The attack of the crusaders on the Novgorod lands
Date: 20.10.2012
The attack of the crusaders on the Novgorod lands ended in defeat at the Battle of the Neva in 1240. But in 1242 the crusaders made another attempt. Alexander Nevsky brilliantly conducted the campaigns of 1240-1242. His main goal was to protect the Novgorod lands from the invasion of the enemy. Alexander had to repel three Crusader attacks and then launch a limited counter-offensive to prevent further escalation of the aggression. The plans of the Crusaders were elaborate and ambitious. Three divisions fy "> ix of the strike, aimed at strategically important points of the Novgorod lands, were supposed to divide the Russian forces and block the main trade routes to the West, on which the existence of Novgorod depended. It was also provided for a slight strengthening of the orders in order to prevent their preponderance in the Dalyersch: the Swedes expanded their possessions in Finland, the Danes received new lands in Northern Estonia, and the Teutonic knights and Bishop Herman strengthened their positions in Southern Estonia. The defeats in all these disparate campaigns demonstrated a lack of military resources, an underestimation of the forces of Novgorod and the kind of support it could receive from other Russian principalities.
In 1240, Swedish troops invaded the Novgorodian borders from the north. They were headed by Jarl Birger Magnusson, who had extensive experience in the Crusades in Finland, and, an Englishman by birth, Bishop Thomas, a canon from Uppsala, who supervised all missionary activities in Finland. The Swedish troops also included Norwegians, Finns and even a small number of Teutons. The invading squad entrenched in south coast the Neva River.
Return of Alexander
Wealthy Novgorod merchants quickly realized the gravity of the situation. By this time, they were in a quarrel with Alexander, who was expelled from the city, but now they had no choice but to hurry to return both the prince himself and his squad. Alexander once again demonstrated his military prowess by suddenly attacking the Swedes at dawn on July 15, 1240. Here the crusaders first encountered the tactics characteristic of Prince Alexander, which provided for a swift and unexpected attack on the enemy. The battle of the Neva was perhaps a relatively small battle, but the Novgorodians won a major victory. In particular, it is mentioned that Alexander wounded the Swedish Jarl in the face. The guards lost only about 20 people killed. On the opposite bank of the Neva, where none of Alexander's warriors fought, many dead Swedes were found, which gave the chroniclers grounds to assert that the Archangel Gabriel himself helped the Russian squad.
After the victory in the Battle of the Neva, the Novgorodians again quarreled with Alexander Nevsky, who left Novgorod with his retinue. The reasons for this conflict are not known. Perhaps the wealthy Novgorod merchants believed that peace and trade with the West were extremely important for the city's prosperity, and the prince did not want to make concessions to the crusaders. After leaving Novgorod, Alexander probably settled somewhere in the area of Moscow, which then began to take shape as the northern inheritance of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. His father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, was prince of Vladimir during these years.
Invasion of the crusaders
Taking advantage of the desire of Novgorod merchants to reach an agreement with the Catholic rulers of the Baltic, the crusaders intensified their aggressive actions. During the winter of 1240-1241, a detachment of crusaders raided deep into the Novgorod land along the Luga River, captured the city of Pskov and burned a village located only 30 km from Novgorod. Much great danger represented the capture by a detachment consisting of Teutonic knights, vassals of the Danish king and Estonian auxiliary troops, the Novgorod settlement of Koporye. The crusaders began to build a stone castle there, demonstrating their intention to stay here for a long time. And again Novgorod was unable to resist the invaders on its own and was forced to ask Alexander Nevsky to return. Meanwhile, the crusaders continued to raid, stealing livestock from the local peasants. The robbery reached such proportions that the peasants did not even have anything to plow the land on.
But the most serious was the third campaign of the crusaders, undertaken by them south of Lake Chutskoye. The Livonian chronicler who accompanied Bishop Herman wrote: “Bishop Herman was very pleased. With this army, they happily marched to Russia, and everything seemed to be for them. " By September 1241, the crusaders took the Izborsk fortress and destroyed its entire garrison. Then they successfully repulsed a counterattack of troops from Pskov. The crusaders ravaged the area around Pskov and eventually forced the city to surrender.
