“DIPLOMATIC FRONT” DURING THE GREAT NORTHERN WAR: DIPLOMATIC MISSION OF JUST JUEL TO PETER I (1709-1711)

The long and active competition among some European states for the political and economic domination in the Baltic region led to the Great Northern War, a large-scale and long-lasting military conflict that significantly influenced international relations. The course of this war was saturated not only with big battles and massive military campaigns but also a "diplomatic front," in which the rulers, with the help of diplomats, tried to win this war with more benefits to their states and political interests.The mission of Danish diplomat Just Juel (1709-1711) is one of the episodes not only of Danish diplomacy during the Northern War but also the history of international relations in the early 18th century. The "thick text" of the travel diary, written by this Danish envoy during his mission, allows us to some extent imagine and reconstruct certain peculiarities of international relations in Northeast Europe; to learn more about the known events and little-known facts; to evaluate the role of diplomats in establishing relationships between states and their rulers during the wartime period.