"And King Vladislav II Jagiello gathered under the banners of his most worthy, and led them to the Teutonic knights, and the Polish land shuddered from the clang of swords, the clatter of horse hooves and force majeure, which became the guard of all Europe." This is not a quote from an old chronicle. But perhaps this is exactly how eyewitnesses described in those distant times one of the most important battles in the history of not only the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but also of the whole of medieval Europe. Battle of Grunwald. The greatest battle of two invincible armies that liberated Central Europe from the power of the crusaders.
"Battle of Grunwald" fragment of the canvas of Jan Mateika (1878).
In nature, nothing happens for no reason. In history - even more so. But when two enemy armies line up against each other, each of which has more than 100 thousand soldiers, the reason must be serious. It was only in taverns and taverns that fights took place suddenly. The plans of the great battles were kept secret until the last. Most of them were planned long, carefully and, as a rule, were part of a larger, focused campaign. In the case of the Battle of Grunwald, everything happened just like that. Its reason is very obvious - the crusaders wanted to enslave Europe. But is everything really so trite? Let’s try together with you to understand this issue and go on an exciting journey through time.
In the vicinity of Grunwald, a large-scale reconstruction of the battle takes place annually.
For the cause of the battle, it is easiest to perceive the territorial tensions between Poland and. But this, you must admit, is not enough to explain the conduct of such a large-scale battle. To get more detailed information about the root cause of the conflict, we will set off in 1409. It was this year, as a result of the campaign conducted by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitold, that the city of Zhmujзь rebelled against the Teutons. Seeing this turn of events, the great master of the Order, Ulrich von Jungingen, sent an ambassador to the Polish king, Vladislav II Jagiello, with a polite question - they say whether Your Majesty supports Lithuania’s confrontation with the Order, or if he will preserve (for which we, the Teutonic master, sincerely hope) neutrality. Jagiello, as a ruler wise and able to calculate the situation several moves ahead, of course, came out in support of the Principality of Lithuania.
Ulrich von Jungingen - Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.
To say that von Jungingen was saddened is to say nothing. Having set up a grand scandal to his subordinates, he immediately forgot about the rebellious Zhmuji and directed all his attention (read - the troops) towards Wielkopolski, Kuyav and the land of Dobrzynska. Jagiello did not remain in debt and, without hesitation for a long time, recaptured Bydgoszcz and the Kuyavian land from the Teutons. The head of the crusaders, seeing such a zeal of the king for the defense of Polish lands, decided to sign a very controversial armistice, according to which all military operations by both the Teutons and Poles ceased for a short time - until June 14, 1410. But did the signing of this agreement mean that both parties renounced any claims for the whole year and patiently waited for its end? Not at all. The Teutons immediately began to create fraternal alliances. In other matters, Jagiello also did not pass the rear. Even then, it was clear that ahead of them was waiting for an equally serious conflict. And although neither the date nor the venue was yet known, the fact remains that a bloody battle was to happen sooner or later.
King Jagiello with crossed swords.
The Teutonic Order in the 15th century reached an inconceivable climax in its development. - Entrepreneurs. They were engaged not only in robbery in the countries of the Middle East, hiding behind the name of the Lord, but also carried out commercial activities that were grand at the time. The lands of northern Poland were especially important for them - the Baltic Sea with its myriad deposits of amber, centuries-old pine forests, and most importantly - direct access to the territories of the Principality of Moscow. In their opinion, Muscovy was the main stronghold of the Gentiles and these restive "pagans" should immediately be converted to the true Catholic faith. Although, of course, this can be argued. It is possible that the main goal of the Teutons was not the establishment of Catholicism on Russian lands, but the numerous wealth hidden in their depths. Be that as it may, it was Poland that stood in their way.
Prince of Lithuania Vitold was one of the first to challenge the crusaders.
