch troops to reinforce it quickly. Rantzau had deployed his
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
on the Ringstorp heights, from where they started firing at the Swedish troops at noon. Instead of exploiting the comparatively weak Danish west flank Stenbock turned his army eastward to the Danish right flank. This was perceived by the Danes as an attempt to encircle their eastern flank, and to prevent this they marched further east, opening up gaps in the Danish line of battle that couldn't be filled by reserve troops. In the east, near Brohuset, the first skirmishes of the battle took place. The Swedes were repelled there and Swedish commander, Burenskiöld, was captured. However, the rest of the Swedish east flank was able to force the Danes backwards and soon the Danish forces were at a disadvantage. Rantzau participated in the fighting personally, disregarding of the direction the battle was going in, and was eventually wounded by a bullet through the lung. At the same time a rumor developed in the Danish east flank that the Swedes had encircled them and were attacking from behind, which caused the entire formation to collapse with the troops fleeing towards Helsingborg.
Rantzau's disappearance from the field became noticeable in the middle of the Danish line of battle where the Swedish forces had begun to focus their attack upon. The Danes had great difficulties withstanding the assault, and as the Danish troops saw how their eastern flank was faring, the middle started to collapse due to Swedish pressure. The elite Danish household guards and a corps of
grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
s were deployed on the edges of the line of battle, and could have prevented the Swedish advance long enough to allow other forces to pull back in good order, but many of the routing troops were cut down by the Swedish cavalry through repeated charges. At this point in the battle, the Swedes attacked the gap that had formed between the Danish center and its western flank. Here too the Danes had no leadership, since their commander, von Dewitz had been ordered to move towards the eastern side of battle. The Swedish cavalry chased off the Danes present and surrounded the remaining grenadiers. The other elite force the Danes had at their disposal, the household guards, had already been forced to retire and the situation became untenable for the Danes. Danish Major-General Valentin von Eickstedt ordered a general retreat, and the Danes quickly fled from the battlefield, bringing the battle to an end.
Aftermath
The remainder of the Danish army, severely depleted from the engagement that had left them with 1,500 men killed, 3,500 men wounded and 2,677 men captured, had sought refuge within the walls of Helsingborg, and Stenbock avoided attacking them in a head-on assault as they had too advantageous a position to successfully take the city without suffering heavy casualties. Instead, he laid siege to the city and invited the Danes to
capitulate, but the offer was dismissed by von Dewitz. A Swedish council of war determined that their army was too weak to storm the city, and instead started an artillery bombardment of the city. By March 5, the last remains of the Danish army left Scania after intentionally slaughtering all their horses and sabotaging their cannons by spiking them. The Danes lost over 7,500 men, who had been either killed, wounded, or captured. The Swedish losses amounted to 2,800 dead or wounded. The Danish army left Scania, never to return again. The city of Helsingborg was hit hard by the battle, due both to the Swedish bombardment which destroyed its buildings, and all the remaining human and horse cadavers poisoning the wells. A
plague epidemic then harrowed the town and further reduced its population. Helsingborg did not recover until the middle of the 19th century.
After Stenbock's victory at Helsingborg, a heroic cult began to grow around him in the Swedish Empire. He received personal congratulations from the Queen Dowager
Hedvig Eleonora, Princess
Ulrika Eleonora
Ulrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor (23 January 1688 – 24 November 1741), known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen of Sweden, reigning in her own right from 5 December 1718 until her abdication on 29 February 1720 in favour of her husband ...
, Duke
Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp
Charles Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () (30 April 1700 – 18 June 1739) was a Prince of Sweden and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and an important member of European royalty. His dynasty, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gott ...
, King Stanisław Leszczyński and the
Duke of Marlborough
General (United Kingdom), General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an Engl ...
. Throughout the Kingdom, Stenbock's victory was celebrated with tributes, writings and artistic works, and a general thanksgiving ceremony was held on 18 March, where Stenbock's name was praised. In April, Stenbock traveled to Stockholm to inform the Privy Council about the new strategic situation. On arrival, he was hailed by the citizens of Stockholm and he held several victory speeches before the clergy and peasant estates. The
Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...
offered him the Bååtska palace, and on May 21 the Privy council appointed him field marshal, sending the letter of appointment to Charles XII in
Bender for the King's signature, which came shortly after. The battle marked the end of any realistic hopes for Denmark to recover the Scanian territories, and they have remained part of Sweden ever since.
See also
*
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
*
Battle of Helsingborg (1362)
*
Magnus Stenbock
Count Magnus Stenbock (22 May 1665 – 23 February 1717) was a Swedish field marshal ('' Fältmarskalk'') and Royal Councillor. A renowned commander of the Carolean Army during the Great Northern War, he was a prominent member of the Sten ...
References
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Helsingborg (1710)
Conflicts in 1710
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
Helsingborg 1710
Helsingborg 1710
1710 in Europe
1710s in Sweden
18th century in Skåne County
Helsingborg