# Battle of Poltava restores Augustus II (1709)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1709-battle-of-poltava-restores-augustus-ii
Location: Poltava
Categories: battle

Peter the Great's victory over Charles XII allowed Augustus II to return to the Polish throne. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (8 July 1709), the governing authority was Augustus II the Strong (King of Poland). Elector of Saxony whose entry into the Great Northern War brought devastation and Russian influence to the Commonwealth. Battle of Poltava restores Augustus II mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Poltava restores Augustus II mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-i-leszczynski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Poltava](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poltava)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Poltava restores Augustus II](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Poltava+restores+Augustus+II)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)