Between the years 1560 and 1721, the Swedes endeavored to turn the Baltic Sea into a Swedish lake. Generations of young men perished in a seemingly endless series of wars. How was it possible for an insignificant country on the outskirts of Europe, with small cities and a scant population, to develop into a great power? Convinced that God was on their side, the army marched across the ice of a frozen sea to take the enemy by surprise. They challenged continental Europe s greatest generals on the battlefield. In the end, the enemy s superior numbers proved too great, and over one hundred years of empire building culminated in a long, desperate final battle.