Finding themselves under the double attack of the crusaders, the Novgorod merchants again turned to Alexander Nevsky with a request for help. Formally, they sent their ambassadors to his father, who first suggested that his youngest son, Andrei, go to Novgorod, but then nevertheless agreed that Alexander and his retinue would return there. As in the Swedish invasion, Alexander acted swiftly and decisively. He moved his army to Koporye and soon took the newly erected castle. The prince freed the surrendered German and Danish soldiers, but mercilessly punished the Estonians who collaborated with the invaders - many of them were hanged by his order.
Alexander Nevsky spent the winter forming the Novgorod army. He came to his aid
younger brother Andrey with his retinue. At the beginning of 1242, together with the Novgorod militia, the brothers set out on a campaign in the southwestern direction. The Russian army probably passed through the frozen swamps that occupied most lands between Novgorod and Pskov, at the walls of which they suddenly appeared, causing panic in his small garrison. The city surrendered on March 5, almost without resistance, even before help from Izborsk, whose garrison was much stronger, managed to approach it.
Now Alexander Nevsky decided to continue the offensive deep into the lands that were under the rule of the Catholics. The Novgorod army bypassed Izborsk and invaded the territory south of Dorpat, which belonged to Bishop German. The Russians intended to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible. For this, the army was divided into small detachments. One of them was defeated southeast of Dorpat. This clash was called the "Battle of the Bridge" (or near the village of Mooste). Information about this battle has reached our time: apparently, a detachment of the Novgorod militia under the command of Dom-sha Tverdislavich was ambushed by the troops of the Teutonic Order and the Estonian militia. When the soldiers who survived after this unsuccessful battle joined the main forces of Alexander Nevsky, the prince decided to withdraw his army, refusing to continue the campaign and siege Dorpat. Thus, Russian army retreated to the east, crossing the narrow straits between the Peipsi and Pskov lakes lying to the south. Here, on the eastern bank, Alexander Nevsky decided to give battle to the crusader troops pursuing him.
The history of mankind is, unfortunately, not always a world of discoveries and achievements, but often a chain of a myriad of wars. These include those committed from the XI to the XIII century. This article will help you understand the reasons and reasons, as well as trace the chronology. Attached to it is a table compiled on the topic of "Crusades" containing important dates, names and events.
Definition of the concepts of "crusade" and "crusader"
The Crusade is an armed offensive by the Christian army against the Muslim East, which lasted a total of more than 200 years (1096-1270) and was expressed in no less than eight organized actions of troops from Western European countries. In more late period this was the name of any military campaign with the aim of converting to Christianity and expanding the influence of the medieval Catholic Church.
The crusader is a participant in such a campaign. On his right shoulder he had a patch in the form of the same image was applied to the helmet and flags.
Reasons, reasons, goals of trips
Military demonstrations were organized. The formal reason was the fight against Muslims in order to free the Holy Sepulcher, located in the Holy Land (Palestine). V modern understanding this territory includes states such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Jordan and a number of others.
Nobody doubted the success. At that time, it was believed that everyone who becomes a crusader will receive the remission of all sins. Therefore, joining these ranks was popular with both knights and city dwellers and peasants. The latter, in exchange for participation in the crusade, received liberation from serfdom. In addition, for the European kings, the crusade was an opportunity to get rid of powerful feudal lords, whose power grew as their holdings increased. Wealthy merchants and townspeople saw economic opportunity in military conquest. And itself higher clergy led by the popes, saw the crusades as a way to strengthen the power of the church.
The beginning and end of the era of the crusaders
The 1st Crusade began on August 15, 1096, when an unorganized crowd of 50,000 peasants and urban poor went on a campaign without supplies or preparation. They were mainly engaged in looting (since they considered themselves the warriors of God, who owns everything in this world) and attacked the Jews (who were considered the descendants of the killers of Christ). But within a year, this army was destroyed by the Hungarians who met along the way, and then by the Turks. Well-trained knights followed the crowd of the poor on the crusade. By 1099 they reached Jerusalem, capturing the city and killing big number residents. These events and the formation of a territory called the Kingdom of Jerusalem ended the active period of the first campaign. Further conquests (until 1101) were aimed at strengthening the conquered borders.
