Russo-Swedish War
1788–1790
With most of Russia's army fighting the Turks, Gustav III of Sweden saw a chance to win back the lands lost in Finland earlier in the century, and in June 1788 he attacked. His plan was to beat the Russian Baltic Fleet and land an army near St Petersburg, but Admiral Greig fought the Swedish battle fleet to a standstill at Hogland and then blockaded it in Sveaborg, while a mutiny among his officers in Finland stopped Gustav's army. The war was fought by two fleets on each side: a sailing battle fleet in the open Baltic, and an archipelago fleet of galleys, gunboats and shallow-draught frigates among the skerries of the Finnish coast. In 1790 the Swedish battle fleet was beaten at Reval and trapped in Vyborg Bay, and broke out on 3 July at heavy cost. Six days later Gustav's archipelago fleet destroyed the Russian galley fleet at the Second Battle of Svensksund, the largest naval battle ever fought in the Baltic, and the Treaty of Värälä in August left the borders as they had been.
How the fleets moved
Click a route to see which ships made it, or a battle for its summary. Routes are approximate.
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Swedish movement
Russian movement
Battle (size: ships engaged)
Routes are approximate.
Major battles
The 4 biggest of the 7 battles covered here, by ships engaged.
17 July 1788
Battle of HoglandOff Hogland, Gulf of Finland
Tactically indecisive, each side taking one ship; a strategic Russian victory
22 (1 lost)
vs
24 (1 lost)
26 July 1789
Battle of ÖlandSouth-east of Öland, Baltic Sea
Indecisive; the Russians kept control of the Baltic
29
vs
19
13 May 1790
Battle of RevalReval roads, off present-day Tallinn
Russian victory; two Swedish ships of the line lost
3 (2 lost)
vs
23
3–4 July 1790
Battle of Vyborg BayVyborg Bay, Gulf of Finland
Swedish fleet broke out with heavy losses
14 (11 lost)
vs
4
Fleets
Each navy's ships in the war, from its biggest down.