This video discusses the events surrounding the Livonian Crusade, a Catholic military campaign in the 13th century, and the rise of Alexander Nevsky, a Russian prince who defended his territory against the crusaders.
In the early 13th century, the Sword Brethren, a Catholic military order, conquered the lands of medieval Livonia, spreading Christianity among the indigenous Baltic and Finnic tribes. However, the tribes resisted, leading to a prolonged and brutal conflict.
In 1236, the Sword Brethren launched a crusade against the Lithuanian tribes, but were defeated, leading to the order's dissolution and incorporation into the Teutonic Knights. The Livonian Order, a branch of the Teutonic Knights, continued to wage war against the Russian principalities, particularly Novgorod.
Alexander Nevsky, a young prince of Novgorod, emerged as a skilled politician and military leader. He defended his territory against the Livonian Order, using guerrilla tactics and strategic alliances to repel the invaders. In 1242, Alexander Nevsky led the Novgorodian army to a decisive victory against the Livonian Order at the Battle of Lake Peipus, restoring the former borders and weakening the Livonian Order.
The battle boosted Alexander's popularity, enabling him to retain his position as Prince of Novgorod and lead the Russian principalities through the Mongol invasions. He is hailed as a national hero and one of the most recognized figures in Russian history.
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6. The first half of the 13th century saw the conquest of medieval Livonia by the Sword Brethren.
7. The Sword Brethren were a Catholic military order sanctioned by the Pope.
8. The Pope's goal was to spread Christianity among the indigenous Baltic and Finnic tribes.
9. In 1225, a papal legate arrived to settle power issues between the Sword Brethren, local bishops, and participating nobility from Denmark and Germany.
10. Livonia was divided into several feudal principalities serving as direct subjects to the Holy See.
11. The first phase of the Livonian Crusade came to an end in 1225.
12. The Catholic military actions in the Baltic were comparable to the Middle Eastern Crusades in terms of cruelty and ruthlessness.
13. The indigenous tribes of Livonia resisted forced Christianization efforts for many years.
14. In 1236, a papal bull was issued, declaring a crusade against the Lithuanian tribes inhabiting the lands south of the Daugava river.
15. The Sword Brethren were reinforced by a party of "seasonal crusaders" from northern Germany.
16. In September, the joint force entered the lands of Samogitian tribes.
17. Upon making contact with an enemy raiding party at a swampy river crossing, the Master of the Sword Brethren was pressured by German knights who refused to fight on foot.
18. The Master set camp for the night in an unsuitable place, which proved to be a huge mistake.
19. The next morning, they were surrounded by the main Samogitian army and suffered a crushing defeat.
20. The abrupt end of the Lithuanian campaign was also the end of the existence of the Sword Brethren as a separate order.
21. More than half of the sworn brothers were killed, together with their commander, Grand Master Volkwin.
22. The remnants of the order were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights and became its northern branch, named the Livonian Order.
23. The territory of Livonia underwent major political reorganization, sealed by papal legate William of Modena.
24. The region remained heavily militarized, becoming a concern for the Russian principalities to the East.
25. The Novgorod Republic was the strongest state of northern Russia, with Novgorod the Great as its core city.
26. The city was a thriving trade center, moving goods such as furs, walrus ivory, and dried fish.
27. The Bishop of Novgorod was the head of the city, but the town council held actual power.
28. Novgorod could hardly defend itself from a serious outside threat with its own militia.
29. Prince Yaroslav led a Novgorodian raiding party west and sacked the city of Dorpat in 1234.
30. The raid was inconclusive, and the borders remained untouched.
31. Yaroslav moved his retinue to Kiev, instating his 16-year-old son Alexander as the new Prince of Novgorod.
32. Alexander quickly proved to be an able politician, balancing between various groups of interest in Novgorod.
33. Alexander submitted to the Mongol hordes when they ravaged the Russian interior in 1237.
34. The Mongols avoided Novgorod and the north, wreaking havoc in central Europe instead.
35. Alexander performed his first counter-attack in autumn 1241, taking the newly built Koporye castle by surprise.
36. In 1242, he reclaimed the town of Pskov and ravaged the lands to the south of the city of Dorpat as an act of vengeance.
37. The Livonian Order hastily assembled an army to repel Alexander's attack.
38. The battle took place on the eastern shore of Lake Peipus, where Alexander's forces were deployed.
39. Alexander's troops consisted of his own retinue, his brother's retinue, and the city's militia.
40. The Livonian Order was led by Bishop Hermann of Dorpat, with heavily armored mounted knights in the center.
41. The battle started when the bulk of Hermann's host was halfway through the sound, with a charge of heavy cavalry.
42. Alexander sent horse archers to disrupt the enemy lines and performed a pincer movement to envelop Hermann's troops.
43. The Estonian auxiliary infantry fled the battlefield, and Alexander's retinue finished their envelopment, leading to a slaughter.
44. Some Livonian brothers and knights managed to break through the encirclement and retreat, but many fell, including Bishop Hermann.
45. The casualties were probably similar on both sides, but Alexander's army was considerably bigger and well-motivated.
46. The peace negotiations that followed restored the former borders.
47. The Livonian Order was considerably weakened and soon faced multiple native rebellions throughout the Eastern Baltic.
48. The Christianization process of the indigenous people took many more lives and lasted for another 60 years.
49. The Battle of the Lake Peipus boosted Alexander's popularity and became his most notable achievement.
50. Alexander retained his position as Prince of Novgorod and eventually led the Russian principalities through the difficult times of the Mongol Invasions.