No wonder
That I have forgotten God a long time ago.
Now I will wash away my sins with repentance.
I am ready to serve God with all my soul.
Friedrich von Hausen. Translated by V. Mikushevich
Back in the Bronze Age, the Baltic Sea did not so much divide the people who lived along its shores as it united. Swimming on it did not present any particular difficulties, since it is small in size and, in addition, closed. During the Iron Age, and then in the early Middle Ages, here, one might say, trade simply flourished. This means that the inhabitants of the coast had much more information about each other than about the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the so-called "Lower Lands" in Palestine. Of course, the sailors who plowed the waters of the Mediterranean Sea knew more than others, but for most of the crusaders who aspired to the Holy Land, it was a real terra incognita.
The very natural geographical position of the Scandinavian states was such that it predetermined the direction of their expansion from north to south. Denmark sought to extend its influence to the eastern lands, that is, the coast of Northern Germany (where the Slavs lived at that time), as well as Poland, and to the west - it was not for nothing that the Denlo region (the area of "Danish law") appeared in England. The Swedes, for natural reasons, looked at a tidbit in the direction of neighboring Finland, while its trade was focused on the strong Novgorod principality. Thus, it was quite difficult for the knights of these countries, well, except for the Danes, to get to Palestine both by land and even by sea, since it would take a very long time to sail there. After all, if from Pisa the ships of the crusaders reached Palestine in 10 weeks, then … one can imagine how long such a voyage would take if they were sent from Sweden or Norway. By the way, the German crusaders also usually chose the path by land because it would be quite difficult for them to get to Palestine with ships from the Baltic coast, and would require a huge fleet, which they did not have.
The main wealth of the Baltics is the "sun stone" - amber.
But all the same, they wanted to receive atonement for their sins and also take part in expeditions to the East. And it should be noted that the idea of a "northern crusade" to the East received its concrete embodiment in deeds already in 1103. Then King Eric I of Denmark went on a pilgrimage to Palestine and, by the way, turned out to be the first European sovereign to visit the Holy Land, even if he died on his way back. Four years later, Jarl Sigurd Yorsalafar, and one of the rulers of Norway, passing the Strait of Gibraltar, arrived in Palestine and brought with him a small fleet and northern knights to help the crusaders. However, this can rather be considered an armed pilgrimage, since Sigurd's expedition, due to its small number, cannot be called a separate campaign. However, in the Baltic States there were also their own campaigns with religious overtones, which were also called "crusades" and which had a very interesting history and chronology:
1103: Danish King Erica makes his pilgrimage, but dies on the way back.
1108: A crusade to the East is announced in the Magdeburg Bishopric (this is the north of Germany).
1135: The Danes attack the island of Rügen, where the Slavs lived at the time.
1147: The beginning of the first "northern crusade" against the pagan Slavs who lived on the shores of the Baltic.
1168 - 1169: The Danish king Valdemar I subordinates the island of Rügen to his rule.
1171: Pope Alexander III declared a crusade against the Baltic pagan tribes.
1185: Knut IV, King of Denmark, conquers the Slavs in Pomerania.
1198: Pope Innocent III proclaims a crusade against the Livs.
1202: The brother of Bishop Albert von Buxgewden, Dietrich Toreida, founded a diocese with its center in the city of Riga and established the Order of the Swordsmen, or the Brotherhood of Christ's Warriors, whose purpose was to spread Christianity in Livonia.
1204: The Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ receives the approval of Pope Innocent III.
1206: Military expedition of the crusaders to the island of Ezel, where the Finns and Estonians lived.
1200-1209: Conquest of the Livonians by the warriors of Bishop Albert.
1210: Pope Innocent III confirms the existence of the order with his bull.
1217: The crusade of the northern knights against the Prussians (Modern northeastern Poland and the Kaliningrad region) is announced by Pope Honorius III.
1219: Crusade of King Valdemar II of Denmark against the Estonians. According to legend, during the battle with them at Lindanis, a Danish flag fell from the sky. Waldemar founded the city of Revel (Tallinn) and began to conquer northern Estonia.
1224: The troops of the order took the city of Yuriev (Dorpat). Prince Vyachko, who was in charge of his defense, was killed. Novgorod did not send help because of a conflict with Prince Vsevolod Yuryevich.
1226: Creation of the Teutonic Order by Emperor Frederick II. All East Prussia and Lithuania were to be included in his "zone of responsibility".
1230: The Teutonic Order receives the blessing of Pope Gregory IX to fight the pagan Prussians.
1231 - 1240: Conquest of the West Prussians by the Teutonic Order.
1233: "Northern Crusade" (1233 - 1236).
