With the Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 the Swedish dominions

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

and

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

were integrated into the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Luts (2006), p. 159 following their conquest during the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

.Frost (2000), p. 294 The Livonian nobility and the city of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

capitulated on 4 July ( O.S.)Luts (2006), p. 160 / 15 July 1710 ( N.S.),Bushkovitch (2001), p. 294 Pernau (Pärnu) in August, and the

Estonian nobility Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also * ...

and the city of

Reval Tallinn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and administratively lies in the Harju ''maakond'' (co ...

(Tallinn) on 29 September ( O.S.)Luts (2006), p. 161 / 10 October ( N.S.). Russia left the local institutions in place and confirmed the traditional privileges of the German nobles and burghers as was established in

Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti was established on 28 November 1561 in the Treaty of Vilnius between the Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus and the last Landmeister in Livonia Gotthard Kettler, contractually negotiated and granted privilege, which ...

, especially with respect to the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

faith. The land reform of the so-called reduction which had been introduced by the Swedish king

Charles XI Charles XI or Carl (; ) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. ...

, and transformed many

serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed dur ...

to subjects of the Crown, was reversed. The

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era () was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic regi ...

formally accepted the capitulations in the

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad, or the Treaty of Uusikaupunki, was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire on in the then Swedish town of Nystad (, in th ...

in 1721.Loit (2004), p. 72 The transfer of the Baltic provinces marked the end of Sweden's and the beginning of Russia's time as a

great power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power ...

.Loit (2004), p. 69 The Baltic provinces retained their special status until the late 19th century.Hatlie (2005), p. 116

Background

In the pretext of the

August the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...

of Saxe- Poland-Lithuania and

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

had agreed to conquer and partition Sweden's Baltic dominions in the

Treaty of Preobrazhenskoye A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...

in 1699. During the war,

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII () or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.), was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of ...

was able to defeat the Russian army at Narva in 1700, and then pursued August the Strong to Saxony.Loit (2004), p. 70 Once the main Swedish army was gone, Russian forces were able to regroup and conquered most of the plague-stricken Baltic provinces until 1710, when the last Swedish strongholds

and Pernau capitulated. At this time, the main Swedish army was captured at the

Surrender at Perevolochna The surrender at Perevolochna was the capitulation of almost the entire Swedish army on 30 June 1709 ( O.S.) / 1 July 1709 (Swedish calendar) / 11 July 1709 ( N.S.). It signified the virtual annihilation of the once formidable Swedish army afte ...

following the

Battle of Poltava The Battle of Poltava took place 8 July 1709, was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. The Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeated the Swedish army commanded by Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld. The battle would l ...

. Peter the Great had in person launched the first shells in the siege of Riga, in November 1709.

Terms

In the Estonian and Livonian capitulations, Russia largely confirmed local law and privileges, especially the

church order, thus granting administrative, economical, social and cultural autonomy. This included laws and privileges dating back to the

Teutonic Order State The State of the Teutonic Order () was a theocratic state located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region ...

and, in Estonia, Danish laws.Capitulation of Reval, first paragraph, excerpt: "'' ..dasz von Ihro Grosz Czarischen Maytt. vor sich und ihren hohen Successoren ihnen allen von denen Königen in Dänemarck, denen Hoch Meistern, Herren Meistern, Königen in Schweden von Zeiten zu Zeiten der Stadt und ihren Einwohnern gegebene privilegia, pacta, Immunitäten, Freyheiten alle wohl hergebrachte christlöbl. Gewohnheiten, Königl. Resolutiones in genere und in specie sowohl in spiritualibus als temporalibus werden confirmiret, und zu allen Zeiten nach dem Wortverstande ohne einige andere Deutung fest gehalten werden.''" Luts (2006), p. 162.Capitulation of the Livonian nobles, tenth paragraph, excerpt: "''In allen gerichten wird nach Liefländischen Privilegien wohl eingeführten Gewohnheiten, auch nach dem bekannten alten Lief-Ländischen Ritterrechte, und, wo diese deficieren möchten, nach gemeinen Teutschen Rechten, dem landesüblichen Processform gemäss ..decidiert ..'" Luts (2006), p. 160.Capitulation of the Estonian nobles, second paragraph, excerpt: "''Alle Privilegia, Donationes, Statuten, Immunitäten, Alte wohlhergebrachte Landes Gewohnheiten von deren Glorwürdigsten Königen in Dennemark, item denen Hoch- vnd Herr Meistern dem Lande und Adel gegebene und von Zeiten zu Zeiten confirmirte Praerogativen, wie Selbe in Ihrem tenore von Wort zu Wort lauten, zu confirmiren und zuerhalten.''" Luts (2006), p. 161. The reduction of these privileges by