Vladislav II Jagiello managed to find himself very devoted associates. The Czech Republic, Prussia, the Principality of Galicia-Volyn (which historians are often silent about) and Hungary, despite many years of hostility with the Commonwealth, united under royal banners to repulse such a cruel and warlike enemy as the crusaders. And when on July 15, 1410, on the field near Grunwald, the two largest armies of the Middle Ages stopped face to face - no one dared to make any predictions. All the military power of the Teutons, honed during the numerous crusades, ran into the resistance of the real patriots of their land, who vowed not to give an inch to the "dog knights."
"Dogs-knights" - the so-called Eastern Slavs called the Teutons.
I would like to make some clarification. The Teutonic Knights were called mainly Eastern Slavs. Historians have not yet found a proper explanation for this fact. According to one version, this name came from the specific form of the helmet, the front part of which was strongly advanced and resembled a dog's face in silhouette. According to another, which seems more plausible to us, the word "dog" in those ancient times was considered abuse.
But back to the battle. And so - a small meadow near the village of Grunwald, located just a couple of tens of kilometers from. Two huge armies gathered in the outskirts of Grunwald, in order to once and for all put an end to the confrontation between the Teutonic Order and the powers of Eastern Europe. Ulrich von Jungingen himself commanded the Crusader army. Another army was flying the Jagiellon flag. Before the battle, as is customary, messengers were sent to both camps offering immediate surrender. Perhaps, in other circumstances, one of the commanders could, purely theoretically, think about the shameful flight from the battlefield. But our case is special. Neither Jagiello nor Jungingen saw a reason for postponing the battle and, of course, the parliamentarians left with nothing.
Archers fired the first arrows to indicate the distance between the armies, the sounds of a bugle sounded and ... Both armies rushed on the offensive. The Polish cavalry was the first to act on the Polish side. With a deafening cry of "Vilna!" they rushed an endless avalanche at the Teutons, who froze a few tens of meters from them. The wait for the crusaders was quite justified - while Vitold's cavalry was approaching, artillery was already beginning to operate on the back line. But, the weather brought its fateful clarification at the very beginning of the battle - it rained heavily and almost all the Teutonic guns were unsuitable for shelling.
Grunwald is the glorious history of a small town.
At first, the Lithuanians cut the slender ranks of the Teutons in the first wedge. The Tatars rushed after them. But it was not easy to deal with the crusaders. Each Teutonic, dressed in powerful armor and mounted on a horse, who was also dressed in a special harness, was an unbreakable fortress. While the crusader is on horseback, it is practically impossible to deal with him. The Tatars came in handy - with their lasso they very skillfully threw the crusaders from the saddle, and at that time the Lithuanian horsemen chopped them with their swords. Unfortunately, the first advantages of the Polish army were not long. The Lithuanians, either frightened, or having received an order from Vitold, turned their horses and went to the camp.
The crusader on the horse is a dangerous and cruel adversary.
Von Jungingen rejoiced! Still - the battle has just begun, and the enemy has already embarked on a shameful flight. The master ordered the Teutons to immediately attack the enemy, which was his main mistake. The army of Jagiello immediately surrounded the troops of the crusaders, who in the heat of excitement lost their classical construction. Reserve units consisting of mercenaries entered the battlefield. Although Jungingen realized his mistake and sent reserve cavalry into battle, the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion. Polish cavalry easily coped with clumsy knights in heavy armor with flying white cloaks on their backs. The infantry fought not for life, but for death. The Lithuanians dealt a crushing blow from the left flank and the knights of the order fled. The commander in chief of the crusaders - Ulrich von Jungingen, died. The power and strength of the Teutons was finally undermined.
The king of Poland managed to unite under his banner many sworn enemies.
The crusaders in the battle of Grunwald lost more than a third of their troops. Almost the entire ruling elite of the Order was destroyed. Those masters who survived were forced to sign a shameful agreement. Poland and Lithuania regained their rightful lands. The Teutonic Order lost a significant part of its lands, recognized Poland as its overlord and abandoned claims to the cities of the Hanseatic Treaty. Over the next 115 years, the Teutons still tried, if not to return, then at least to maintain their glory, but in 1525 the Order was completely disbanded.
On horseback is King Vladislav, with a sword - Prince Vitold, defeated - Master Jungingen.
