Pomeranian War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pomeranian War |
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| Part of the Seven Years' War | |||||||
 Map of Pomerania |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sweden Russian Empire |
 Prussia |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Mattias Alexander von Ungern-Sternberg Augustin Ehrensvärd Gustaf Fredrik von RosenAxel Lagerbielke Pyotr Rumyantsev Ivan Ivanovich Möller-Sakomelsky |
Heinrich von Manteuffel (POW) Wilhelm Sebastian von Belling Carl Heinrich von Wedel |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 30,000+ in battle 28 ships |
25,000+ in battle 13 ships |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3,473 | 2,590 9 ships |
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The Pomeranian War was a part of the Seven Years' War, a huge conflict that involved many European countries. This specific war describes the fighting between Sweden and Prussia from 1757 to 1762. It took place in areas like Swedish Pomerania, Prussian Pomerania, northern Brandenburg, and eastern Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
This war was a lot like a back-and-forth game. Neither side could win a big, final victory. It began in 1757 when Swedish forces moved into Prussian land. But they were pushed back and surrounded at Stralsund. A Russian army helped them in 1758.
After that, Sweden tried again to invade Prussian land. Their small navy won a battle, and they took over areas far south. But this plan stopped in late 1759. The Swedish army didn't have enough supplies. They also couldn't capture the important Prussian fortress of Stettin (now Szczecin). They also failed to meet up with their Russian allies.
In January 1760, Prussia tried to attack Swedish Pomerania, but they were stopped. Later that year, Swedish forces again moved into Prussian land. They reached Prenzlau before going back to Swedish Pomerania for the winter. Another Swedish campaign started in the summer of 1761. However, it quickly ended because they ran out of supplies and equipment.
The last fights of the war happened in the winter of 1761-1762. These battles were near Malchin and Neukalen in Mecklenburg. On April 7, 1762, both sides agreed to a temporary stop to the fighting called the Truce of Ribnitz. Then, on May 5, Russia and Prussia became allies. This meant Sweden could no longer hope for Russian help. Instead, Russia might even join Prussia. This forced Sweden to make peace.
The war officially ended on May 22, 1762, with the Peace of Hamburg. This treaty was signed by Prussia, Mecklenburg, and Sweden. The Swedish political group called the Hats had hoped to get back land they lost to Prussia in 1720. But they failed. This costly and unpopular war helped lead to their downfall later on.
Contents
Why Did the Pomeranian War Start?
The main reason Sweden joined the Seven Years' War was because of a political group called the Hats. This group was in charge in Sweden. They thought Frederick II of Prussia would lose to his many enemies. This would give Sweden a chance to get back land in Pomerania. Sweden had given this land to Prussia in 1720 after the Great Northern War.
The Hats were also angry and worried about a royal uprising in 1756. They wanted to see Frederick fall from power. They also wanted to embarrass and weaken the Swedish queen, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, who was Frederick's sister. France also encouraged the Hats to declare war. France's wishes were very important to the Hats' decisions.
Frederick's attack on Saxony in 1756 was used as an excuse for war. Both Sweden and France said this attack broke the Treaty of Westphalia of 1648. Sweden and France were both "guarantors" of this treaty, meaning they promised to uphold it.
On March 21, 1757, France and Austria agreed that Sweden and France needed to protect Germany's freedom. France promised to help pay for such a war. In June, Sweden decided to send 20,000 troops to Germany. On September 13, these troops moved into Prussian Pomerania.
To make sure this invasion didn't look like an attack, Sweden didn't officially declare war. They told the German parliament that their goal was just to bring back peace. Only after the fighting started did France send the promised money. Then, on September 22, 1757, the Swedish government finally stated its conditions and declared war. However, the Hats had greatly overestimated their own army. The soldiers were not well-trained, poorly equipped, and simply not ready for war.
Key Events of the War
Early Years: 1757–1758 Campaigns
The Swedish army sent to Germany was not very strong. It was only enough to hold onto land that their allies had already taken. But they still prepared to attack, even without enough money. The main idea behind the army, to defeat Frederick, turned out to be wrong.
After Frederick won the Battle of Rossbach on November 5, 1757, the Swedish commander, Marshal Mattias Alexander von Ungern-Sternberg, didn't dare follow orders. He was told to march his poorly equipped army to Berlin. Instead, he went back to Swedish Pomerania in November 1757. There, the Prussians were surrounding the Swedes at Stralsund and Rügen.
