Editing Charles XII of Sweden (section)

===Pomerania and Norway===
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2014}}
[[File:Porträtt av Karl XII. Alt-Ranstad - Skoklosters slott - 86683.tif|thumb|Karl XII, 1707. [[Skokloster Castle]].]]
[[File:Halsduk buren av Karl XII vid Fredrikshall den 30 november 1718 - Livrustkammaren - 39295.tif|thumb|Uniform worn by Charles XII in Frederikshall on 30 November 1718. Shown in [[Livrustkammaren|The Royal Armoury]] in Stockholm.]]
[[File:Bringing Home the Body of King Karl XII of Sweden (Gustaf Cederström) - Nationalmuseum - 18366.tif|thumb|left|''[[Bringing Home the Body of King Charles XII]]''. A [[Romantic nationalism|romanticized]] painting by [[Gustaf Cederström]], 1884]]
Charles agreed to leave Constantinople and returned to [[Swedish Pomerania]]. He made the journey on horseback, riding across Europe in just fifteen days. He traveled across the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary to Vienna and arrived at [[Stralsund]]. A medal with Charles on horseback, his long hair flying in the wind, was struck in 1714 to commemorate the speedy ride. It reads {{Lang|de|Was sorgt Ihr doch? Gott und Ich leben noch}}. ("What worries you so? God and I live still")''.''<ref>{{Cite book|title=German armies. War and German politics, 1648–1806. Warfare and history|last=Wilson|first=Peter Hamish|isbn=1-85728-106-3|page=140}}</ref>

After five years away, Charles arrived in Sweden to find his homeland at war with Russia, Saxony, Hannover, Great Britain and Denmark. Sweden's western enemies attacked southern and western Sweden while Russian forces traveled across Finland to attack the Stockholm district. For the first time, Sweden found itself in a defensive war. Charles's plan was to attack Denmark by striking at her possessions in Norway. It was hoped that by cutting Denmark's Norwegian supply lines the Danes would be compelled to withdraw their forces from Swedish Scania.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
 
Charles invaded Norway in 1716 with a combined force of 7,000 men. He occupied the capital of [[Oslo|Christiania]], (modern Oslo), and laid siege to the [[Akershus Fortress|Akershus fortress]] there. Due to a lack of heavy siege cannons he was unable to dislodge the Norwegian forces inside. After suffering significant losses of men and materiel, Charles was forced to retreat from the capital on 29 April. In the following mid-May, Charles invaded again, this time striking the border town of [[Halden|Fredrikshald]], now [[Halden]], in an attempt to capture the fortress of [[Fredriksten]]. The attacking Swedes came under heavy cannon fire from the fortress and were forced to withdraw when the Norwegians set the town of Fredrikshald on fire. Swedish casualties in Fredrikshald were estimated at 500 men. While the siege at Fredrikshald was underway, the Swedish supply fleet was attacked and defeated by [[Tordenskjold]] in the [[Battle of Dynekilen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nb.no/karl-xii-kart/omfelttogene.htm|title=Karl XIIs felttog i Norge|work=nb.no|access-date=22 June 2009|archive-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203020542/http://www.nb.no/karl-xii-kart/omfelttogene.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1718, Charles once more invaded Norway. With a main force of 40,000 men, he again laid [[Siege of Fredriksten|siege to the fortress]] of Fredriksten overlooking the town of Fredrikshald. Charles was shot in the head and killed during the siege, while he was inspecting trenches. The invasion was abandoned, and Charles's body was returned to Sweden. A second force, under [[Carl Gustaf Armfeldt]], marched against [[Trondheim]] with 10,000 men but was forced to retreat. In the march that ensued, many of the 5,800 remaining men [[Carolean Death March|perished in a severe winter storm]].