The Battle of Grunwald was and remains one of the most important battles in medieval Europe. King Vladislav II Jagiello managed to show that even ancient enemies can unite in the fight against the bloodthirsty enemy. He, like his associates, is forever inscribed in the annals of world history, as a force that was able to destroy the crusaders.
In Poland, in Grunwald, Krakow and Malbork, celebrations are held to mark the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald. Are involved president-elect of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite - The main "culprits" of the celebration, as well as other foreign guests. It is believed that it was the Polish-Lithuanian troops that defeated the troops of the Teutonic Order near Grunwald on July 15, 1410. When the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Ulrich von Jungingen invaded the Kingdom of Poland, King Vladislav II Jagiello (Jagiello) agreed with the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt on joint action.
“When our two great nations entered the battlefield near Grunwald, united as never before, their unity rallied the neighboring nations, prompted them to join the struggle for victory, which predetermined the future fate of not only our countries, but also Europe,” said Dalia Grybauskaite. But Bronislaw Komorowski said: "It is important to talk not only about that victory, but about what it brought to our peoples." And he stressed: this battle laid the foundation for close relations between the two countries, which continue centuries later and contribute to the integration of the European Union.
Nevertheless, along with these two great nations, other great nations also contribute to the victory. In the battle of Grunwald, the Lithuanian and Polish forces included Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian regiments, as well as Czech mercenaries and Tatar cavalry.
In principle, no one seems to deny the participation of the Slavs in the great battle, however, if this fact is well known to historians, then for the masses in the Baltics something like a “white spot” is forming here. The Lithuanian press and many historians mainly focus on the participation of “their own”. Vilnius weekly Express Week called this situation a “conspiracy of silence”. This was directly said from his pages to laiped historian, Doctor of Philosophy, expert teacher Andrei Fomin.
The correspondent of the Free Press contacted A. Fomin.
“Yes, modern Lithuanian historiography seeks to nationalize the Battle of Grunwald,” says A. Fomin. - This is also evident from the lithuanized name of the battle. The whole world knows the battle of Grunwald or Tannenberg, like the Grunwald or Tannenberg battle. The battlefield was between the villages of Tannenberg and Grunwald. Only Lithuanian modern history has introduced the concept of альalgiris, under which only Lithuanians know the battle. “Альalgiris” is a literal translation into Lithuanian of the name Grünewald - “green grove”. But even in the main historical work of pre-war Lithuania - “History of Lithuania”, published in 1936 - there is no such concept. It’s all the same what the “Berlin operation” is called “the capture of Medvezhyegorsk”.
"SP": - It is known that Russian regiments took part in the battle. How many were there?
- Allied forces totaled 91 regiments, of which 51 were Polish, and 40 were of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. As part of the Polish "banners" 7 were from the Russian regions of the kingdom, and in the Lithuanian army of 40 "banners" 36 were Russians. The most combat-ready were Smolensk regiments. Polish historian of the 15th century, Jan Dlugosh, wrote: “The“ banners ”were called by the names of Lithuanian lands, namely: Trokskaya, Vilenskaya, Grodno, Kovenskaya, Lida, Mednitskaya, Smolenskaya, Polotskaya, Vitebsk, Kiev, Pinsk, Novgorod, Brest, Volkovyskaya, Drogichinskaya, Melnitskaya, Kremenetskaya, Starodubskaya. " Russians made up 47 percent of the allied forces. The army of the Order opposed them - the army of knights, the troops of the vassal princes and the so-called guests or hunters - from various countries of Western Europe. They had bombards firing stone and lead cores.
"SP": - What do local historians write about the role of Russian regiments?
- The thought of exclusively Lithuanian merit and victory in this battle at Zalgiris is being dragged into history and put into our heads, although multinational Lithuania could have been proud of its overall success. However, even in the mentioned work of 1936, the presence of Russian regiments in the Battle of Grunwald is not mentioned at all. It is only about Lithuanian regiments and Lithuanians. And the respected professor Edwardas Gudavičius in the fundamental work “History of Lithuania before the Union of Lublin 1569” very briefly mentions the merit of Smolensk, but everywhere, speaking of the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, he uses only the word “Lithuanians”. The famous historian Alfredas Bumblauskas does not consider it necessary to mention the Russian regiments. In the monograph “History of Lithuania until 1795”, written by a group of famous historians, there is also no mention of the participation of Russian regiments in the Battle of Grunwald.