The last crusade (eighth) began on June 18, 1270 with the landing of the army of the French ruler Louis IX in Tunisia. However, this performance ended unsuccessfully: even before the start of the battles, the king died of a pestilence, which forced the crusaders to return home. During this period, the influence of Christianity in Palestine was minimal, while Muslims, on the contrary, strengthened their positions. As a result, they captured the city of Acra, which put an end to the era of the Crusades.
1st-4th crusades (table)
The years of the crusades | Leaders and / or major events | ||
Duke Gottfried of Bouillon, Duke Robert of Normandy and others. The capture of the cities of Nicaea, Edessa, Jerusalem, etc. | Proclamation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem |
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2nd crusade | Louis VII, King of Germany Conrad III | The defeat of the crusaders, the surrender of Jerusalem to the army of the Egyptian ruler Salah ad-Din |
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3rd crusade | King of Germany and Empire Frederick I Barbarossa, French King Philip II and English King Richard I the Lionheart | The conclusion of an agreement by Richard I with Salah ad-Din (disadvantageous for Christians) |
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4th crusade | Division of Byzantine lands |
5-8th crusades (table)
The years of the crusades | Leaders and major events | ||
5th crusade | Duke of Austria Leopold VI, King of Hungary Andras II and others. Trekking to Palestine and Egypt. | Failure of offensive in Egypt and negotiations on Jerusalem due to lack of unity in leadership |
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6th crusade | German king and emperor Frederick II Staufen | The capture of Jerusalem by treaty with the Egyptian sultan In 1244, the city again passed into the hands of Muslims. |
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7th crusade | French King Louis IX Saint Hike to Egypt | The defeat of the crusaders, the capture of the king, followed by ransom and return home |
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8th crusade | Louis IX Saint | Curtailment of the campaign due to the epidemic and the death of the king |
Outcomes
How successful were the numerous crusades, the table clearly demonstrates. Among historians there is no unequivocal opinion about how these events influenced the life of Western European peoples.
Some experts believe that the Crusades opened the way to the East, establishing new economic and cultural ties. Others point out that it could have been done more successfully through peaceful means. Moreover, the last crusade ended in outright defeat.
One way or another, in the very Western Europe significant changes took place: the strengthening of the influence of the popes, as well as the power of kings; the impoverishment of the nobility and the rise of urban communities; the emergence of a class of free farmers from the former serfs who received freedom through participation in the crusades.
Almost simultaneously with the invasion of Batu, dramatic events unfolded in the northwestern borders specific Russia... In the XII - early XIII century. The Baltic States have become a place where the interests of several states and peoples collide. The Finno-Ugric (Estonian) and Baltic tribes (Prussians, Livs, Semigallians, Yatvingians, etc.) who lived here experienced a period of decomposition of the clan system and the formation of the first state entities... The natural process was complicated by the intervention external forces seeking to subjugate local population... The ancient Russian princes played a similar role more than once.
Swedish and Danish feudal lords showed great interest in the southern coast of the Baltic. But especially active from the end of the XII century. German knights, united in spiritual knightly orders, began to behave. Here a wide field of activity opened up for them - the spread of Catholicism among the pagan tribes. The historical environment favored the knightly orders: weakening Ancient Rus allowed them to gain a foothold in the region.
Catholic missionaries appeared in the lower reaches of the Dvina in the second half of the 12th century. Since the Livonian tribes living here paid tribute to the Polotsk princes, initially, in order to settle in this place, the missionaries were forced to turn to them for permission. Catholic Christianization, accompanied by a breakdown in the way of life, provoked resistance from the tribes. Missionaries died or left. Then the Pope called in 1198 for a crusade: the propaganda of Catholicism by word was supported by more weighty arguments - fire and sword.
After a short but bloody war with local tribes, German crusaders and merchants in 1201 founded a fortress at the mouth of the Dvina Riga. The next year, the Order was established here. knights-sword-bearers. They defended the conquests of the Crusaders and controlled the maritime trade in the Baltic. Livs and Latvians paid tribute to the Order and took part in the military campaigns of the knights.
Somewhat later, at the mouth of the Vistula appeared Warband, to whom the Pope and the German emperor granted all the Baltic lands, which will be recaptured from the pagans.
