Starvard · The Masters Library

History of Charles XII, King of Sweden

di Voltaire · 13 parti · about 6 hours 42 minutes di lettura

Ciao, mi chiamo Finn e ti aiuterò a capire questo libro.

Eccolo, spiegato come se avessi 10 anni:

Carlo XII divenne re di Svezia da adolescente e subito tre paesi lo attaccarono. Li sconfisse uno dopo l'altro, con marce audaci e un coraggio temerario, finché non si spinse troppo in profondità in Russia e perse tutto a Poltava. Voltaire racconta la storia in modo rapido e luminoso, come un romanzo che però è vero. Se ti piacciono i personaggi audaci, gli strani rovesci della fortuna e la storia che si legge con facilità, comincia da qui.

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Capitoli

Prefatory Note by John Burns1 min Introduction16 min Translator's Note4 min Book I: Outline of Swedish history up to the time of Charles XI; Charles’s education; His enemies; Character-sketch of the Czar, Peter Alexiowitz; His peculiarities; Alliance of Russia, Poland, Denmark against Charles XII37 min Book II (Part 1): Sudden and extraordinary transformation in the character of Charles XII; At the age of eighteen he carries on war with Denmark, Poland and Russia; He concludes the war with Denmark in six weeks; Beats an army of 80,000 Russians with 8,000 Swedes, and proceeds to Poland; Description of Poland and its Government; Charles wins several victories, and conquers Poland, where he makes preparations to nominate a king34 min Book II (Part 2): Sudden and extraordinary transformation in the character of Charles XII; At the age of eighteen he carries on war with Denmark, Poland and Russia; He concludes the war with Denmark in six weeks; Beats an army of 80,000 Russians with 8,000 Swedes, and proceeds to Poland; Description of Poland and its Government; Charles wins several victories, and conquers Poland, where he makes preparations to nominate a king34 min Book III (Part 1): Stanislas Leczinski chosen King of Poland; Death of the Cardinal-Primate; Great retreat of General Schullemburg; Exploits of the Czar; Foundation of Petersburg; Charles’s entry into Saxony; The peace of Altranstadt; Augustus abdicates in favour of Stanislas; General Patkul, the Czar’s plenipotentiary, is broken on the wheel, and quartered; Charles receives the ambassadors of foreign princes in Saxony; He also goes to Dresden to see Augustus before his departure29 min Book III (Part 2): Stanislas Leczinski chosen King of Poland; Death of the Cardinal-Primate; Great retreat of General Schullemburg; Exploits of the Czar; Foundation of Petersburg; Charles’s entry into Saxony; The peace of Altranstadt; Augustus abdicates in favour of Stanislas; General Patkul, the Czar’s plenipotentiary, is broken on the wheel, and quartered; Charles receives the ambassadors of foreign princes in Saxony; He also goes to Dresden to see Augustus before his departure28 min Book IV: Charles leaves Saxony; Pursues the Czar; Advances into Ukrania; His losses and wounds, and the battle of Pultowa; The consequences of the battle; Charles forced to escape into Turkey; His reception in Bessarabia44 min Book V: The state of the Ottoman Porte; Charles retires to Bender; His occupations; His intrigues at the Porte; His plans; Augustus restored; The King of Denmark attacks Sweden; All the King’s other territories are invaded; The Czar keeps festival at Moscow; The affair of Pruth; History of the Czarina48 min Book VI: Intrigues at the Porte; The Kan of Tartary and the Pasha of Bender try to force Charles to depart; He defends himself with forty servants against their whole army43 min Book VII: The Turks remove Charles to Demirtash; King Stanislas is seized at the same time; Bold action of M. de Villelongue; Revolutions in the seraglio; Battles in Pomerania; Altena is burnt by the Swedes; Charles returns to his kingdom; His strange method of travelling; His arrival at Stralsund; The state of Europe at that time; The losses of King Charles; The successes of Peter the Great; His triumphal entry into Petersburg39 min Book VIII: Charles marries his sister to the Prince of Hesse; He is besieged in Stralsund and escapes to Sweden; The enterprise of Baron Gortz his premier; Plans of reconciliation with the Czar; An attack on England; Charles besieges Frederickshal in Norway; He is killed; His character; Gortz is beheaded44 min