Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 193 005 The Swedish Navy in Decline

During the reign of Gustav III, Sweden had an unrealistic fantasy that their fleet could compete with the giant Russia. However, in 1790, this fleet was able to fight against the Russian Baltic Fleet, and even had a slight advantage when the war reached a stalemate and had to sign an armistice. However, after twelve years, with the assassination of Gustav III and the economic situation of Sweden that has not been able to collect taxes, these navies have been in ruins.

Although Solovyov was in the army and an army officer in St. Petersburg, it did not mean that he did not pay attention to naval affairs. The heads of the Naval Committee were still very interested in the steamship he had invited the French to jointly develop. Especially after he left, they renovated the troubled steamship "Pavel" and improved it according to the new high-pressure steam boiler method.

However, the boiler of this ship exploded again on the Neva River. The "Elizabeth Alexeevna" used the same boiler and was ready to test its skills on the Neva River in 1802. Alexander was still strongly supportive of the new steamship. In addition, the warships of the squadrons of the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet had to be refurbished, which would also take some time.

But the Swedes.
Solovyov arrived in Kalmar, a place with some fame because of the Kalmar Union. It was also the place where the war between Sweden, Denmark and Norway over the years finally came to an end.

The port is no longer as prosperous as it once was and is declining rapidly compared to cities like Stockholm.

He looked at the situation here and felt that it was uninteresting. There was nothing to see except the shipyard, not to mention that the slipway here was now empty.

It is in sharp contrast with Gothenburg. Nelson may be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. It is even more doubtful whether it can be recovered in the future. The prepared wood looks quite good.

The Swedish Navy's base at this time was Karlskrona.

This place used to be Danish territory, but after the rise of Sweden, it finally changed hands during the Second Northern War, and officially fell into Swedish hands in 1658 according to the Treaty of Roskilde. It is not surprising that the Swedes obtained access to the North Sea from the Danes in this way.

This treaty shortened the distance between Denmark and Norway and created a relatively prosperous new territory in southern Sweden, making Sweden powerful for a period of time after Gustav II.

Then, another person who wanted to find Haikou came, and they used the same method to win.

But it was difficult to make the Swedes surrender after such a long period of time from Peter the Great to the Empress. Sweden's army and navy were still combat-ready, so it was not so easy to resolve. In addition, apart from the major security issue of Finland in front of Vyborg, there was no territorial dispute worth mentioning between Sweden and Russia. It was not the main direction of Russia's territorial expansion, and coupled with the kinship relationship, the issue was shelved.

But if they want to be beaten in the future, there is nothing they can do, and the Swedish Navy still needs attention.

The Swedish Navy's base has always been in Stockholm, but it has long faced a problem: it is one of the two large ports on the Baltic Sea coast with the longest freezing period, and sometimes even more serious than that in St. Petersburg.

Therefore, these areas obtained from Denmark were frozen for a shorter period of time, so it was natural to build a port here.

After arriving here, Solovyov saw the naval fleet for the first time. Although he passed by Kotlin Island by boat, it was still far away from the naval ships, and only two frigates were anchored there.

However, the status of these ships is not very optimistic.

During the reign of Gustav III, the Swedish Navy had a total strength of 44000 people, 42 battleships and frigates, 262 small gunboats and sailing ships, many of which are still here today.

He can even board the ship for a visit as a passenger, even with his real identity. Now that Russia and Sweden are friendly countries, he can still board the ship.

However, considering the shipbuilding level of the Swedish Navy, when Solovyov was in St. Petersburg, he actually learned about the level of French battleships from the exiled French. Most of these ships built around 1780 were entry-level battleships with 64 guns, which were really not good enough.

The Swedish Navy once had a 126-gun battleship called the Kronan, which sank in the Battle of Öland in 1676. This battleship was more than a hundred years ago and had a displacement of 2300 tons. Not much is known about the real cause of the damage.

The Swedes themselves claimed that the gunpowder magazine exploded in bad weather, which eventually led to the sinking. In fact, the reason is very simple. Just like the "Vasa" which sank when it sailed from Stockholm, serious problems arose due to illegal operations. As for the real situation, I am afraid it will take the analysis of those who salvaged the shipwreck.

"Sir, this warship is the Gustav III of our navy, but you can't board it, so you can only watch it here. If you want to board, we can choose another warship."

A two-deck, 70-gun battleship did not look very powerful, but the Baltic Fleet was defeated by the Swedes. At that time, Sidney Smith served as an adviser to Gustav III, but the command of the fleet was mainly in the hands of Swedish and Russian naval commanders. The two sides fought the Second Battle of Svenskasson, which had the largest number of participating ships until the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In the end, due to bad weather, the Russians suffered the final disastrous defeat.

It seems that there are always some bureaucratic guys in the Russian Navy who create problems at strange times. The next time I see the Russian Navy, Solovyov himself thinks that going to the Far East is too boring. Russia cannot afford the resources. It is more valuable to toss around in Europe and the Middle East. A settlement in the Far East cannot be turned into a town in a hundred years. It is still a village. The final result can be imagined, and there is also a huge burden.

Even in places like Siberia, the lines are only connected to existing settlements, and it is difficult to ensure transportation to Lake Baikal.

However, his idea was just to think about it, and he would get involved when he reached the right position in the future.

If not, then save up money and buy a village near Petersburg, build your own estate, live there for the rest of your life, and one day get married.