The pressure exerted by the Order on the Lithuanian tribes hastened the process of statehood formation. In the struggle for an original existence, a militarily strong Lithuanian state was formed. In 1236, the crusaders suffered a crushing defeat at Šiauliai in a battle with the army of the great Lithuanian prince Mindaugas. In order not to lose the lands captured in the Baltic States, the Order of the Swordsmen united with the Teutonic Order. After that the influence Livonian Order(as it came to be called) increased.
The advance of the Order to the east led to clashes with the Novgorodians. By the end of the 30s of the XIII century. the German knights managed to completely subjugate the peoples living in the Western Dvina region and gain a foothold on the border of the Russian lands. Following this, an offensive began on the lands of the Estonians and Latgalians, subject to Novgorod. Estonia was completely captured by the Order.
Russian princes did not want to put up with the loss of the Baltic territories. Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was then the prince of Novgorod, organized several campaigns to Riga. In 1228, the Pskovites refused to support the Novgorod prince, citing the fact that all previous campaigns ended with retaliatory strikes by the crusaders on Pskov and the adjacent lands. In an effort to secure their possessions, Pskov entered into a mutual assistance agreement with Riga. The Order took Pskov under its protection, and the Pskovites now had to participate in the crusaders' campaigns against the Baltic tribes. In addition, the crusaders tried to establish a Catholic bishopric centered in Pskov. The position of the Pskovites was extremely difficult. In fact, they were caught between two fires. As part of the Novgorod feudal republic, Pskov did not always receive timely assistance... Hence the cautious and even ambivalent policy, especially complicated after the seizure of the Pskov suburb of Izborsk by the knights.
All this forced the Novgorodians to defend their interests with arms in hand. Moreover, Swedish and Danish knights intervened in the fight, systematically raiding South coast The Baltic states.
The defender of the Novgorod lands became Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, later nicknamed Nevsky. The nickname was based on the victory of the young prince over the Swedish detachment, which appeared in 1240 on the banks of the Neva, at the mouth of the Izhora.
However, the true glory of Alexander was brought by the victory won over the Livonian knights in battle on Lake Peipsi. In the spring of 1242, Alexander expelled two German vogts (judges) who were sitting in Pskov. Then he liberated a number of Russian border fortresses, captured by the crusaders, and invaded the lands of the Estonians who paid tribute to Riga. The knights defeated the advance detachment of Alexander and pushed the prince back to Lake Peipsi. Here on April 5, one of the major battles in the struggle for the lands of the Eastern Baltic. Alexander's leadership talent allowed him to defeat the crusaders. Victory in Battle on the ice strengthened the security of the northwestern borders of the Russian land.
However, the neighbors of Novgorod and Pskov did not abandon plans to take revenge for the defeat. The struggle resumed and went on with varying success. In 1268, the Novgorodians, together with the Polotsk and Smolens, undertook a large campaign against the Danish feudal lords who settled in Estonia. The campaign was led by the Pereyaslavl prince Dmitry Alexandrovich. The campaign was preceded by an agreement between the Novgorod government and the Order, which promised not to help the Danes. However, the crusaders violated the agreement and attacked the Russians. At Rakovor on February 18, "there was a terrible battle, as if neither father nor grandfather had seen." Both sides suffered heavy losses. The next day, the battle resumed and Russian troops defeated the enemy. Almost simultaneously, a detachment of the Pskovites under the command of the prince Dovmont made a devastating foray into German possessions.
As a result Rakovor battle was the conclusion of an agreement in 1270 between Novgorod and Livonia, which put an end to the crusade wars against North-Western Russia. Military clashes on the Russian-Livonian border continued after that, but the crusaders no longer set the task of establishing Catholic dioceses in Russia.
The invasion of the German crusaders into the Eastern Baltic was only one of the stages of their "onslaught to the east", that is, the policy of seizing the Slavic lands by the German secular and spiritual feudal lords. In the X - XII centuries. German rulers conquered the lands of the Polabian and Pomor Slavs and advanced to the Vistula. But here they met resistance from Poland and the Prussians, who inhabited the Baltic territory up to the Neman. Still striving to seize the lands between the Vistula and the Niemen, the German feudal lords decided at the same time to create a second focus of the offensive - on the Western Dvina.
