Battle on the Ice- the glory of Russian weapons! Over the past few centuries, the battle has grown into riddles and myths; and today there is a lot of debate about the event. What causes these disagreements? I'll tell you now.
Known facts about the Battle of the Ice
Battle happened in 1242(the annals indicate the year 6750, since before the reform I, the chronology was conducted from the creation of the world) - everyone is talking about this Novgorod Chronicles and Western chronicles. In Europe, this battle was called: The Battle of Lake Peipus and did not attach such importance to it. Interesting, but in Russian chronicles Neva battle mentioned more often. That's it known facts about carnage:
- there is no doubt that the battle took place (believe me, there are "researchers" who claim the opposite);
Myths and mysteries of Lake Peipsi
Battle on Lake Peipsi- so they spoke about the Battle of the Ice in antiquity. In the annals we read that from the side of Novgorod came 60 thousand warriors but that's an exaggeration. So it was customary in ancient sources - to exaggerate. And in the Nikon chronicle and in the "Life Alexander Nevsky" God's regiment is mentioned, which descended to earth and helped the Russian army. Many eyewitnesses confirmed this.
One should not think that all the forces of Russia have united to defeat a single enemy. 775 years ago reigned feudal fragmentation. There is a version that Batu sent Yaroslavich to push the Livonians. Perhaps, warrior-archers from the Horde took part in the battle. There is no direct evidence of this, but it is known that Alexander Nevsky visited the Horde. So the main myths:
- It was not victory in the modern sense, it was a local conflict;
- God's army descended to earth at the appointed hour - a myth inserted into the life of a saint;
- indirect participation in the battle Golden Horde.
There is no consensus on the exact location of the battle. There are indications for Pskov lake and warm lake. Karamzin avoided specifying the exact location, and Solovyov talked about Lake Pskov. Our original historian Lev Gumilyov also wrote about the Raven Stone on Lake Peipsi. Not everything is clear with the stone either, there is an opinion that the stone is the place of an ancient temple. No details found weapons and armor in the proposed battlefields. I want to highlight two main and obvious riddles for which there is no specific answer:
- the place of the battle (combining the versions - an area of 100 km2 is obtained);
- no traces of the battle ( weapons, armor, remains). If you can accurately locate the place, find something, then many questions will be resolved.
777 years ago, on April 5, 1242, the Battle of the Ice took place on Lake Peipsi, the result of which was one of the glorious victories of Russian weapons over a foreign invader. Since 1240, the German knights of the Livonian Order began to actively make campaigns on Russian lands, intending to capture the northern territories of our country. At first they were successful - the knights managed to take possession of Izborsk and Pskov. Novgorod was next. To preserve their freedom, its inhabitants turned to Alexander Nevsky for help. The illustrious commander easily gathered an army, but faced the problem of his weapons - it was difficult to adequately supply the army so that it was able to resist the enemy clad in armor. The reason was that it was difficult to obtain resources for the production of weapons in the northern Russian principalities, because of which everything needed was usually purchased abroad. Suddenly, trading with Novgorodians in the West was considered practically illegal. But at that moment, our artisans were able to demonstrate all their art. This is stated by S. V. Glyazer in the book “Battle on the Ice” (1941), which can be read on the portal of the Presidential Library named after B. N. Yeltsin: “The Pope announced that he would curse the one who dares to sell Russian weapons. Novgorodians secretly bought swords, helmets and metal needed for making weapons abroad. This metal was not enough, and the Novgorodians mined ore in the swamps. It was very difficult, it was impossible to get such good iron from swamp ore as was needed for forged swords. But skillful Novgorod artisans even forged such swords from iron smelted from this ore, from which the enemy fled in mortal fear.
Also, S. V. Glyazer describes in detail the elements of the equipment of Russian soldiers: “Who was richer, he wore a long shirt made of thick material, on which iron rings were sewn in rows. Others wore iron mail. In order to prevent chain mail from injuring the body, they wore a thick quilted caftan under it ... The shields were wooden, covered with leather, painted with bright red paint. Warriors wore steel, copper or iron helmets on their heads. To protect the face from the front of the helmet, a metal strip descended - the “nose” ... The ears and the back of the head were protected by metal plates or chain mail hanging from the helmet. The boyars and princely combatants had helmets covered with gold or silver. Small red flags were attached to the peaked tops of the helmets - Yelovtsy. Ordinary warriors instead of chain mail wore thick quilted caftans lined with hemp. Pieces of iron were laid in the hemp. Quilted cloth caps, also stuffed with hemp, replaced helmets.
This is what the army looked like, which, under the leadership of Alexander Yaroslavich, opposed the invaders. Russian soldiers managed to liberate Pskov, take the fortress of Koporye. “But the knights did not change their minds even now, they only became even more inflamed with military spirit and proudly said:“ Let's go - we will destroy the prince of Novgorod and take him prisoner. Having learned about the plans of the enemy, Alexander again went against the knights and met them, at dawn on April 5, 1242, on the ice of Lake Peipus, where the “very evil slaughter” took place, in which the Russians had to fight a brave and skillful enemy no less than the Swedes "- writes S. Krotkov in his historical essay "The Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice" (1900).