It is not surprising to have lovers. What is surprising is that the "Diamond Prince" like Alexander Kurakin has not married for a long time. He has never married, and at his age, many blind dates have been arranged for him, from an 18-year-old countess to a wealthy widow in her 30s. But for some reason, he has not married yet.

Looking back at the Swedish Navy's lineup, Solovyov's idea was actually very simple. When facing a fleet weaker than his own, he should not recklessly launch an attack in the Baltic Sea. In the ocean, he thought that he should not be timid even if he was a little weaker, and he would just go straight up and slap his opponent in the face. He still remembered that Paul had mentioned the situation of the Swedish Navy and denounced the reckless behavior of the fleet commander, Prince Nassau-Siegen. Of course, it was rare for the Queen and Paul to express their dissatisfaction one after another. The Queen's dissatisfaction was not that he lost the battle, but that he ran to Frederick and did not come back to continue serving.

As for that naval battle, the Swedes were quite proud of it, but Gustav III and the commanders of both sides believed that it was a problem with the commander of the Russian fleet.

As for Solovyov, he was also interested in this naval base, but that was all, because the Swedish warships were in a dilapidated state. If he went back and told his father about it and asked him to write a letter to Admiral Ushakov, perhaps he would get the answer.

Even a new general like Nelson, who was on good terms with the British Crown Prince, had great respect for Ushakov. Solovyov knew that he would only be in the army for the rest of his life and needed to understand naval knowledge, but that would only be useful on specific battlefields.

Although Baron Sergei was only a retired major and his civil servant rank was not high, some of the people he made friends with were very important figures. After all, when he was an adjutant, he could always see generals coming in and out.

In fact, Solovyov’s own godfather was a deceased general, and after his replacement, he never returned to the army.

From here he continued on to Malmö, where he would rest for a while, or go to Denmark by sea. Inspections were relatively relaxed in those days, and he had enough kroner with him, so it was not a bad idea to change the route of his trip, and it would also be an interesting experience.

Russia also has a territory near Oldenburg, which is ruled by Paul's aunt, Alexander's great-aunt, and there are also some territories that were once related to Denmark and Holstein, which were once Russian lands due to inheritance.

But after a trip to Denmark, there might not be enough time to come back.

Moreover, Denmark does not seem to be important now. It would be more valuable to continue to see what Sweden is like in Malmö or Gothenburg.

He left here that night, also in a hurry to continue his journey. When he stayed in Karlshamn, he had already recorded his itinerary and experiences of the past few days.

As for whether Alexander will accept his proposal after returning, it depends on the Tsar’s final decision.

Judging from the strength of the Russian Navy, after the war of 1790, due to the loss of a large number of galleys, frigates, and several battleships, the Russian Navy is actually still recovering. If a war really breaks out in the future, it should adopt an active attitude to fight.

Especially around 1806, all ocean-going fleets should have been withdrawn to avoid having their ships detained overseas by the British due to changes in diplomatic relations.

Although Solovyov did not know about historical events, he was clear about one thing: the British change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book, while the French are even slower. At this time, some small issues are still very critical.

When it comes to the strategic situation after Tilsit in 1807, many issues involve Russia's two wings. Sweden, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia made it impossible for Russia to concentrate its main forces. Its strength had to be dispersed in several directions. This was also because its homeland was too large.

By the time we arrived in Malmö, the ice and snow had begun to melt, spring had arrived, everything was reviving, and it was the mating season for animals.
He walked around and had to take into account the influence of the North Atlantic Current. At the same latitude, the southern part of Sweden is still relatively warm, which is different from the inland part of Russia.

At this time, he should also prepare to return. Although Louisa's journey to Sweden is still some time away, he must also consider that as a military attaché of the embassy, ​​he must accompany and escort her throughout the journey. Sweden is not like Russia. Its territory is really too large. After visiting these places, he probably has a clear understanding of the development status of Sweden and has a direct impression of the navy.

As for the army, judging from the level of the Guards and the Stockholm garrison, when a real war breaks out in the future, even if Gustav IV is given a few years to reorganize the army, it probably won't be enough.

However, the Russian army should not always engage in abstract behaviors during offensive campaigns. This kind of thing has been seen with Korsakov. Who knows which Russian general will have problems again? This kind of thing did not happen much in 1812.

In addition, when he arrived in Malmö, he wrote a letter to Elena, thanking her for her continued support. Although the second princess could not help him much after getting married, she had taken care of him before.

This was a very normal friendship, and Elena was also his benefactor. When he wrote a letter like this in Malmö and handed it to the courier, he didn't have to worry about anyone opening it.

After all, at his level, he does not need special attention from the Swedish Minister of Police, but the man in St. Petersburg who opened the letter and killed the king is now hung on the gallows like a frozen fish for public display, and a sign is hung up as a warning.

"This is what happens to betrayers!"

Further work on the settlement of property confiscations is still in progress, and the properties to be sold and the property to be paid into the national treasury have also been classified and counted.

Everyone thought that by now the farce of regicide in 1801 should have come to an end, but things always happened unexpectedly in Russia.

Alexander had evidence of the British's involvement in the conspiracy, but he kept it to himself. He was not as emotional as Paul, and he was still acting in front of the British.

Lord Whitworth's term as ambassador to Petersburg has come to an end. Now that the second armed neutrality has ended and the murder case has come to an end, the new Baron St. Helens has come to Petersburg and brought Britain with him to change its name.
Finally, they looked a little "greater".

(End of this chapter)