1234: In a battle on the Omovzhe near the city of Yuriev (now the Emajõgi river and the city of Tartu), the Novgorod prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich defeats the army of the sword-bearers (moreover, some of the knights fell through the ice of the Emajõgi river and drowned). After that, the order did not attack Lithuania for two years. On the other hand, the Lithuanians several times went on campaigns to the lands of the order and its bishops, or took part in them together with the Livs, Semigallians and Russian princes.
1236: Another crusade against Lithuania is announced by Pope Gregory IX. On September 22, at the Battle of Saul (now the city of Siauliai), the sword-bearers will again suffer a serious defeat. The Master of the Order of Volguin von Namburgh died. In fact, the Order of the Swordsmen ceased to exist.
1237: In Viterbo, Pope Gregory IX and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Hermann von Salza conduct the rite of annexation of the Order of the Swordsmen to the Teutonic Order. The new formation receives the name of the Livonian Landmastership of the Teutonic Order. In fact, this is how the Livonian Order was born, because the lands on which its territory was located were called Livonia at that time.
1240: The first crusade, which was directed against Novgorod the Great. The Crusaders were defeated by Prince Alexander at the mouth of the Neva River.
1242: Battle on the Ice.
1249: Jarl Birger conquers central Finland.
1254 - 1256: The conquest of the Samogites takes place (eastern part of the Kaliningrad region).
1260: Battle of Durba (near the modern village of Durba in western Latvia) - the troops of the Teutonic Order are defeated by the Lithuanians and Curonians.
1268: The Order participates in the Rakovor battle with the Novgorodians.
1269: The Order strikes back and sieges Pskov for 10 days, but retreats after learning about the approach of the Novgorod troops.
1270: Battle of the Lithuanians and Novgorodians with the Livonian crusaders, supported by the Danes at Karus on the ice of the Baltic Sea. The crusaders are defeated.
1290: Livonian knights conquer Semigallia (coastal Lithuania).
1291: After the fall of the fortress of Acre in Palestine, the headquarters of the Teutonic Order is transferred to Venice.
1292: The founding of their outpost in Karelia - the Vyborg fortress by the Swedish crusaders.
1300: The Swedes build the fortress Landskronu on the site of St. Petersburg.
1308: Danzig (Gdansk) is occupied by the Teutonic Knights.
1309: The headquarters of the Teutonic Order is moved from Venice to Marienburg (Malbork).
1318: Novgorodians organize a campaign to Finland and burn Abo (Turku).
1323: Peace of Noteborg: end of the war between Novgorod and Sweden. A peace treaty was concluded between the Teutonic Order and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas.
1346: Danish King Valdemar IV sells Danish holdings in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order.
1348: The Swedish king Magnus organizes the first crusade against Russia.
1350: Second Crusade of King Magnus.
1362: The Prussians and Crusaders who converted to Catholicism occupy the Lithuanian city of Kaunas.
1364: Pope Urban V publishes a bull in which he speaks of the need to continue the crusade against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
1381: Prince Jagiello receives the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania.
1386: Jagiello is baptized and proclaimed king of Poland under the name of Vladislav II. The founding of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which ruled in Poland until 1668.
1398: The Swedish island of Gotland is occupied by the Teutonic knights. The prince of Lithuania Vitovt hands over Samogitia to them.
1409: In Samogitia, a rebellion begins against the rule of the order.
1410: Battle of Grunwald.
1423: Last Crusade to Prussia.
1429: The Teutonic Order helps Hungary repel the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks.
1454-1466: War between the Polish-Prussian military alliance and the Teutonic Order, during which he lost West Prussia and Livonia, and East Prussia became a vassal of the Polish crown.
1496: The invasion of the Swedish army into the Moscow state and the siege of Ivangorod.
1500: Lithuania and the Livonian Order conclude a treaty against Moscow.
1501–1503: The troops of the order are defeated by the Russians in the Battle of Helmed (1501, near Dorpat).
1502: The Russian army is defeated by the troops of the Master of the Livonian Order Voltaire von Plettenberg in the battle on Lake Smolna.
1557: Ivan IV takes a course to exacerbate relations with the order - he refuses to receive his ambassadors. The Order was defeated and virtually liquidated during the Livonian War with the Moscow State in 1561. The last grandmaster of the order, seeing no way to preserve its independence, in the same year takes the title of duke, which means the end of his existence. At the end of the war in 1581, its lands were divided by Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Knight of the Teutonic Order at the Museum of the Cathedral in Kaliningrad.
As you can see, here it was not without its spiritual orders of knights, the main role among which was played by the Teutonic Order. However, he was not the first in the Baltic states, because he was founded in Palestine. Before him in the Baltic States there was the Order of the Swordsmen, which received its common name from the image of a red sword and a Maltese cross on a cloak.
