Battle of Kletsk

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Russo-Lithuanian Wars
date=August 6, 1506
place=near Kletsk
result=Decisive Lithuanian victory
combatant1=Grand Duchy of Lithuania
combatant2=Crimean Khanate
commander1=Michael Glinski
commander2=Fetih I Giray and Burnaş I Giray
strength1=7,000 - 10,000
strength2=30,000
casualties1=unknown
casualties2=heavy

Battle of Kletsk ( _lt. Klecko mūšis) was the medieval battle fought on August 6, 1506 near Kletsk (now Belarus) between the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania led by Court Marshall of Lithuania Michael Glinski and the army of the ally of the Duchy of Moscow - Crimean Khanate led by sons of Khan of Crimea Meñli I Giray - Fetih I Giray and Burnaş I Giray. It is considered as one of the greatest Lithuanian victories against Tatars.

During the Muscovite-Lithuanian War of 1503, the Krimean Tatar armies pillaged southern Lithuanian towns of Slutsk, Kletsk and Nesvizh and even threatened capital Vilnius. Therefore Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Jagiellon ordered building the defensive town wall of Vilnius in 1503, that was completed in 1522. At the same time the conflicts in the Lithuanian Council of Lords started to emerge. Michael Glinski became the favourite of the Grand Duke and cripled the influence of Janusz Zabrzeziński. During the transfer of the Lithuanian throne from paralysed and seriously ill Alexander to his brother Sigismund the Old in 1506, Tatar army invaded the Grand Duchy. The 7000-strong army led by Glinski marched from Lida and faced Tatars at Kletsk. The enemy was met unprepared and was soundingly defeated. However, the victory had minor lasting influence during the Muscovite-Lithuanian Wars.

References

*lt icon [http://lietuvos.istorija.net/publicistika/kleckas.htm Tomas Baranauskas: What the victory against Tatars meant to us] by Tomas Baranauskas