The Great Northern War and Estonia: The Trials of Dorpat 1700-1708

Translated from the Estonian by Piret Ruustal. The history of the small Estonian city of Dorpat (in modern days, Tartu), especially during the period of 1558–1708, when the whole country, coveted by three Great Powers – Russia, Poland and Sweden – was suffering in the throes of the Livonian War (1558–1583) and the Great Northern War (1700–1721), is full of dramatism. The city was besieged on nine occasions, and only twice did the enemy’s efforts fail. The city’s residents were deported to Russia five times between 1558 and 1708. A true Apocalypse, however, came when in 1708 the departing Russian troops after a devastating siege turned the city into a field of smouldering ruins. Set against the broader background of the tumultuous events taking place in early eighteenth-century Europe, the book tells about the final episode in the series of Dorpat’s sieges, which ended with the conquering of the city and its annihilation. Drawing on rich archival sources, the author paints an often moving picture of burghers and the city officials caught between the harsh demands of wartime and their efforts to lead a normal life despite the lethal siege.