"SP": - What can be said about the significance of the Battle of Grunwald?
- She changed the whole geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe, influenced the further history. One of the main results is the complete defeat of the Teutonic Order, the elimination of its dominant role in the region. But this battle has another important historical feature: it was a victory won by the alliance of Slavic and Baltic peoples and states over German militaristic hegemonism. It was our common victory.
Other sources confirm the words of a Klaipeda historian about the role of Slavic warriors in the Battle of Grunwald, although the “national” interpretations are somewhat different. For example, according to Belarusian historical sources, the Union army had 28 regiments from nowadays Belarusian lands and 8 regiments from Ukrainian lands. But it is clear that the Slav brothers are proud of this common victory. Belarus, for example, also widely celebrates the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald. Medieval parades, knightly performances, and festivals took place throughout the republic. In Navahrudak, a holiday was held, in which clubs of historical reconstruction took part. Theatrical performances took place in Grodno, Ivenets, Dududki and other cities of Belarus. A chivalry parade was held in Minsk. The publishing house of the Belarusian Exarchate has published the book “Battle of Grunwal”. It contains a detailed relief diagram of the battlefield and reconstruction of the main stages of the famous battle. The authors believe that the “battle of peoples” predetermined the historical path of many European states.
By the time the Great War began (1409-1411) it was still not clear around whom the Russian lands would unite. As a result, both Moscow princes and Lithuanians could become collectors of Russian lands. By the beginning of the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had vast lands that now belong to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Then, however, all of them were Slavs and the division went more likely to people of Smolensk or Kiev. Or Orthodox and Catholics - the religious section will be decisive for the minds of contemporaries, but this is later.
The territory of the state of the Teutonic Order between 1260 and 1410 (wikipedia.org)
In 1386, Grand Duke Jagiello and his rival brother Vitov, and with them all the nobility, made a crucial religious choice for Lithuania. They preferred Catholicism to Orthodoxy. In the future, this will come around with the fact that the Orthodox lands of the Commonwealth (it did not exist at the time of the choice of faith) will always be drawn to the Moscow kingdom. But at that time the choice was justified. In 1385, the Union of Krev was concluded between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After the adoption of Catholicism, Jagiello was able to marry the Polish Queen Jadwig and become the ruler of both Poland and Lithuania. This union, however, was not strong. Around the brother of Jagiello, Vytautas, the entire Lithuanian opposition united. Jagiello made concessions and made Vytautas governor in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with broad powers. Based on the Vilnius-Radom Union, Vitovt received the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania, while confirming the supreme power of Jagiello over himself. Such actions in the direction of peace, the creation of unions had a completely understandable reason: fear of an external enemy, the Teutonic Order.
The Teutonic Order came to the East Slavic lands after Pope Honorius III declared a crusade against the Prussian pagans in 1217. The Teutons called the Prussians fire and sword, but their land did not end there. In the neighborhood was still pagan Lithuania. When Jagiello and the entire Lithuanian nobility converted to Catholicism, this did not stop the crusader’s aggressive plans. They simply accused the Lithuanian nobility of insincerity of their baptism. Along with this, the Order had territorial claims against Poland. The union of the two countries suggests itself.
Leaders of the Battle of Grunwald
Vytautas and Jagiello planned to attack the Teutonic capital - Marienburg. The order adhered to defensive tactics. At the end of May 1410, Polish-Lithuanian troops began to gather in Grodno. They totaled 91 "banners" (regiment), of which 51 were Polish and 40 Lithuanian. At the same time, 7 Polish and 36 Lithuanian regiments represented the Russian regions - in the modern sense, the territories of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. There are no exact data on the strength of the troops. Estimation of the number of Polish-Lithuanian troops varies from 16 to 39 thousand people, the Teutonic Order - from 11 to 27 thousand people. At the same time, the troops of the Order were considered more combat-ready. The backbone was knightly cavalry, of course. But there were mercenary infantrymen.
