Narva overturns Peter's assumptions about Charles XII

Peter expected Charles XII's youth to make Sweden vulnerable. At Narva, roughly 10,500 Swedish relief troops joined a garrison of about 1,800 against a Russian siege army approaching 40,000. The Russian defeat included the capture of senior officers, around 9,000 men killed or drowned, and another 20,000 surrendering. Peter had stayed away while Charles accompanied his troops, sharpening the humiliation. Charles had become king at fifteen in 1697, with his regency ending before the close of that year. After Narva he rejected Peter's peace approach because he intended to end a legitimate war only by defeating his enemies.