At the end of the XII century. The papal curia sent its missionary agents with an army to the area of the Western Dvina, where the Livs lived (on whose behalf the entire territory, subsequently conquered by the German feudal lords, was called Livonia). But the Livs drove out the papal agents. Then the pope led a crusade against the peoples of the Eastern Baltic. New hike headed by the Bremen canon Albert, the future bishop of Livonia. Having received the help of Pope Innocent III, the German emperor and the Danish king, Albert appeared on ships with the German army at the mouth of the Western Dvina (1200). Having defeated the Livs, the invaders laid the Riga fortress (1201) on the site of their ancient trading settlement, and in 1202 they founded the German knightly order sword-bearers, which became a permanent armed force. At the same time, the papal curia and German chroniclers widely used all kinds of fabrications about the backwardness of local peoples and glorified the crusaders, supposedly called upon to spread among these peoples "culture" and "true" - the Catholic faith. In this way, the half-threat of plunder and conquest was disguised.
The Polotsk prince, who controlled the land of the Livs, repeatedly undertook, in alliance with the Lithuanians, campaigns to help the Livs. But the Polotsk people did not have enough strength to repel the advance of the crusaders. Fortresses Kok-nese, Selnils and the city of Ersike in the lands of the Latgalians and Selonians in 1207 - 1209. were captured and devastated by German feudal lords. However, fearing the Polotsk prince, the latter continued (until 1212) to pay him the tribute that had long been coming from the Livs.
Enemies also penetrated into Northern Latgale, where they laid the Wenden castle (now Cesis), thereby creating a threat to Estonia. This hurt the interests of Novgorod and Pskov. However, the aggravation of the struggle between the Novgorod boyars and the Vladimir-Suzdal princes, as well as the isolation of Polotsk, Pskov from Smolensk, reflected on the defense capability of the Baltic territory, subject to Russia. The hostile Russian princes did not have a single plan of military operations in the Baltic States. Novgorod troops opposed the German knights on the territory of Torma (1209), Ugandi (1210), Järvamaa and Haryomaa (1212), they drove the invaders from Otepää (Odenpe). Novgorod continued to receive tribute from the Estonians, but the German feudal lords ravaged Sakkala and reached the Zmajigi River, near the Russian borders. The German invaders carried unprecedented oppression to the conquered land. The population was massacred. The land of the Estonians was barbarously devastated. The position of the Estonians especially worsened in 1219, when the troops of the Danish king invaded Northern Estonia. On the site of the old Estonian fortress Lindanise, the Danish invaders built a new one - Revel (Tallinn).
The Estonians unanimously rose up against the enemy, calling for help from the Novgorodians. The war between Russians and Estonians began against the Livonian knights. The allies of Russia were the Lithuanians, who made campaigns to the lands captured by German knights in the area of the lower course of the Dvina. In 1223 Russia was dealt a heavy blow by the Mongol conquerors on the Kalka River. This was reflected in the situation in the Baltics. Danish and German feudal lords entered into an offensive alliance. The campaign of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich with the Novgorod regiments to Revel (1223) did not lead to the expulsion of the invaders from Estonia. This required a larger force. Meanwhile, the Livonian crusaders, receiving constant assistance from Germany, captured Yuryev (Tartu) in 1224, which was jointly defended by the Russians and Estonians. In 1227 the German knights plundered and occupied the islands of Saa-Remaa and Muhu. These aggressive actions were directed by papal legates (ambassadors). In 1227, Pope Honorius III demanded submission from "all the kings of Russia." In the same years, the papal curia energetically supported the invasion of Southwestern Russia by the Hungarian and Polish feudal lords.
Only in 1234, the troops of Prince Yaroslav, who had established himself in Novgorod, were able to strike the Livonian knights. The Suzdal regiments and the Novgorod army utterly defeated the German invaders on the Zmajiga River. According to the peace treaty concluded with the crusaders, Russia retained its rights in Latgale and part of Estonia.
Having failed at the Russian borders, the German feudal lords undertook a large campaign against Lithuania in 1236. The campaign of the crusaders ended with the complete defeat of the German army in the battle of Siauliai and the death of all its leaders, including the master of the Order of the Swordsmen.