Von Ungern-Sternberg gave up command on December 21, 1757, to Gustaf von Rosen. But von Rosen also couldn't do much, as the Prussians blocked his movements. A Russian army arrived on June 18, 1758, and lifted this blockade. But von Rosen was tired and gave command to Gustav David Hamilton.
Augustin Ehrensvard captured Peenemünde hill on July 27. Hamilton sent 16,000 men to help the Russians, who were attacking Küstrin. However, after the Russians lost at Zorndorf, Hamilton decided to march to Saxony to join the Austrians. He only got as far as Neuruppin in Brandenburg. A group of his soldiers lost badly on September 26 at the Battle of Tornow. But Major Carl Constantin De Carnall managed to reach Fehrbellin with 800 men. He defended it from about 5,000 Prussians in a battle there on September 28.
After the Austrian attack on Saxony failed, Hamilton left Neuruppin on October 10. He headed for the River Oder, hoping to meet the Russians. He failed, and the Swedish army had to stop for winter. Hamilton went back to Swedish Pomerania. The government blamed him for the army's failure and made him resign on November 23, 1758. Jacob Albrecht von Lantingshausen replaced Hamilton on December 19 that year.
1759: Swedish Advances and Retreats
In early 1759, a stronger Prussian force made the Swedish army retreat to Stralsund. They lost their soldiers in Demmin, Anklam, and Peenemünde after tough fights. The Russian army's advance in May freed Swedish Pomerania. But the Swedish commander couldn't start fighting until August because he lacked money and supplies.
His goal was to attack Stettin. To prepare, Lantingshausen let Axel von Fersen take 4,000 men to capture Usedom and Wollin. They succeeded after the Battle of Frisches Haff in September, which gave Sweden control of the sea. Lantingshausen then took the main army deep into Prussian Pomerania. He stayed there for a long time. However, his allies didn't cooperate, so he couldn't attack Stettin. In late autumn, he pulled back into Swedish Pomerania.
Later Years: 1760–1762 Battles
The Prussians then invaded Swedish Pomerania on January 20, 1760. But they were pushed back. On January 28, Swedish troops went as far as Anklam and captured the Prussian general Heinrich von Manteuffel. Even with these wins, and even though the Prussian army was busy elsewhere, Lantingshausen and his 15,000 troops didn't have enough supplies.
They could only invade Prussia in August, mostly to find food and supplies. Lantingshausen pushed forward to Prenzlau in Brandenburg with his main force of 6,000 troops. He left Augustin Ehrensvard with a smaller group in Pasewalk. There, Ehrensvard was attacked by the enemy and fought bravely. But Ehrensvard was hurt and had to leave his command.
Many officers then left to attend parliament, which caused a shortage of leaders. This forced Lantingshausen to return to Swedish Pomerania. He stayed there all winter without being attacked by the Prussians. Even though he did better than expected, Lantingshausen got tired of the huge problems. He resigned in June 1761.
It wasn't until July that his replacement, Augustin Ehrensvard, could gather 7,000 men to invade the enemy's country. Even though they were stronger than the Prussian army trying to stop them, they were so poorly equipped that they didn't get far. The campaign only had small fights. In September, he sent two regiments under Count Frederick William von Hessenstein to help the Russians. The Russians had been attacking Kolberg since 1759. However, Hessenstein soon had to pull back. In October, the whole Swedish force returned to Swedish Pomerania.
When the Prussians started to worry about their borders, Ehrensvard sent Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten with light troops to Mecklenburg. On December 23, Sprengtporten defeated a Prussian force at Malchin. But then he was surrounded by a stronger Prussian force. Ehrensvard was able to break through and rescue him. A small group of Swedish soldiers under De Carnall defeated the Prussians at Neukalen on January 2, 1762. The Prussians were trying to block the road. Ehrensvard then marched into Malchin. However, he immediately returned to Swedish Pomerania. On April 7, he agreed to a truce on his own. This Truce of Ribnitz lasted until the final peace.
What Were the Outcomes of the War?
In Sweden, this expensive and unsuccessful war made the Hats political group very unpopular. Their control over the government started to weaken. The problems caused by the war led to a financial shortage, which caused the Hats to lose power in 1765.
The death of Elizabeth of Russia in January 1762 changed everything in Europe. Russia and Prussia became allies on May 5. This meant Russia could become an enemy of Sweden instead of a friend. So, on March 13 that year, a secret committee in Sweden decided to seek a separate peace.
With the help of the queen, the Swedes signed the Peace of Hamburg with Prussia and Mecklenburg on May 22. They accepted their defeat. Prussia and Sweden went back to how things were before the war started. This is called "status quo ante bellum."
