The Swedish invasion of Saxony took place in 1706 during the Great Northern War, which began in 1700 when Russia, Denmark–Norway, and Saxony attacked Sweden and its ally, Holstein-Gottorp. To force Augustus II the Strong out of the war, who was the electorate of Saxony and king in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Charles XII of Sweden launched an invasion of the Commonwealth; Augustus was dethroned in 1704, and, after having suffered a devastating defeat at Fraustadt in 1706, Charles turned his victorious army towards Saxony.