Editing Battle of Poltava (section)

== Prelude ==
By the spring of 1709, Charles' force had shrunk to half of its original size. After the [[Great Frost of 1709|coldest winter in Europe in over 500 years]], Charles was left with 20,000 soldiers and 34 cannons.<ref name=Tucker/>{{rp|707}} Short of supplies, he laid siege to the Russian fortress at [[Poltava]] on the [[Vorskla River]] on 2 May 1709.<ref name=Tucker/>{{rp|707–08}} Peter's force of 80,000 marched to relieve the siege.<ref name=Tucker/>{{rp|708}}  Upon his arrival, Peter built a fortified camp on the Vorskla, 4&nbsp;km north of Poltava.<ref name=Frost/>{{rp|290}}  While observing the Russian position on 20 June, Charles was struck in the foot by a stray bullet that wounded him so severely that he could not stand.<ref name=Frost/>{{rp|289}} In addition, Charles' last hope of reinforcement expired, as the Swedish forces under [[Ernst Detlof von Krassow|von Krassow]] had turned aside to deal with the anti-Swedish [[Sandomierz Confederation]] in Poland.<ref name=Frost/>{{rp|289}}

Between the Russian and Swedish forces the Yakovetski and Budyschenski woods formed a corridor, which the Russians defended by building six forts across the gap.<ref name="Englund">Englund, P., 1992, The Battle that Shook Europe, London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., {{ISBN|978-1-78076-476-4}}</ref>{{rp|60}} Peter, in addition, ordered four more [[redoubt]]s built so the entire system of ten forts would have a ''T'' shape, providing [[flanking fire]] to a Swedish advance.<ref name=Englund/>{{rp|60}} Two of the redoubts were still being constructed on the morning of the battle, but 4,000 Russians manned the remaining eight, with 10,000 cavalry under General [[Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov]] stationed behind them.<ref name=Englund/>{{rp|60}}