"Vladislav Jagiello and Vitovt pray before the battle." (wikipedia.org)
At dawn on July 15, 1410, two armies converged in a field between the villages of Tannenberg, Grünfeld and Ludwigsdorf (now this is the territory of Poland).
Battle of Grunwald
On three sides the site of the upcoming battle was surrounded by forests. The crusaders arrived first and managed to strengthen their position, as well as set numerous traps before the enemy approached. The Order hoped to provoke the enemy on the attack, believing its defensive position more advantageous, taking into account the strength of the Poles and Lithuanians.
The initial phase of the battle is at noon. (wikipedia.org)
For this, heralds with two drawn swords were sent to Jagiello and Vytautas - from High Master Jungingen to King Wladyslaw (this name was worn by Jagiello after baptism) and from Grand Marshal Wallenrod to Grand Duke Vitovt. In words, a challenge to the battle was also transmitted. Swords in the framework of the traditions of that time meant an insult to Jagiello and Vytautas, which was to cause their fury and prompt them to take action.
Modern reconstruction of the armor of the Lithuanian infantry. (wikipedia.org)
The provocation worked on Vytautas. He went into battle, without waiting for the order of Jagiello. Lithuanian heavy cavalry together with the Allied Tatar cavalry attacked the banners of the great Marshal Friedrich von Wallenrod. After an hour's battle, the crusaders launched a counterattack. The Lithuanians began to retreat. There is still no consensus among historians whether this was a tactical maneuver or an unplanned retreat. Be that as it may, the crusaders believed that the enemy was broken.
The retreat of the Lithuanian army. (wikipedia.org)
Part of the Lithuanian army, which was made up of Smolensk regiments under the command of Prince Lugveni Olgerdovich, took up defense at the camp of Vitovt, not far from the right flank of the Polish army. The Smolensk regiments were ordered to maintain their position at all costs and prevent a blow to the flank and rear of the Polish allies. The battle was bloody, Smolensk regiments suffered heavy losses, but did not retreat. This, according to historians, was a key point in the battle.
At this time, a fierce battle broke out between the Crusaders and the Poles, which went on with varying success. This episode of the battle lasted for five hours and went to the complete exhaustion of forces. Hand-to-hand combat reached the place where Jagiello was. One of the crusaders rushed to the king, but Jagiello was saved by his secretary Zbigniew Olesnitsky.
In the last stage of the battle, the Polish-Lithuanian army had an advantage in manpower - Jagailo threw his last reserve into battle later than the crusaders. Polish and Lithuanian cavalry bypassed the crusaders from the left flank, as a result of which the main forces of the Order were surrounded. The beating of the Teutons began.
Only a small part of the knights escaped. More than 200 knights, including the entire top leadership of the Order, were killed. In total, about 8,000 people were killed by the Teutons, about 14,000 were captured. The Polish-Lithuanian army lost about 5,000 people killed and about 8,000 wounded. Jagiello and Vitovt reached Marienburg, but they failed to take the well-defended city.
The significance of the Battle of Grunwald
The Teutonic Order lost its military power, which led to its decline. In addition, the order was forced to spend huge sums on the ransom of knights who were captured. Since this money was collected as a result of the introduction of new taxes on lands controlled by the order, dissatisfaction soon began to ripen there. A number of cities, which had previously relied on the defense of the Order, abandoned allied relations, the number of people wishing to join it was drastically reduced.
“After the Battle of Grunwald,” A. Mucha, 1924. (wikipedia.org)
On February 1, 1411, the Peace of Toruń was concluded, according to which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania received Zemaitija (the key land lying between the possessions of the Order), and Poland - Dobrzynski land. In addition, the Teutonic Order was required to pay indemnity.
