Battle of Skuodas

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Skuodas
partof=the Northern Crusades


caption=
date=1259
place=Near Skuodas
result=Decisive Samogitian victory
combatant1=Samogitians
combatant2=Livonian Order
commander1=Unknown
commander2=Burchard von Hornhausen
strength1=3,000
strength2=Unknown
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=33 knights killed
notes=

The Battle of Skuodas or Schoden was a medieval battle fought in 1259 near Skuodas in present-day Lithuania during the Northern Crusades. The Samogitian army of 3,000 invaded Courland and on their way back defeated the Livonian Order, killing 33 knights and many more low-rank soldiers. In terms of knights killed, it was the eighth largest defeat of the Livonian Order in the 13th century. [lt icon cite web| first=Tomas |last=Baranauskas | url=http://www.delfi.lt/archive/article.php?id=10760927 |title=Ar priminsime Europai apie Šiaulių mūšį? | publisher=Delfi.lt | date=2006-09-22 |accessdate=2007-06-02 ] This victory led to a Semigallian insurrection against the Livonian crusaders, which lasted from 1259 to 1272.

In 1251 the Mindaugas, pagan Grand Duke of Lithuania, concluded a peace treaty with the Livonian Order: he was to be baptized and crowned as King of Lithuania in return for portions of Samogitia, Nadruva, and Dainava. [lt icon cite journal |first=Tomas |last=Baranauskas |date=2003-03-23 |title=Mindaugo karūnavimo ir Lietuvos karalystės problemos | url= http://www.voruta.lt/article.php?article=87&showtype=archive | journal=Voruta | volume=6 | issue=504 | issn=1392-0677 | accessdate =2006-09-17] Mindaugas was crowned on July 6 1253 and the promised lands were transferred to the Order. The Order built a castle at Memelburg (Klaipėda) on the border with Samogitia to serve as the basis for further expansion. After Samogitians unsuccessfully attacked the new castle, their nobles formed a military coalition, elected Algminas as their leader, and organized offensive raids to Courland.cite book |last=Kiaupa |first=Zigmantas |coauthors= Jūratė Kiaupienė, Albinas Kunevičius |title= The History of Lithuania Before 1795 |chapter=Establishment of the State |origyear= 1995|edition= English|year= 2000|publisher= Lithuanian Institute of History|location= Vilnius|isbn=9986-810-13-2| pages=63–64] However in 1257 a Samogitian envoy in Riga requested a two-year truce. [cite book| title=The Baltic Crusade | first=William | last=Urban | year=1994 | publisher=Lithuanian Research and Studies Center | location=Chicago, Illinois | edition=2nd ed. | pages=241 | isbn=0-929700-10-4] Hopes were that the truce would be extended, but Samogitians once again organized a raid to Courland. [Urban, William. "The Baltic Crusade", 245–246.] This raid might have been prompted by Mindaugas, who granted Samogitia in its entirety to the Order on August 7 1259 while seeking allies against the Golden Horde who plundered Lithuanian lands in the winter of 1259.cite web| first=Tomas |last=Baranauskas |authorlink=Tomas Baranauskas |url=http://viduramziu.lietuvos.net/en/c1183.htm |title=Chronology. High Middle Ages: Part 2 (1183–1283) | date=2006-08-19 |publisher=Medieval Lithuania] On their way back from Courland Samogitians were challenged by the Order near Skuodas and won a decisive victory.

The victory inspired Samogitians and in the following months there were few small clashes with the knights. Semigallians rebelled against the Order. The following year, at the Battle of Durbe, the Order suffered even greater defeat. After these disasters, it took some thirty years for the Livonian Order to restore its status and territory. [Urban, William. "The Baltic Crusade", 248.]

References