At this time, the invaders entered the fight new strength- Warband. In 1230 the Teutonic knights invaded the Helmian land. Pressing and exterminating the Prussians, they advanced to the Vistula Lagoon and along its coast to the Pregola River, thus establishing themselves in the Polish Pomorie. The Teutonic Order threatened not only Poland and Lithuania. At the end of the 30s, the Teutonic knights led by Bruno tried to penetrate into Galicia-Volyn Rus. They took possession of Drogichin. But the Volyn troops led by Prince Daniel Romanovich liberated the city, capturing the knights, including Bruno himself.
After the defeats inflicted on the German crusaders, the invaders tried to rally their forces, preparing for the invasion of Russia and Lithuania. In 1237, with the active participation of the papal curia, the unification of the Order of the Swordsmen and the Teutonic Order was achieved. V next year at Stenby, a new agreement was concluded on an alliance against Russia between the German and Danish crusaders. Fresh additions arrived from Germany, Denmark and other countries to Riga and Revel. A new offensive against Russia was being prepared.
Relations between Russia and Sweden also deteriorated. The Finns (emi) decisively opposed the Swedish feudal lords, and the Russian troops supported the Finns and in 1227 drove the Swedish invaders out of their country.
● Knightly Orders. In 1202 was created Order of the Swordsmen Knights wore ojeda with a sword and a cross. They pursued an aggressive policy under the slogan of Christianization: “He who does not want to be baptized must die.” Back in 1021, the knights equipped the city of Riga on the site of a Latvian settlement as a stronghold for subjugating the Baltic lands.
In 1219 they captured part of the Baltic coast, founded the cities of Revel (Tallinn) and Yuryev (Tartu).
In 1226 arrived knights of the Teutonic Order founded in 1198 in Syria during the Crusades. Members of this order wore white cloaks with a black cross on their left shoulder.
In 1237 the sword-bearers united with the Teutons, having been defeated by the Novgorod-Suzdal troops, and formed a new branch of the Teutonic Order - Livonian Order . (in honor of the Livonian territory, which was captured by the crusaders)
Battle of the Neva
The offensive of the knights intensified especially in connection with the weakening of Russia in the struggle against the Mongol conquerors.
In July 1240 the Swedish feudal lords tried to take advantage of the difficult situation in Russia - the Swedish fleet entered the mouth of the Neva. The Swedes wanted to capture Mr. Old Ladoga, and then Novgorod.
Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich , who was 20 years old, rushed with his squad to the landing site of the knights. "We are few, but God is not in power, but in truth!" Covertly approaching the camp of the opponents, Prince Alexander struck at them, and a small militia led by Misha from Novgorod cut off their path to retreat to the ships. For the victory on the Neva, Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky.
Victory value: stopped the Swedish aggression to the east, preserved the access to the Baltic Sea for Russia. (Peter 1, emphasizing the right of Russia to the Baltic coast, in new capital founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery on the site of the battle)
Battle on the Ice
In the summer of 1240 Livonian Order, as well as the German and Danish knights captured the Russian city of Izborg, and soon the city of Pskov was taken because of the betrayal of the mayor Tverdila. Strife and strife led to the fact that Novgorod did not help its neighbors, soon separate detachments of the crusaders were near Novgorod. At the request of the veche, Alexander Nevsky returned to Novgorod (before that he was expelled from the city because of the contradictions between the prince and the boyars) and with a sudden blow with the help of his squad, he liberated the captured cities. Learning that the main forces of the enemy were coming to him, Alexander placed his troops on the ice Lake Peipsi... He proved himself as a talented commander - given the formation of the knights in the form of a "pig", he arranged his troops in a triangle, the tip of which rests on the shore. Some of the soldiers were equipped with hooks to pull the knights from their horses.
April 5, 1242 took place Battle on the Ice ... Russian troops took the knightly "pig" in ticks - the knights, unable to withstand the blow, fled. Sweat of heavily armed warriors fell through the ice. The Russians pursued the enemy for 7 miles. According to the Novgorod Chronicle, 400 Germans perished and 50 were taken prisoner.