The Return of the Lithuanians, Michal Elviro Andriolli, 1892. (wikipedia.org)
Despite the fact that the Teutonic Order formally existed for more than a hundred years, it was a period of its extinction. Now it was no longer the order that dictated the conditions to other states, but they imposed on him unfavorable agreements and robbed him of his territory. In Eastern Europe, the Polish-Lithuanian Union became the dominant force, after a century and a half transformed into the Commonwealth.
The Grunwald battle of 1410 (in German literature, the battle of Tannenberg) was the decisive battle of the Great War 1409-11, in which Polish-Lithuanian (including Belarusian-Ukrainian and Russian) troops defeated the forces of the Teutonic Order on July 15.
During the Battle of Grunwal, the Slavic-Lithuanian troops dealt a fatal blow to the Teutonic Order, its aggression to the east was stopped.
In 1409, Zhemoitia rebelled against the Teutonic Order, and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt supported the rebels and sent his soldiers to help them. This rebellion and Vitovt’s desire to return Zhemojtuy to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia, led to the outbreak of the war of the Teutonic Order against the Grand Duchy and the Kingdom of Poland, whose king Jagiello supported his cousin Vitovt.
After a short hostilities, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Ulrik von Jungingen, realizing that he did not have enough strength, to fight immediately with Poland and Lithuania, asked for a truce, which was concluded from September 8, 1409 to June 12, 1410, the parties signed a truce, began to thoroughly prepare for a new war. Despite all the efforts of the Teutonic Order to break the alliance of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vitovt and Jagiello were able to agree and approve a plan of joint action in the war with the crusaders.
Both sides gathered almost all of their troops, there are many versions of their numbers, and according to rough estimates, the troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia (VKLiR) amounted to about 12-20 thousand soldiers. The structure of the army included the Tatar cavalry.
Of the 40 banners, thirteen banners were Belarusian-Ukrainian-Russian: Smolenskaya, Mstislavskaya, Orshanskaya, Lida, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Pinsk, Novogrudok, Brest, Volkovyskaya, Kiev, Kremenetskaya and Starodubovskaya. Two more banners (Drogichinskaya and Melnitskaya) were mixed.
Warrior from the Lviv Banner
Poland put up somewhere the same number of troops (about 12-20 thousand, including 7 Ukrainian banners: Lvov, Galitskaya, Peremyshlyansky, Kholmsky and three Podolsky). In total, the Poles had 51 banners.
According to the medieval chronicler Jan Dlugosh, the army of the order consisted of 51 banners. Of these, 5 are the banners of the highest order hierarchs, 6 are provided by the Prussian bishoprics, 31 are exhibited by territorial units and cities, and 9 are units of foreign mercenaries and guests, as well as 100 bombers with a caliber of 3.6 pounds - 5 pounds.
A special role was played by the "large" and "small" banner of the grandmaster and the banner of the Teutonic Order under the command of the great marshal. The Great Komtur and the Great Treasurer commanded their regiments. The core of the troops was the knight brothers, under Grunwald there were about 400-450 people. Therefore, they served as commanders of higher and middle rank. On the side of the Teutonic Order, mercenaries from Germany, Austria, France, as well as regiments of the Polish princes Konrad White Olesnitsky and Casimir Szczecin, fought.
The total number of representatives of various states in the Teutonic forces totaled 22 nations.
According to the calculation of the Polish historian Stefan Kuczynski, the number of armies was: up to 39 thousand people were in the Polish-Lithuanian army and up to 27 thousand were in the Teutonic army.
Map of the formation of the Slavic-Lithuanian in 1410
On July 15, 1410, the armies of the Teutonic Order and allies, Poland and the VKLiR, met on a field near the villages of Grunwald, Ludwigsdorf and Tanenberg. The Crusaders, who arrived first to this place, took up a position on a hill between the villages of Ludwigsdorf and Tanenberg, and their convoy was located near Grunwald. The approaching troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland were located south of the village of Tanenberg. Polish troops occupied the left side of the field, and the army on the right.