The Livonian knights were sure of an easy and quick victory. But Alexander Nevsky relied on a new tactic that the enemy could not predict: the main role in our army was to be played not by the center fighters, but by the flanks. Thus, he seemed to let the enemies inside his army, and when they thought that they could defeat the Russians, Alexander Yaroslavich closed the ring. We read about the first minutes of the Battle on the Ice in the book of the historian M. D. Khmyrov “Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, Grand Duke of Vladimir and all Russia” (1871): “The method of action by the pig, advantageous and decisive against the cowardly and unstable troops, in the present case had no success and only increased the cruelty on both sides. Proud knights, clad in strong armor, although they passed through the dense regiments of Alexandrov, but not all, because the Russian swords and axes laid down many on this bloody path. The rest, seeing with horror in front of them, instead of the expected frustration, a living wall of closed rows, sparkling with weapons, on which German blood was still smoking, - lost heart. The author notes: calculation was correct. The knights fought back with difficulty from the hail of blows with which they were showered from all sides by the Russian army. The last hope to turn the tide of the battle was destroyed by the prince's cavalry squad. Under the leadership of Alexander himself, she crashed into the enemy rear: “Hero Nevsky began his work: he quickly rushed with spare regiments to the dumbfounded fighters, crushed them, cut them and drove them across the ice, which was red with blood: 500 knights fell in battle, 50 were taken prisoner ... According to eyewitnesses, the lake swayed under the fighters and groaned from the crack of breaking spears and the clang of splitting swords. Already late in the evening this ice battle ended, which, having horrified the whole of Livonia, overshadowed the winner with new glory.
The bloody battle, which began with the first rays of the spring sun, ended only late in the evening. Realizing that further resistance was useless, the German men at arms began to flee. And the last blow was dealt to them by the thin ice of Lake Peipus. Under the weight of the heavy weapons of the invaders, it began to break through, dragging them into the cold water.
The result of the Battle of the Ice was an agreement between the Germans and Novgorodians, according to which the Crusaders pledged to leave all the Russian lands they had previously conquered. The terms of the agreement are described in detail in the aforementioned book by S. Krotkov “The Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice: A Historical Sketch” (1900): “The frightened knights sent their ambassadors with a bow to the Novgorodians, to whom they said:“ Why did we enter with a sword: Vot, Luga, Pskov, Letgol, we retreat from everything; how many of your people were taken prisoner, we exchange them: we will let yours go, and you will let ours go”... Shortly after that, Alexander Nevsky pacified the Lithuanians, and his fame spread far beyond Russia, so the head of the Livonian knights (master) Velven spoke about Alexander like this: “I have traveled through many countries, I know the world, people and sovereigns, but I saw and listened to Alexander of Novgorod with amazement.”
The winner, the hero of the Battle of Neva and the battle on Lake Peipsi, Alexander Yaroslavich, Russian cities met with general rejoicing. In the book "The Holy Right-Believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky" (1898), which can be found on the Presidential Library portal, N. A. Voskresensky writes: “It is unlikely that the people of Pskov remembered in their history a day happier than the day when the victorious leader solemnly returned to the city. The clergy walked in front in bright clothes: abbots and priests - with holy icons and crosses - behind was a happy and joyful crowd of Pskovites in festive attire. Incessantly, in honor of the winner, laudatory songs were heard in the air: “Glory to the Lord and His faithful servant Alexander Yaroslavich.” Sharing the joy of the celebration with the people of Pskov, Alexander hurried to Novgorod, where, too, full of heartfelt gratitude to God, the people enthusiastically celebrated the glorious victory over the foreigners.
This feat of Russian soldiers has become truly immortal and instructive for the enemies of our country. The words spoken by Alexander Nevsky during the Battle of the Ice resound through the ages: "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword."
Anyone who wants to learn more about this great battle can get acquainted with copies of rare publications that paint the most complete picture of those events - they are contained in the special collection "Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263)", available on the organization's portal.
Hey .... now I'm even more confused ...
All Russian chronicles on a directly posed question " And with whom did Alexander Nevsky fight in 1241-1242? give us the answer - with the "Germans" or, in a more modern version, "German knights".
Even later historians, from among the same chroniclers, already report that our Alexander Nevsky waged war with the Livonian knights from the Livonian Order!
But, this is what is typical for Russian historiography, its historians at all times are trying to present their opponents as if they were an impersonal mass - a "crowd" without a name, title or other data identifying them.
So I write "GERMANS", they say, they came, plundered, killed, captured! Although the Germans often have nothing to do with it as a nation.
And if so, then let's not take anyone's word for it, but let's try to figure out this rather difficult issue ourselves.
The same story is present in the description of the "exploits" of the young Alexander Nevsky! Like, he fought with the Germans for Holy Russia, and Soviet historians also added the epithet "with the German" dogs-knights "!
