Book Review of Peter the Great and Marlborough: Politics and Diplomacy in Converging Wars

International History

Andrew Rothstein. Peter the Great and Marlborough: Politics and Diplomacy in Converging Wars. ISBN 978-0-333-39878-4. Maps. Notes. Index. London: Macmillan, 1986. Pp. xi, 247.

The late Andrew Rothstein, a Russian-British journalist, examines Anglo-Russian relations during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713/14) and Great Northern War (1700-1721).  His thesis is that John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, was determined to keep Russia and Sweden out of the Grand Alliance’s struggle with Louis XIV of France (ruled 1643-1715) in the War of the Spanish Succession.  Rothstein argues that the policies of the Maritime Powers of England and the Dutch Republic centered on keeping both Russia and Sweden neutral in the struggle against France as well as maintaining the diplomatic and economic status quo in the Baltic Region.

Marlborough’s policy of keeping Russia and Sweden out of the War of the Spanish Succession was threatened by Louis XIV’s diplomacy aimed at acquiring…

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