Battle of Oravais 1808
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 14 September 1808 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1808 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Finland | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Finnish War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 63.2827, 22.3750 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Oravais (occasionally Orawais; Finnish: Oravaisten taistelu; Swedish: Slaget vid Oravais) from September 14 until September 15 was one of the decisive battles in the Finnish War, fought from 1808 to 1809 between Sweden and the Russian Empire as part of the wider Napoleonic Wars. Taking place in modern-day Vörå in western Finland, it is sometimes regarded as the turning point of the Finnish War: the last chance for Sweden to turn the war to her advantage. It was the bloodiest battle of the conflict, along with the Battle of Sävar, which some historians attribute to the exhaustion, resignation and desperation of the Swedish army: it was losing the war, and defeat led to its loss of Finland to Russia.
In this battle Count Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky, who was in charge of the Russians, displayed outstanding military qualities, showing himself a worthy disciple of Suvorov. Considering the uncertain situation before the battle, he deploys his forces in echelons; but, as soon as the main Swedish force at Oravais is determined, he endeavours to bring everyone onto the battlefield at a crucial moment.
The Swedish army was commanded by Count Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor, who decided to accept the battle on a fortified position.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Oravais (revision 1375534442), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Jutas 1808 · 25 km
- Battle of Nykarleby 1808 · 27 km
- Battle of Napue 1714 · 32 km
- Battle of Vaasa 1808 · 43 km
- Battle of Lapua 1808 · 48 km
- Battle of Ruona–Salmi 1808 · 74 km
Other battles of the Finnish War
- Battle of Alavus 1808
- Battle of Grönvikssund 1808
- Battle of Jutas 1808
- Battle of Karstula 1808
- Battle of Kauhajoki 1808
- Battle of Kokonsaari 1808
- Battle of Koljonvirta 1808
- Battle of Lapua 1808
- Battle of Lemo 1808
- Battle of Nykarleby 1808
All 27 battles of the Finnish War →
Browse more: battles in Finland · Europe · 19th century battles