Peter the Great meets Charles XII

Peter the Great enters as a ruler with a strategic vision for Russia, including naval architecture schools and a new navy, but with serious political blind spots. His decision to attack a youthful Charles XII badly underestimated one of the age's most formidable commanders. Charles repeatedly won against larger armies, yet his Moscow campaign, Ottoman exile, and failure to produce an heir left Sweden vulnerable when he disappeared from direct command. Both rulers could dominate events personally without building a system that worked reliably in their absence.