The great battle began in the afternoon, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the first to start the battle, sending the light Tatar cavalry into the attack, which, without significant losses, overcame the ditches of the Crusaders in the early moats and destroyed the Teutonic guns and crossbowmen. In response to the counterattack, the Grand Master sent Wallenrod’s heavy cavalry to the Lithuanian gonfalons, from which, heavily armed riders also came to meet them, and a heavy battle began.
At this time, the Polish troops stood still and watched the battle, and the Polish king Jagiello listened to the massacre and was inactive. This led to the fact that the crusaders struck the center, with the aim of taking the troops of the Grand Duchy of Poland and Poland into two separate rings, so the battle also began in the center. At this time, Vytautas’s troops on the right flank began to retreat, and part of the Teutonic army, deciding that the Litvins were running, rushed after them to the convoys, but there, meeting stubborn resistance and not achieving anything, he turned and hit the Polish right flank troops.
A critical moment came in the battle, the Polish troops were partially surrounded, they had to restrain the crusaders from the front and right flank, until Vytautas rebuilt his troops, and again sent them to the attack. Under the onslaught of the troops of the VKLiR and Poland, the Teutons began to slowly retreat, and soon, they were surrounded in two rings, in which they began to smash.
After the great magister Ulrik von Jungingen and the great marshal Wolenrod died in the battle, the surviving soldiers began to get out of the encirclement and retreat to their wagon train, where several thousand bollards and knights, who had hidden behind the carts, tried to resist, but there were no commanders and panic, soon, forced them to run, the extermination of fleeing began, which lasted until late at night for 15-20 miles.
The next morning it became clear that the army of the order was completely defeated and no longer existed, the entire Teutonic leadership, led by Jungigen, Wallenrod and Liechtenstein, as well as more than 600 noble and eminent knights with a huge number of ordinary bollards of soldiers and mercenaries, died on the battlefield.
In this battle, almost the entire leadership of the order, led by the Grand Master, was killed. Allied forces took 52 banners, all the bombards and a rich convoy. Allied forces also suffered heavy losses, and they won a cheap victory. Killed - 4 thousand people, injured - 8 thousand people.
Such a bloody defeat, in those days, did not happen often, since in the Middle Ages the winner could take a ransom from the enemy, therefore it was preferable to take prisoners, but only a knight could get rich in this way, and the commoner did not get anything, therefore he left the enemy alive there was no point.
As a sign of victory, the allied forces were still on the battlefield for three days, as required by military custom and did not pursue the enemy, which saved the order from complete defeat. The Crusaders managed to collect the scattered troops and concentrate them in the castle of Marienburg. And when the allied forces approached Marienburg, it was already July 25, they were not able to take the fortress, for about a month they stood at the walls of the fortress and turned back.
The significance of the Battle of Grunwald, especially for the Slavs, is great. The knightly crusaders were given a worthy rebuff, the military power of the Teutons was undermined, and the myth of the invincibility of the order collapsed.
Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen was buried on the battlefield, where his grave is now located.
To the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, in 1910, a monument was erected in Krakow.
Now, every year, on July 15, reconstruction of this grandiose battle is held, where “knights” from all over the world come together.
The Battle of Grunwald became decisive in the struggle of the crusaders with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia and Poland, after the defeat of the order, the ridge was broken and after 56 years, the most formidable and dangerous opponent of the great principality of Lithuania and Russia ceased to exist.
Battlefield of Grunwald (Poland)
The victory over the crusaders brought the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia to the most powerful powers of that era, and Vitovt became the most powerful man in Eastern Europe. The battle of Grunwald itself, in scale, became one of the greatest in European history, and the reason for the redistribution of military forces and political maps.
King of Polish Jagiello
Prince Vitovt
(According to the Internet:
Http://vklby.com/index.php/bitvy/13-bitvy/156-gryunvaldskaya-bitva
Http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruenwald_Battle
Http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/bse/81768/ Grunwald
Http://www.smolinfo.net/index.php?option\u003dcom_content&view\u003darticle&id\u003d296&Itemid\u003d278
Http://www.istpravda.ru/digest/1923/)
In 1409, Zhemoitia rebelled against the Teutonic Order, and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt, who supported the rebels, sent his soldiers to help them. This revolt and Vitovt’s desire to return Zhemojtuy to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania turned out to be the reason for the beginning of the Teutonic Order war against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland, headed by King Jagiello, who supported his cousin Vitovt.
