Charles XII concentrated on land campaigns even though Sweden's empire depended on Baltic communications. Sweden often supplied the only fleet immediately available, including when Britain was nominally allied, so the Swedish Navy had to carry much of the fighting at sea. That imbalance placed an unusually heavy burden on commanders and ships while the king devoted much of his attention to armies. The result was a maritime empire whose survival depended on naval performance even when its ruler's strategic attention lay ashore.
Notable Point · 32:28-33:16
A maritime empire bears the coalition's naval burden
Sweden's Baltic empire made sea control indispensable, yet Charles XII focused on land campaigns and the Swedish fleet often had to carry coalition operations at sea.