Therefore, I suggest that the reader, nevertheless, delve into the question of the opponents of Alexander Nevsky.
Who are they? How were they organised? Who commanded them? How were they armed and by what methods did they fight?
And an exhaustive answer to this question will help us better understand why the troops of Novgorod the Great could not oppose anything to the "Germans" who captured Izborsk, Pskov and a number of other small towns.
And then, the same Novgorod troops, having lost the battles of 1241 three times, suddenly won a complete victory on Lake Peipsi in 1242?
And in search of an answer to the questions posed when referring to the historical annals, we find that:
firstly, Alexander Nevsky and all his predecessors, in the positions of a hired Novgorod prince, fought not with the "Germans", but specifically with the knights "ORDER OF THE Sword"!
Reference: Brotherhood of Warriors of Christ(lat. Fratres militiæ Christi de Livonia), better known as the Order of the Sword or the Order of the Brothers of the Sword, is a German Catholic spiritual and chivalric order founded in 1202 in Riga by Theodoric of Toreid (Dietrich), who at that time replaced Bishop Albert von Buxgevden (Albert von Buxhöwden 1165-1229) (Theodoric was the brother of the bishop) for missionary work in Livonia.
The existence of the order was confirmed by a papal bull in 1210, but as early as 1204 the formation of the Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ was approved by Pope Innocent III.
The nominal name of the Order comes from the image on their cloaks of a red sword with a Maltese cross.
In contrast to the large spiritual and knightly orders, the swordsmen retained a nominal dependence on the bishop.
The order was guided by the charter of the Knights Templar.
The members of the order were divided into knights, priests and employees.
Knights most often came from families of small feudal lords (most often from Saxony).
Their uniform was a white cloak with a red cross and a sword..
Employees (squires, artisans, servants, messengers) were recruited from free people and citizens.
The head of the order was the master, the most important affairs of the order were decided by the chapter.
The first master of the order was Winno von Rohrbach (1202-1209), the second and last was Volkvin von Winterstein (1209-1236).
In the occupied territories, the swordsmen built castles. The castle was the center of an administrative unit - the castelature.
And if you look at the map of the territory of Livonia in the area of interest to us historical period(1241 -1242 years) which belonged to the Order of the Sword, their possession covers just the current borders of Estonia and most of Latvia.
Moreover, the map clearly shows three autonomous territories for the Order of the Sword-bearers - the Bishopric of Courland, the Bishopric of Derpt and the Bishopric of Ezel.
Thus, 34 years have passed in the history of the order's missionary activity, and in order to conquer Lithuania, on February 9, 1236, Pope Gregory IX announced a Crusade against Lithuania, in which he sent the knights of the Order of the Sword.
On September 22 of the same year, the battle of Saule (now Siauliai) took place, ending in the complete defeat of the swordsmen. In it, the master of the order Volguin von Namburg (Volkvin von Winterstatten) was killed.
In connection with the heavy losses suffered by the Order of the Swordsmen among the knights and the death of the Master of the Order, on May 12, 1237 in Viterbo, Gregory IX and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Hermann von Salza performed the rite of joining the remnants of the Order of the Swordsmen to the Teutonic Order.
The Teutonic Order sent its knights there, and in connection with this, an offshoot of the Teutonic Order on the lands of the former Order of the Swordbearers became known as the "Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order"
Although the Livonian Landmaster (the term "Teutonic Order in Livonia" is used in the sources) enjoyed some autonomy, it was only part of a single Teutonic Order!
In Russian historiography, the incorrect name of the "Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order" as an independent knightly order - "Livonian Order" was established (Here is a typical example http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CB%E8%E2%EE%ED% F1%EA%E8%E9_%EE%F0%E4%E5%ED)
As for the Order of the Sword, the Pope and the German Kaiser were patrons and, at least in theory, their supreme leaders.
Formally, the grand master of the Teutonic Order carried out only control functions.
At first, this did not matter much, since until 1309 his permanent residence was in Venice, and even after moving to Marienburg, he did not greatly hamper his autonomy, since he rarely visited Livonia personally or sent representatives there to control.
Nevertheless, the grandmaster's power was enormous, his advice was for a long time considered equal to an order, and his instructions were obeyed implicitly.
But the landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Livonia from the period from 1241 to 1242 were two people:
Dietrich von Grüningen 1238-1241 and from 1242-1246 (secondary) and Andreas von Felben 1241-1242
Well, since we have new characters, let me introduce them to you, this is probably the first time this has been done in Russian literature with descriptions of events related to Alexander Nevsky and his battle on Lake Peipsi!
Dietrich von Grüningen, also known as Dietrich Groningen (1210, Thuringia - September 3, 1259) - Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Germany (1254-1256), in Prussia (1246-1259) and Livonia (1238-1242 and 1244-1246). He founded several castles in present-day Latvia, spread Catholicism to the pagan tribes of the Baltic.
Biography
His ancestors were Landgraves of Thuringia. Enrolling in the Order of the Sword, already in 1237 he was noticed by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Herman von Salzey and applied for the position of Landmaster in Livonia. However, he could not take such an important post immediately because of his age (27 years) and short service in the order (since 1234).
