On this reckoning, the Russian centre includes seven 100-gun first rates, supported by many 74s and 66s. The comparison puts that concentration alongside the seven first rates counted for both sides together at Trafalgar. Russia's principal commitments in the Baltic and Black Sea allow it to concentrate large warships more readily than a navy dispersed across worldwide duties. Sweden has no comparable concentration of heavy firepower. One counterfactual would postpone the war and invest in a few larger Swedish ships to reduce the mismatch. Rostislav is presented as the start of this Russian approach to building a stronger heavy battle line. Greater ship size and firepower are its intended means of winning, a theory of victory rather than a guarantee of success.
Notable Point · 49:13-52:45
Russia concentrates its first rates at Vyborg
Seven Russian first rates are counted at Vyborg, illustrating how regional commitments permit a concentration of heavy ships that Sweden struggles to match.