Charles X's Wars Volumes 1-3

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This landmark three-volume history explores the Swedish Deluge (potop szwedski) – the devastating series of wars fought between 1655 and 1660 involving Sweden, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Brandenburg–Prussia, Muscovite Russia, Transylvania, Cossack Ukraine, the Crimean Tatars, and the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Charles X Gustavus of Sweden, a veteran commander of the Thirty Years’ War.

By invading the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Charles X sought to end dynastic rivalries over the Swedish throne and secure control of Baltic trade. The result was a conflict that brought about the near-collapse of the Commonwealth, embroiled Eastern Europe in simultaneous wars with Muscovy and Sweden, and drew in powers from the Arctic to the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the Cossacks and other regional actors pursued their struggles for independence, adding to the complexity of the wars.

Volume 1 introduces the belligerents, analysing the military systems, organisation, and armies of all the nations involved.
Volume 2 covers the campaigns in the east (1655–1657), focusing on the Swedish–Commonwealth war and its entanglement with Muscovite Russia.
Volume 3 recounts the Dano–Swedish wars of 1657–1660, including Charles X’s audacious winter march across the frozen straits to Copenhagen, and the final conclusion of the wider struggle.
Drawing upon new research and sources rarely used in English, Michael Fredholm von Essen sheds fresh light on this complex, multi-front conflict. With detailed analysis of the Swedish Army’s development after the Thirty Years’ War, and comprehensive coverage of the varied forces engaged, this trilogy provides an indispensable reference for historians, wargamers, and enthusiasts of early modern warfare.