In 1238, he replaced Hermann von Balk (as "acting") in this post, he was in power in Livonia for more than ten years (in some sources even until 1251).
In 1240 he began active fighting in the Curonian territory. This is evidenced by the "Livonian Chronicle" by Hermann Wartberg:
In the summer of the Lord 1240, brother Dietrich Groningen, replacing the post of master, conquered Courland again, built two castles in it Goldingen (Kuldiga) and Amboten (Embute), and prompted the curons to accept holy baptism with kindness and strength, for which he received from the legate of the pope His Grace Wilhelm and then from His Holiness Pope Innocent, approval for the right to possess two-thirds of Courland, so that the previous agreement concluded about Courland with the brothers of chivalry, or any other, no longer had force compared to this.
He also concluded a condition with the Bishop of Ezel about the lands of Svorva and Kotse, further that the village of Legals should half belong to the brothers.
In addition, he founded the Latvian castle Dundaga. In honor of this event, a full-length sculpture of Dietrich von Grüningen stands at the entrance to the castle.
His stay within Livonia was unstable.
In 1240, he begins hostilities against the Novgorod Republic, but he himself went to Venice to elect the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order instead of Hermann von Salza.
On April 7, 1240, he was in Margentheim, surrounded by Conrad of Thuringia, who was chosen for the post of Grand Master.
Despite the fact that he was the Livonian Landmaster during the Battle of the Ice, he did not take part in it, as he was with the order troops operating against the Curonians and Lithuanians on the territory of Courland.
A very important fact! It turns out that Alexander Nevsky and his troops fought only with a part of the Teutonic knights of the Livonian Landmaster.
And the main forces, led by Ladmeister, fought in a completely different area.
The troops of the Order in the "Battle on the Ice" were commanded by Andreas von Felben, Vice-Landmeister of the Order in Livonia.
Andreas von Felben(Felfen) (born in Styria, Austria) - Vice-Landmeister of the Livonian Department of the Teutonic Order, known for commanding the knights during the famous "Battle on the Ice".
It is also known about him that, being in the position of landmaster of the order in Prussia in 1246, together with a military detachment of the German city of Lübeck, he made a trip to the Sambian lands.
And in 1255, during the campaign of the Czech king Ottokar II Přemysl in Prussia, he joined the main army near the mouth of the Vistula.
During his command of the brothers of the order in Prussia, he had the most vice-landmasters (deputies) under his command due to the fact that almost at the same time Dietrich von Grüningen was the landmeister of all three "large" parts of the order.
But he himself did not personally fight on Lake Peipus, entrusting command to the commanders, preferred to be at a safe distance, and therefore was not captured.
Another important fact! It turns out that the Teutonic knights did not have a single commander before entering the battle with the united Novgorod and Vladimo-Suzdal army !!!
In the life of Alexander Nevsky, he appears under the name "Andreyash".
But be that as it may, namely the Teutonic knights, who were part of the "Livonian Landmaster of the Teutonic Order" under the leadership of the two aforementioned LADMEISTERs, at the end of August 1240, having gathered part of their forces and enlisting the support of the papal curia, invaded the Pskov lands, and first captured the city of Izborsk .
An attempt by the Pskov-Novgorod militia to recapture the fortress ended in failure.
Then the knights besieged the city of Pskov itself and soon took it, taking advantage of the uprising among the besieged.
Two German Vogts were planted in the city.
(In Western Europe - a vassal of the bishop, a secular official in the church estate, endowed with judicial, administrative and fiscal functions (the manager of church lands).
At the same time, at the beginning of 1241, Alexander Nevsky returned to Novgorod with his retinue, re-invited to the VECHE for the post of Novgorod prince, after which, commanding the Novgorod troops, he liberated Koporye.
After that, he returned to Novgorod, where he spent the winter, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements from Vladimir.
In March, the united army (Novgorod militia and several regiments of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality under the command of Prince Andrei Yaroslavovich liberated the city of Pskov.
It ended with the defeat of the knights. The order was forced to make peace, according to which the crusaders abandoned the captured Russian lands.
But this general description of the course of hostilities has long been known and understandable to everyone.
At the same time, until now, and especially in Russian historiography, no attention has been paid to the study of the tactical features of the conduct of the war, both by A. Nevsky and with the Teutonic Knights in the period from 1241 to 1242.
The only exception here is a small work by Kirpichnikov A.N.
"Battle on the Ice. Tactical features, formation and number of troops"published in Zeughaus N6 1997.
And so, which is quite fair and true, this author writes on issues of interest to us.
"In the chronicle description of the Battle of the Ice, the main feature of the Livonian army is noted.
(THIS IS A TYPICAL BUT INCORRECT SCHEME OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEUTO KNIGHTS WAX!)
It entered the battle built in the form of a "pig".
Historians considered the "pig" a kind of wedge-shaped army formation - a sharp column.
The Russian term in this respect was an exact translation of the German Schweinkopfn of the Latin caput porci.
