- Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War
caption=
date=1409–1411
place=Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
result=Peace of Thorn (1411)
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=unknown
strength2=unknown
casualties1=
casualties2=The Polish-Lithuanian–Teutonic War or Great War ( _pl. Wielka Wojna) occurred between
1409 and1411 , pitting Poland and Lithuania against theTeutonic Knights . The crusaders were crushed in the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) and never regained the strength or prestige they had before the war. The First Peace of Thorn ended the war.Causes
In the 13th century, the
Teutonic Knights had been invited to Culmerland to assist in the defense ofMasovia and the conversion of the paganOld Prussians . Under a papal edict which gave them effective "carte blanche" to act as they wished, they established a power base in the region, occupying the Baltic coastal regions of what are nowLatvia ,Lithuania andEstonia , and showed signs of further expansion. Their incursions into Poland in the 14th century gave them control of major towns inPomerelia andKuyavia . In order to further their war efforts against the pagan Lithuanian state, the Teutonic Knights instituted a series of crusades, enlisting support from other European countries.In 1385, the
Union of Krewo joined the crown of Poland with Lithuania, and the subsequent marriage of Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania and Queen Jadwiga of Poland was to shift the balance of power; both nations were more than aware that only by acting together could the expansionary plans of the Teutonic Order be thwarted. Jogaila acceptedChristianity and became King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland. Lithuania's conversion to Christianity removed much of the rationale of the Teutonic Knights' anti-pagan crusades.In 1398, however, the Knights invaded the Christian states of Poland and Lithuania. At this time, the Poles and the Lithuanians had little option but to suffer in silence, for they were still not prepared militarily to confront the power of the Knights.
Overview
Start of the war
In 1409, an uprising in German-held Samogitia started. The
Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great , who claimed thepatrimony in Samogitia and Prussia announced that he would stand by his promises in case the Knights invaded Lithuania. This was used as a pretext, and on14 August 1409 Grand MasterUlrich von Jungingen declared war on thePolish–Lithuanian union . The forces of the Teutonic Order initially invadedGreater Poland andKuyavia , but the Poles repelled the invasion and reconquered Bromberg (Bydgoszcz), which led to a subsequentarmistice agreement that was to last until24 June 1410 . The Lithuanians and Poles used this time in preparations to remove the crusading threat once and for all.The Teutonic Knights were aware of the Polish–Lithuanian build-up and expected a dual attack, by the Poles towards Danzig (Gdańsk) and by the Lithuanians towards Samogitia. To counter this threat, Ulrich von Jungingen concentrated part of his forces in Schwetz (Świecie), while leaving the large part of his army in the eastern castles of Ragnit (Neman), Rhein (Ryn) near Lötzen (Giżycko), and Memel (Klaipėda). Poles and Lithuanians continued to screen their intentions by organising several raids deep into German territory. Ulrich von Jungingen asked for the armistice to be extended to
4 July in order to let mercenaries from western Europe arrive. Enough time had already been given for the Polish-Lithuanian forces to gather in strength.On
30 June , the forces of Greater Poland andLesser Poland crossed theVistula over apontoon bridge and joined with the forces ofMasovia and theGrand Duchy of Lithuania . Władysław's Polish forces and the Lithuanian soldiers of his cousinVytautas the Great (to whom Władysław had ceded power in Lithuania in the wake of his marriage to the Polish queen) assembled on2 July 1410 . A week later they crossed into the territory of the Teutonic Knights, heading for the enemy headquarters at Castle Marienburg (Malbork). The Teutonic Knights were caught by surprise.Ulrich von Jungingen withdrew his forces from the area of Schwetz and decided to organise a line of defence on the river Drewenz (Drwęca). The river crossings were fortified with
stockade s and the castles nearby reinforced. After meeting with his war council, Władysław decided to outflank the enemy forces from the East and continue the march towards Marienburg through Soldau (Działdowo) and Gilgenburg (Dąbrówno). On13 July , these two castles were captured and the way towards Marienburg was opened.Battle of Grunwald
The
Battle of Grunwald took place on15 July 1410 between the forces of the combined Polish–Lithuanian army, led by KingWładysław Jagiełło of Poland, and the Teutonic Order.The Polish–Lithuanian army was an amalgam of nationalities and religions. The Roman Catholic Polish and Lithuanian troops fought side by side with Eastern Orthodox Christians, Muslim
Tatars , andHussite Bohemians . The Bohemians were there because Władysław and King Wenceslaus IV ofBohemia had signed a defensive treaty earlier due to invasions by Teutonic Knights. The Bohemian mercenaryJan Žižka later became the general of theTaborites in theHussite Wars .In this decisive battle of the war, the Teutonic Order was defeated in the battle and never recovered its former influence. Ulrich von Jungingen and much of the leadership of the Teutonic Order were slain in the battle.
After the Battle of Grunwald
The Teutonic Knights were shattered as a result of the battle, and many fortresses surrendered to Władysław. Forces of
Michael Küchmeister von Sternberg were defeated in theBattle of Koronowo in September. Władysław delayed in attacking Marienburg, however, givingHeinrich von Plauen time to prepare a successful resistance to theSiege of Marienburg (1410) . The First Peace of Thorn in February 1411 ended the war on terms favourable to the Teutonic Order considering their defeat at Grunwald.Further reading
* Stefan M. Kuczyński, "Wielka Wojna z Zakonem Krzyżackim",
Warszawa 1960
* Stephen Turnbull, " [http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S5619~ser=CAM~per=41 Tannenberg 1410 Disaster for the Teutonic Knights] ", 2003, London: Osprey Campaign Series no. 122 ISBN 9781841765617
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