After a short battle, the great Master of the Teutonic Order Ulrik von Jungingen, realizing that he did not have enough military power to fight Poland and Lithuania at once, asked for a truce, which was concluded from September 8, 1409 until June 12, 1410. The parties signed a truce and began to thoroughly prepare for a new war. Despite all the efforts of the Teutonic Order to break the alliance of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vitovt and Jagiello were able to agree and agree on a joint action plan in the war with the crusaders.
Both sides gathered almost all of their troops. There are many versions about their numbers. According to rough estimates, about 12,000 soldiers were included in the ON army, Poland put up about the same. The Lithuanian army was divided into 40 banners, most of which belonged to the cities that are now on the territory of modern Belarus.
The Teutonic Order brought about 18,000 soldiers under their banners; knights from many European countries, England, France, Hungary, Switzerland, and Holland came to the aid of the crusaders. As a result, 22 nations entered the Teutonic army.
July 15, 1410 the army of the Teutonic Order met with the combined army of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the field near the villages of Grunwald, Ludwigsdorf and Tanenberg. The first to arrive, the crusaders took up a position on a hill between the villages of Ludwigsdorf and Tanenberg, and their convoy was located near Grunwald. The approaching troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland were located south of the village of Tanenberg. Polish troops occupied the left side of the field, and the ON army occupied the right.
The battle of Grunwald began in the afternoon. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt was the first to launch an attack on the light Tatar cavalry, which, without significant losses, overcame the ditches that had been dug up by the crusaders and destroyed the Teutonic guns and crossbowmen. In response, the great master sent Wallenrod’s heavy cavalry to the Lithuanian banners, from which heavy-armed horsemen came forward to meet, and a heavy battle began.
At this time, the Polish troops stood still and watched the battle, and the Polish king Jagiello listened to the massacre and was inactive. The Crusaders did not fail to seize the opportunity and struck at the center, in order to take the troops of the Grand Duchy of Poland and Poland in two separate rings. At this time, Vytautas’s troops on the right flank began to retreat, and the Teutons who fought with them, deciding that the Litvinians were running, rushed after them to the convoys, but there, they met stubborn resistance. Then they changed tactics and, turning around, hit the right flank of the Polish troops.
A critical moment has come in battle. The Polish troops were partially surrounded, they had to restrain the crusaders from the front and right flank until Vitovt, having rebuilt his troops, again sent them to the attack. Under the onslaught of the troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland, the Teutons began to retreat slowly, and were soon surrounded in two rings in which they began to smash.
After the great master Ulrik von Jungingen and the great marshal Wolenrod died in battle, those who survived had to get out of the encirclement and retreat to their wagon train. There, hiding behind the carts, several thousand bollards and knights tried to resist, but the absence of the commanders and the panic that started, soon forced them to flee and the extermination of the fleeing began, which lasted until late at night for 15-20 versts.
The next morning, it became clear that the Teutonic army was completely defeated and no longer existed. On the battlefield, the entire Teutonic leadership, led by Jungigen, Wallenrod and Liechtenstein, as well as more than 600 noble and eminent knights with a huge number of simple bollards of soldiers and mercenaries, died.
Vytautas lost half of his army after the battle, but this did not stop him from traveling further from Jagiello to the capital of the Teutonic Order Marienburg. However, they could not take the city, and soon peace was concluded, according to which Jemutia returned to the GD.
The Battle of Grunwald became decisive in the struggle of the crusaders with the ON and Poland, after the defeat of the order, the ridge was broken and after 56 years, the most formidable and dangerous opponent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ceased to exist. The victory over the crusaders brought ON to the most powerful powers of that era, and Vitovt became the most powerful ruler in Eastern Europe. The Battle of Grunwald itself became one of the great in European history, and, in addition, was the reason for the redistribution of military forces and political maps.