In turn, the mentioned term is related to the concept of wedge, point, cuneus, acies.
The last two terms have been used in sources since Roman times.11 But they cannot always be interpreted figuratively.
So often separate military detachments were called, regardless of the method of their formation.
For all that, the very name of such detachments hints at their peculiar configuration.
Indeed, the wedge-shaped system is not the fruit of the theoretical fantasy of ancient writers.
Such a construction was actually used in the combat practice of the XIII-XV centuries. in Central Europe, and went out of use only at the end of the 16th century.
On the basis of the surviving written sources, which have not yet attracted the attention of domestic historians, the wedge construction (in the annalistic text - "pig") lends itself to reconstruction in the form of a deep column with a triangular crown.
This construction is confirmed by a unique document - military instruction - " Preparing for a trip, written in 1477 for one of the Brandenburg commanders.
It lists three divisions - gonfalons (Banner).
Their names are typical - "Hound", "St. George" and "Great". Banners numbered 400, 500 and 700 cavalry soldiers, respectively.
At the head of each detachment, a standard-bearer and selected knights were concentrated, located in 5 ranks.
In the first line, depending on the number of banners, from 3 to 7-9 mounted knights lined up, in the last - from 11 to 17.
The total number of wedge warriors ranged from 35 to 65 people.
The ranks were lined up in such a way that each subsequent one on its flanks increased by two knights.
Thus, the extreme warriors in relation to each other were placed, as it were, in a ledge and guarded the one riding in front from one of the sides. This was the tactical feature of the wedge - it was adapted for a concentrated frontal strike and at the same time was difficult to vulnerable from the flanks.
The second, columnar part of the gonfalon, according to "Preparation for the Campaign", consisted of a quadrangular construction, which included bollards.
(cf .: German Knecht "servant, worker; serf." -author)
The number of knechts in each of the three detachments mentioned above was 365, 442 and 629 (or 645) respectively.
They were located in depth from 33 to 43 lines, each of which contained from 11 to 17 horsemen.
Among the knechts were servants who were part of the knight's retinue: usually an archer or crossbowman and a squire.
All together they formed the lowest military unit - "spear" - numbering 35 people, rarely more.
During the battle, these warriors, equipped no worse than a knight, came to the aid of their master, changed his horse.
The advantages of the column-wedge-shaped banner include its cohesion, flank cover of the wedge, ramming power of the first strike, and precise controllability.
The formation of such a banner was convenient both for movement and for starting a battle.
The tightly closed ranks of the head part of the detachment, when in contact with the enemy, did not have to turn around to protect their flanks.
The wedge of the advancing army made a frightening impression, could cause confusion in the ranks of the enemy at the first onslaught. The wedge detachment was designed to break the formation of the opposing side and an early victory.
The described system also had disadvantages.
During the battle, if it dragged on, the best forces - the knights - could be the first to be put out of action.
As for the bollards, during the battle of the knights they were in an expectant-passive state and had little effect on the outcome of the battle.
A wedge-shaped column, judging by one of the battles of the XV century. (1450 under Pillenreith), the knights closed the line, because the bollards, apparently, were not very reliable.
However, it is difficult to judge the strengths and weaknesses of a pointed column by the lack of material. In different regions of Europe, it obviously differed in its features and weapons.
Let us also touch upon the issue of the number of wedge-shaped columns.
(Imperial but erroneous Russian diagram)
According to the "Preparations for the Campaign" of 1477, such a column ranged from 400 to 700 horsemen.
But the number of tactical units of that time, as you know, was not constant, and in combat practice even the 1st floor. 15th century was of great variety.
For example, according to J. Dlugosh, in the seven Teutonic banners that fought at Grunwald in 1410, there were 570 spears, that is, each banner had 82 spears, which, taking into account the knight and his retinue, corresponded to 246 combatants.
According to other sources, in five banners of the Order in 1410, when paying a salary, there were from 157 to 359 copies and from 4 to 30 shooters.
Later, in one clash in 1433, the Bavarian detachment - the "pig" consisted of 200 soldiers: in its head part, in three lines, there were 3, 5 and 7 knights.
Under Pillenreith (1450), the wedge column consisted of 400 mounted knights and bollards.
All the above data indicate that the knightly detachment of the 15th century. could reach one thousand horsemen, but more often included several hundred combatants.
In military episodes of the XIV century. the number of knights of the detachment, compared with later times, was even smaller - from 20 to 80 (excluding bollards).
For example, in 1331, there were 350 equestrian soldiers in five Prussian banners, that is, 70 in each banner (or about 20 copies).
We also have the opportunity to more specifically determine the size of the Livonian combat detachment of the 13th century.
In 1268, in the battle of Rakovor, as the chronicle mentions, the German "iron regiment of the great pig" fought.
According to the Rhymed Chronicle, 34 knights and a militia participated in the battle.
This number of knights, if supplemented by a commander, will be 35 people, which exactly corresponds to the composition of the knightly wedge of one of the detachments noted in the above-mentioned "Preparation for a Campaign" of 1477 (true for the "Hound" of the banner, and not "Great").