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

absolutism had caused exiled Livonian nobleBushkovitch (2001), p. 217 and spokesman of the Livonian noblesKappeler (2008), p. 68 Johann Reinhold von Patkul to successfully lobby for war against Sweden in the pretext of the war, and their confirmation was to assure loyalty of the Baltic elites, who in the majority had fiercely resisted Russian conquest, to the tsar.Dauchert (2006), p. 54 The capitulations were concluded exclusively by the Baltic German burghers and noble class, the Estonian and Latvian speaking population was not mentioned. The confirmation of local law and administration resulted in many Swedish laws and decrees remaining in effect under Russian rule.Loit (2004), p. 76 For example, an incomplete list of 122 still effective Swedish decrees was published in Reval in 1777,Loit (2004), pp. 76–77 and the Swedish ecclesiastical order was only replaced in 1832.Loit (2004), p. 77 The capitulation of Livonia violated

's claims as outlined in the

(1699) and renewed on 9–10 October ( O.S.) / 20–21 October 1709 ( N.S.) in the Treaty of Thorn. When in these treaties the allies had partitioned the Swedish dominions among themselves, August was to gain Livonia. Ignoring

Gerhard Johann von Löwenwolde Gerhard Johann von Löwenwolde (Гергард Иоганн Левенвольде, died 1721)Bushkovitch (2001), p. 295 was a Baltic German Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered ...

's urge to heed these treaties,

Boris Sheremetev Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev (; – ) was a Russian diplomat and field marshal (Russian Empire), general field marshal during the Great Northern War. He became the first Russian count in 1706. His children included Pyotr Sheremetev and Nat ...

had the Livonians swear allegiance to

. Löwenwolde, formerly serving August the Strong, was made Peter's

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of a sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word can als ...

in Livonia and held that office until 1713.Bushkovitch (2001), p. 295

Consequences

Before the Swedish-Russian hostilities were concluded in Nystad (1721), the Swedish government did not accept the capitulation. Swedish intelligence operated in the occupied areas and interrogated people who escaped from these provinces to Sweden proper. In 1711 and 1712, Swedish naval units made several landfalls on the Estonian coast, burning villages and estates.Loit (2004), pp. 70–71 Greater expeditions were planned during the same time, including a naval assault on Ösel (Saaremaa) in 1711 and a subsequent landfall with all Swedish troops stationed in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, but these plans were not executed.Loit (2004), p. 71 The last plan for a military recovery of the Baltic provinces was made in 1720, but this one too was not executed. The Swedish government further maintained an exiled administration of the Baltic dominions, and assigned vacant administrative positions until 1720. The Russian administration, under supreme command of

, reacted by prohibiting contacts of the local population to Sweden. On 30 August 1721, the

formalized Russia's acquisition of the Baltic provinces and the respective capitulations in articles IX, X, XI and XII.Luts (2006), p. 162 Sweden had to relinquish her claims "forever", and strike the provinces from the royal title. Peter the Great in turn changed his title from ''

tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

'' to ''imperator'', and amended it with ''kniaz Estlandskyi, Livlandskyi i Korelskyi'', i.e. duke of Estonia, Livonia and

Karelia Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...

. However, reconquest of her former Baltic dominions remained a Swedish war aim in the century following the Great Northern War,Loit (2004), pp. 70, 77ff since these territories were of high strategic importance and Livonia had been a major Swedish source for grain. Yet, none of the respective attempts during the Russo-Swedish wars of 1741–1743, 1788–1790 and 1808–1809 was successful. As Loit (2004) put it: The acquisition of Estonia and Livonia introduced a new class of

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

nobles to Russian courts. During the following centuries, Baltic Germans were to occupy important positions in the Russian Empire. In 1795,

Early Modern The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

Russia completed her Baltic expansion with the acquisition of

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

by a capitulation similar to the Estonian and Livonian ones, following the

Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polish ...

.Luts (2006), p. 162 The Baltic provinces retained their special status within the Russian Empire until tsar Nicholas I started to implement

Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...

policies in the 1840s. Between 1883 and 1905, under tsar Alexander III, nationalist policies resulted in changes in administration and education, before the

1905 Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, th ...

eased the situation. While after the conquest of the Baltic provinces Peter the Great had guaranteed that the German language retained its status as official language,

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

had introduced Russian as second official language, and in the 1880s, Russian was introduced as the second

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

.Koch (2002), pp. 59–60

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{Great Northern War treaties Great Northern War 1710 in law 18th century in Estonia 18th century in Latvia Swedish Livonia 1710 in Russia 1710 in Sweden Riga (1710)