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Tydal Mountain Blizzard (1719)

In 1700, a war known as the Great Northern War began when Russia, led by Peter the Great, invaded Sweden. Peter and his allies, which included Norway, believed Sweden’s 15-year-old king, Charles XII, was too young and inexperienced to adequately defend his homeland. The war went on for a number of years. Ultimately, Charles decided to attack Norway to force its king to make concessions during upcoming peace negotiations. On August 29, approximately 10,000 Swedish soldiers began their march. The invasion didn’t go well. By the end of December, Charles’ mighty army had dwindled to some 8,000. Swedish forces, under the command of General Carl Gustaf Armfelt,

What: Tydal Mountain Blizzard

When: During the first two weeks of January 1719 Casualties: About 3,000 soldiers died during the storm, and about 700 died afterward due to complications from the storm. Did You Know? “Carolean” is a nickname for Charles’s soldiers, so the blizzard has come to be known as the Carolean Death March.

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