In the same "Preparation for the campaign" the number of knights of such a banner is given - 365 people.
Taking into account the fact that the figures of the warheads of the detachments according to 1477 and 1268. almost coincided, it can be assumed without the risk of a major error that, in terms of their overall quantitative composition, these units also approached each other.
In this case, we can to a certain extent judge the usual size of the German wedge-shaped banners that took part in the Livonian-Russian wars of the 13th century.
As for the German detachment in the battle of 1242, it hardly surpassed the Rakovor "great pig" in its composition.
From this we can draw our first conclusions:
The total number of Teutonic knights who took part in the Battle of the Ice was from 34 to 50 people and 365-400 knights!
There was also a separate detachment from the city of Dorpat, but nothing is known about its numbers.
During the period under review, the Teutonic Order, distracted by the struggle in Courland, could not field a large army. But the knights already had losses near Izborsk, Pskov and Kloporye!
Although other Russian scientists insist that the German army consisted of 1,500 cavalry soldiers (20 knights were also included), 2-3,000 knights and Estonian and Chud militias.
And the same Russian historians, for some reason, estimate the army of A. Nevsky only 4-5000 soldiers and 800-1000 equestrian combatants.
And why is the regiment brought from the Vladimir-Suzdal principality by Prince Andrei not taken into account ?!
On April 12, 1242, according to the new style, the Battle of the Ice took place - one of the most mythologized battles in Russian history. Even its date is the subject of myth-making, because the day of military glory is celebrated on April 18, while according to the proleptic Gregorian calendar, the battle took place on April 12.
We decided to look into the intricacies historical truth and chronicle legends and find out how many soldiers actually fought that day, is it true that the Livonians fell into Lake Peipsi, and the light armor of the Russian squad allowed her to easily and naturally prance on the ice.
Myth one
Betrayal of Pskov
We all, one way or another, remember the film by S.M. Eisenstein's "Battle on the Ice", according to which the Pskov boyars committed a terrible betrayal in relation to Russia, going over to the side of the Germans. But, one must understand that the realities of the 20th century, when the famous film was shot, and the situation in the early Middle Ages are two completely different things.
That was a period of feudal fragmentation, and not only did the Novgorod veche republic not associate itself with Russia, they even called themselves “Slovene” in their birch bark letters, and other principalities - “Rus”.
He associated himself even less with the rest of the principalities of Pskov, which for quite a long time had been an independent subject of feudal law, which was less and less dependent on Novgorod. He led an independent policy, during which he entered into an alliance with the Livonian Order in 1228, and in 1242, supporters of the adoption of Catholicism opened the gates to the knights.
The way the "invaders" behaved in Pskov speaks very eloquently about their relationship - the Germans left only two knights there, who monitored the execution of the contract.
Myth two
Tens of thousands who fought
The history textbooks, according to which we studied the battle on the ice at school, speak of 11-12 thousand Germans, and 15-17 thousand Russians. Even now, such a figure often flashes in articles and even on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. But, if we look at real sources of information, we get a slightly different picture. We must immediately make a reservation that we do not have exact data, and most likely will never be, and all subsequent calculations are approximate, and only speak of possible figures. There could not be more of them, but less is easy.
“And pada Chyudi was beschisla, and Nemets 400, and 50 with the hands of Yash and brought to Novgorod.”
That is, Estonians - Chud, they killed without a number, they didn’t even count, but the Germans - 400 and 50 were taken prisoner, which is very different from the information from the other side. True, in the later first Novgorod chronicle of the younger version - there are already five hundred killed Germans, so we can conclude that the chronicler is lying a little about the number of beaten enemies. Yes, and the Germans in their rhymed chronicle do not lag behind, declaring:
"The Russians had such an army that perhaps sixty people attacked each German."
... Which, as we see from the calculations, is also "slightly" more than the realistically possible numbers. So in the end it turns out that 200-400 Germans clashed against 400-800 Russians, and not eleven thousand against seventeen.
Myth three
Knights were heavier and better armored
The image of a knight clad in armor is quite common, and the myth that our warriors were lighter armed and protected is one of the main ones. And it is with his help that the next myth is explained - that the knights were lured onto the ice, and they failed. So, the trouble is that, according to archeology and historical reconstruction, the Russian soldiers had no less chances to fail, and maybe even more, than the Germans.
“And, chasing, bish them for 7 miles along the ice to the Subolichsky coast”
That is, they drove and beat them seven miles across the ice. So most likely, having already defeated the knights, they were driven onto the ice, and there they could just fall under the water, but the battle itself, judging by the Livonian chronicle, took place on the shore.
Myth five
Infantry presence
This is not the most hackneyed myth, but in the film, and in many descriptions of the battle, infantry was present on both sides. It is clear where she came from in Eisenstein's film - it was necessary to show that a simple peasant rose up against the enemy along with the feudal lords. But even pre-revolutionary historians described the presence of infantry.
