Battle of the Vozha River

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Vozha River
partof=


caption=
date=August 11, 1378
place=Vozha River (Ryazan Oblast)
result=Russian victory
combatant1=Grand Duchy of Moscow
combatant2=The Golden Horde
commander1=Dmitri Ivanovich of Moscow
commander2=Murza Begich †
strength1=unknown
strength2=unknown
casualties1=unknown
casualties2=Almost entire army killed

Battle of Vozha River (Russian Битва на реке Воже) was a battle between the army of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the army of the Golden Horde sent by Mamai to punish the Russians for disobedience.

The Russians were led by Prince Dmitri Ivanovich of Moscow who has not yet received his nickname Donskoi. The Tatars were commanded by murza Begich. The two armies met near the river Vozha, a tributary of Oka. After successful reconnaissance Dmitri managed to block the ford which the Tatars intended to use for the crossing of the river. He occupied a good position for his troops on a hill. The Russians' formation had a shape of a bow with Donskoy leading the center the flanks under the command of Timofey Velyaminov and Andrei of Polotsk.

After waiting a long time, Begich decided to cross the river and to encircle the Russians from both sides. However, the attack of the Tatar cavalry was repelled and the Russian went over to a counter-attack. The Tatars left their tracks and began retreating in disorder, many of them drowned in the river. Begich himself was killed. Only the coming darkness allowed the Tatar army to avoid a full-scale annihilation.

The Vozha battle was the first serious victory of the Russians over a big army of the Golden Horde. It had a big psychological effect before the famous Battle of Kulikovo because it demonstrated the vulnerability of the Tatar cavalry which couldn't overcame a tough resistance and to withstand determined counter-attacks. For Mamai, the defeat of Vozha meant a direct challenge by Dmitry which caused him to start a new unsuccessful campaign two years later.

But the battle was small conflict for Mongols compared to the battle of Kulikova.

ee also

* Tatar invasions
* Russo-Kazan Wars
* Grand Duchy of Moscow
* Mongol invasion of Rus
* Timeline of the Tataro-Mongol Yoke in Russia