g close, he crossed
the Desna with his most trusted Cossacks to join the Swedes. Peter's
eyes were opened; he gave orders to his general Menzikoff to take and
sack Mazeppa's capital. This was done and Mazeppa's friends, who had
remained behind, were executed. Mazeppa himself reached the Swedish
camp. He was compelled to seek safety in Turkey, where he died
miserably at Bender. His territory was annexed to Russia, the Cossacks
lost all their privileges, and 1,200 of them were set to work on the
Ladoga canal.

It was in 1700 that Peter, after concluding an alliance with Poland,
determined to declare war against Sweden where young Charles XII had
recently succeeded to the throne. Attacked at the same time by Russia,
Poland, and Denmark, this young hero invaded the last-named country
and compelled its king to conclude peace. After relieving Riga,
Charles marched into Russia at the head of 8,500 men, and on the 30th
of November defeated a Russian army of 63,000 men. This victory proved
a misfortune, because it inspired the King of Sweden with contempt for
Russian soldiers and made him careless, whereas Peter worked
cheerfully and hard to profit from the lesson. While Charles was
absent in Poland, his army was twice defeated.

Each of the two antagonists was worthy of the other's steel. Both were
brave, but Charles was impetuous, whereas Peter acted upon cool
judgment. The war continued until 1709 when Charles found himself (p. 160)
in Little Russia, far away from supplies and reinforcements, in a
Russian winter which happened to be exceptionally severe. In the
spring he laid siege to Pultowa. The czar arrived on the 15th of June
with 60,000 men; Charles had 29,000. On July 8, 1709, the battle of
Pultowa was fought and Charles was defeated; he narrowly escaped being
captured. With Mazeppa and the Pole Poniatowski, he made his way
across the Turkish frontier, and remained until 1713, in the territory
of the Sultan, whom he finally induced to declare war against Peter.
This victory gave Peter the longed-for port on the Baltic, since
Sweden was no longer in a condition to stop him.

What induced Sultan Ahmed III to risk war with Russia, was the hope of
regaining Azof. Peter, on the other hand, hoped for an opportunity to
capture Constantinople, the Czargrad of former times. He knew that he
had the sympathy of the many Christians of the Greek Church, who were
suffering under the yoke of the Turk. Trusting upon their support,