The problem is that in all likelihood it could not be there. After all, the Russians went on a retaliatory campaign to the lands of the order and took with them princely squads (and they are always mounted) and city regiments, and this is the same squad, only maintained by rich cities.
So there was simply no place for infantry in the battle. Moreover, infantrymen are not mentioned anywhere in the sources. On the part of the Germans, there were knights and their bollards - also mounted. And in the military affairs of that era, foot soldiers were assigned an important role only during the siege and defense of fortresses, and during the raid (namely, Alexander Nevsky’s campaign was exactly that) there was simply no need for them. And against the heavy cavalry, the infantry of that time was practically useless. Only much later, first the Czechs with the Wagenburgs, and then the Landsknechts and the Swiss, would refute this well-established belief.
So, having disassembled the most common myths about the Battle of the Ice, it is important to note that, despite the obvious locality and small losses, the battle still turned out to be an important milestone in our history. It was thanks to him that it was possible to conclude peace with the Order for a whole ten years, which in that era of constant conflict was a significant respite. As a result, this seemingly small victory made it possible to prepare for the next round of endless wars.
Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.
Alexander Nevskiy
The battle on the ice is one of the most famous battles in the history of Russia. The battle took place in early April 1242 on Lake Peipsi, on the one hand, the troops of the Novgorod Republic, led by Alexander Nevsky, took part in it, on the other hand, he was opposed by the troops of the German crusaders, mainly representatives of the Livonian Order. If Nevsky had lost this battle, the history of Russia could have gone in a completely different direction, but the prince of Novgorod was able to win. Now let's look at this page of Russian history in more detail.
Preparing for battle
To understand the essence of the Battle of the Ice, it is necessary to understand what preceded it, and how the opponents went to battle. So ... After the Swedes lost the Battle of the Neva, the Germans-crusaders decided to more carefully prepare for a new campaign. The Teutonic Order also allocated part of its army to help. Back in 1238, Dietrich von Grüningen became the master of the Livonian Order, many historians attribute to him a decisive role in shaping the idea of a campaign against Russia. The crusaders were additionally motivated by Pope Gregory IX, who in 1237 announced a crusade against Finland, and in 1239 called on the princes of Russia to respect the border orders.
Novgorodians at this point already had a successful experience of the war with the Germans. In 1234 Alexander's father Yaroslav defeated them in a battle on the Omovzha River. Alexander Nevsky, knowing the plans of the crusaders, from 1239 began to build a line of fortifications along the southwestern border, but the Swedes made minor adjustments to his plans, attacking from the northwest. After their defeat, Nevsky continued to strengthen the borders, and also married the daughter of the Polotsk prince, thereby enlisting his support in case of a future war.
At the end of 1240, the Germans began a campaign against the lands of Russia. In the same year they took Izborsk, and in 1241 they besieged Pskov. At the beginning of March 1242, Alexander helped the inhabitants of Pskov to liberate their principality and forced the Germans to the north-west of the city, to the area of Lake Peipus. It was there that the decisive battle took place, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.
The course of the battle briefly
The first clashes of the battle on the ice began in early April 1242 on the northern shore of Lake Peipus. The crusaders were led by a famous commander Andreas von Velfen, who was twice as old as the Novgorod prince. The army of Nevsky consisted of 15-17 thousand soldiers, while the Germans had about 10 thousand of them. However, according to the chroniclers, both in Russia and abroad, the German troops were much better armed. But as shown further development events, it played a cruel joke with the crusaders.
The battle on the ice took place on April 5, 1242. The German troops, who mastered the “pigs” attack technique, that is, a strict and disciplined formation, directed the main blow to the center of the enemy. However, Alexander first attacked the enemy army with the help of archers, and then ordered a strike on the flanks of the crusaders. As a result, the Germans were pushed forward onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. Winter at that time was long and cold, so at the time of April, ice (very fragile) remained on the reservoir. After the Germans realized that they were retreating to the ice, it was already too late: the ice began to crack under the pressure of heavy German armor. That is why historians called the battle "battle on the ice." As a result, some of the soldiers drowned, the other part was killed in battle, but most still managed to escape. After that, Alexander's troops finally expelled the crusaders from the territory of the Pskov principality.
The exact location of the battle has not yet been established, this is due to the fact that Lake Peipus has a very variable hydrography. In 1958-1959, the first archaeological expedition was organized, but no traces of the battle were found.
History reference
Result and historical significance of the battle
The first result of the battle was that the Livonian and Teutonic Orders signed a truce with Alexander and renounced their claims to Russia. Alexander himself became the de facto ruler of Northern Russia. Already after his death, in 1268, the Livonian Order violated the truce: the Battle of Rakov took place. But this time, the troops of Russia won the victory.
After the victory in the “battle on the ice”, the Novgorod Republic, led by Nevsky, was able to move from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Alexander undertook several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.
As for the historical significance of the battle on Lake Peipsi, the main role of Alexander is that he managed to stop the offensive of a powerful crusader army on Russian lands. The well-known historian L. Gumelev argues that the fact of the conquest by the Crusaders would mean the end for the very existence of Russia, and hence the end of the future Russia.
