Smoke over the Daugava, boats on the water, the Spilve meadows still grey before sunrise. On 9 July 1701 Old Style—or 19 July New Style—King Charles XII of Sweden ferried about 7,000 soldiers across the Daugava near Riga and attacked roughly 13,000 Saxon troops. The fighting lasted about two hours: the Saxons withdrew toward Kobronskansts and Daugavgrīva Fortress, while Spilve remained in Swedish hands.

The Battle of Spilve, also known as the Battle of the Daugava, took place early in the Great Northern War, when Vidzeme and Riga were still under Swedish rule. On the edge of Riga, the issue was not just one clash of armies, but whether Augustus II’s Saxon forces could seriously threaten Swedish positions along the Daugava.