Some historians criticize Nevsky for his truce with the Mongols, that he did not help defend Russia from them. In this discussion, most historians are still on the side of Nevsky, because in the situation in which he found himself, it was necessary either to negotiate with the Khan, or to fight with two powerful enemies at once. And as a competent politician and commander, Nevsky made a wise decision.
The exact date of the Battle of the Ice
The battle took place on April 5, according to the old style. In the 20th century, the difference between the styles consisted of 13 days, which is why April 18 was assigned to the holiday. However, from the point of view of historical justice, it is worth recognizing that in the 13th century (when there was a battle) the difference was 7 days. Based on this logic, the Battle of the Ice took place on April 12 in a new style. However, today April 18th is a public holiday in Russian Federation, Day of military glory. It is on this day that the Battle of the Ice and its significance in the history of Russia are remembered.
Participants in the battle after
Having achieved victory, the Novgorod Republic begins its rapid development. However, in the XVI there was a decline of both the Livonian Order and Novgorod. Both of these events are associated with the ruler of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible. He deprived Novgorod of the privileges of the Republic, subordinating these lands to a single state. After the Livonian Order lost its power and influence in Eastern Europe, Grozny declared war on Lithuania to strengthen his own influence and expand the territories of his state.
An alternative view of the battle on Lake Peipsi
Due to the fact that during the archaeological expedition of 1958-1959 no traces and the exact place of the battle were found, and also given the fact that the annals of the 13th century contain very little information about the battle, two alternative views on the Battle of the Ice of 1242 were formed, which briefly reviewed below:
- At first glance, there was no battle at all. This is an invention of historians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular Solovyov, Karamzin and Kostomarov. According to historians who share this point of view, the need to create this battle was due to the fact that it was necessary to justify Nevsky's cooperation with the Mongols, as well as to show the strength of Russia in relation to Catholic Europe. Basically, a small number of historians adhere to this theory, since it is very difficult to deny the very existence of the battle, because the battle on Lake Peipus is described in some chronicles of the late 13th century, as well as in the chronicles of the Germans.
- The second alternative theory: The Battle on the Ice is briefly described in the annals, which means that it is a greatly exaggerated event. Historians who adhere to this point of view say that there were much fewer participants in the massacre, and the consequences for the Germans were less dramatic.
If professional Russian historians deny the first theory, how historical fact, then as for the second version, they have one weighty argument: even if the scale of the battle is exaggerated, this should not reduce the role of the victory over the Germans in the history of Russia. By the way, in 2012-2013, archaeological expeditions were carried out, as well as studies of the bottom of Lake Peipus. Archaeologists have found several new likely sites of the Battle of the Ice, in addition, the study of the bottom showed the presence of a sharp decrease in depth near Vorony Island, which suggests the existence of the legendary "Raven Stone", that is, the approximate location of the battle, named in the annals of 1463.
Battle on the Ice in the culture of the country
1938 is significant in the history of lighting historical events in modern culture. This year, the famous Russian writer Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem "Battle on the Ice", and director Sergei Eisenstein made the film "Alexander Nevsky", in which he singled out the two main battles of the Novgorod ruler: on the Neva River and Lake Peipus. Special meaning had the image of Nevsky during the Great Patriotic War. Poets, artists, directors turned to him to show the citizens of the Soviet Union an example of a successful war with the Germans and thereby raise the morale of the army.
In 1993, a monument was erected on Mount Sokolikha near Pskov. A year earlier, in the village of Kobylye settlement (as close as possible to the battle locality) erected a monument to Nevsky. In 2012, the Museum of the Battle on the Ice of 1242 was opened in the village of Samolva, Pskov Region.
As we see, even Short story The battle on the ice is not only the battle on April 5, 1242 between the Novgorodians and the Germans. This is a very important event in the history of Russia, because thanks to the talent of Alexander Nevsky, Russia was saved from being conquered by the Crusaders.
Russia in the XIII century and the arrival of the Germans
In 1240, Novgorod was attacked by the Swedes, by the way, allies of the Livonians, the future participants in the Battle of the Ice. Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, who at that time was only 20 years old, defeats the Swedes on Lake Neva, for which he receives the nickname "Nevsky". In the same year, the Mongols burned Kyiv, that is, most of Russia was occupied with the war with the Mongols, Nevsky and its Novgorod Republic were left alone with strong enemies. The Swedes were defeated, but Alexander was ahead of a stronger and more powerful rival: the German crusaders. In the XII century, the Pope created the Order of the Sword and sent to the coast Baltic Sea where they received from him the right to own all the conquered lands. These events went down in history as the Northern Crusade. Since most of the members of the Order of the Sword were immigrants from Germany, therefore this order was called German. AT early XIII century, the order breaks up into several military organizations, the main of which were the Teutonic and Livonian orders. In 1237, the Livonians recognized their dependence on the Teutonic Order, but had the right to choose their master. It was the Livonian Order that were the closest neighbors of the Novgorod Republic.