Knight of the Order "Brothers-soldiers of Christ Livonian against the Prussians" (Order of Brothers of Knightly Service to Christ in Prussia - there are different versions of the names V. Sh.) or "Dobrzynski Brothers" (in Polish "Dobrzyński brothers"). The order was founded on the initiative of Konrad, Prince of Mazovia, and the bishops of Prussia, Kuyavia and Plock in 1222 or 1228 to protect their lands from the raids of the Prussians, and … as a political counterweight to the Teutonic Order.
As for the Teutonic Order, it originates from the hospital for German pilgrims - the "House of St. Mary of the Teutons" in Jerusalem, and as a spiritual knightly order appeared in 1198. Moreover, at the very beginning, he united only 40 people and had the same order of the order that the Templars had. The robe of the knights of the order was a white surcoat and a cloak with the image of a simple black cross.
Otto de Grandisan, died 1328 Switzerland, Lausanne Cathedral. The armor is typical for the knights of that era: lowered chain mail mittens with a slit in the palm, surcoat over a chain mail hauberk, a shield with a coat of arms in which the shells of St. Yakov Compostelsky. That is, his ancestors were also crusaders, although they fought with the Moors in Spain.
In 1206, the Pope granted the Teutons an unlimited right to conquer the Baltic states and convert the local population to the Catholic faith, and in 1211, the Hungarian King Andrew II transferred the Order lands in Semigradie. However, he did not manage to settle there, and it was then, seeing their plight, the Polish prince Konrad Mazowiecki turned to the knights of the order, who invited them to help him in the fight against the pagan Prussian tribe.
In 1231, the Pope blessed the first crusade to Prussia. Participation in this charitable action, just like during the campaign to the East, gave its participants a guarantee of spiritual salvation, besides, noble warriors hoped to seize vast lands. That is why about 2000 people took part in it, which was quite a lot for this region of Europe. Over time, the Prussians were practically destroyed, and the knight brothers erected castles and fortresses on their territory in order to consolidate their power over this land forever.
Rudolf von Sachsenhausen, d. 1370 Germany, Frankfurt am Main. Before us is a secular knight and a great dandy. A gilded tophelm helmet, under it for constant wearing a bascinet with a visor, gilded plate gloves, the same knee pads, rich, most likely, brocade surcoat. The greaves, however, are clearly leather. Here the knight decided to save a little. On the shield is his coat of arms, some of the details of which are repeated on his helmet-mounted decoration.
The success of the campaign against the Baltic peoples was possible thanks to good organization, but also to the principles followed by the Teutons. All brothers took a vow of obedience, which they had to strictly observe. They had to talk in an undertone, they could not have any secrets from each other, as well as from the authorities, they lived together and even slept on hard beds, half-dressed and with swords in their hands. The basis of the order army was knights in white cloaks, testifying to their noble origin and military merits. The so-called "gray brothers" were supposed to provide all kinds of services to the knight brothers, and half-brothers - that is, civilians, often from among the local colonists - were used for chores. However, it is known that, despite the strict charter, its rules were often violated. It happened that in the castles they drank and gambled, and wine, mead and beer were kept in their cellars. In total, the knights built more than 100 such castles, which allowed them to control vast areas of the Baltic lands and receive fabulous profits from the amber trade. Historians associate the decline of the Order with the Great War and the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. Then, by the joint efforts of the Poles, Lithuanians and Russians, an extremely painful defeat was inflicted on him. True, the Germans made a condition - not to restore the destroyed castles and fortresses in order to prevent the Poles from gaining a foothold on their land. However, 47 years later, even Marienburg, the capital of the order, was captured by the Poles, after which the order did not rise. His last master was the German Duke Albrecht of Brandenburg. Being a skillful politician and an experienced diplomat, he took up the transformation of a religious state into a secular one, and he succeeded! With his death, the knightly times for Prussia passed forever, although the order itself still exists! In total, from 1100 to 1300, as many as twelve spiritual orders of knighthood appeared in Europe. However, all the rest of them could not compete in their popularity with the Templars, Johannites and the Teutonic Order.
Eberhardt von Rosenberg, d. 1387 Germany, Boxberg Evangelical Church. Another knight in typically German armor and a chainmail nasal (bretash), which was attached to a hook on a bascinet. The lining is not shown on him and … well, the chain mail rings were rubbing his nose?
At the end of the XIV - beginning of the XV centuries. the army of the order was considered the strongest in Europe. The fact is that the Knights Templar by this time rested in the Bose, and all other orders did not have such an economic base. After all, the order received simply fabulous profits from the amber trade! Even the army of the Hospitallers in the XIV century. numbered only hundreds of people. And although the Mediterranean knights-monks for decades skillfully restrained the onslaught of Muslims, they did not have the strength to move on to any noticeable retaliatory action.
An interesting book about the northern crusaders was written by D. Nicole in co-authorship with D. Lindholm.
The Teutons had a different position. In the XIII - early XIV centuries, they conquered the Baltic lands and created a state there, which allowed them to accumulate huge financial resources. Therefore, it is not surprising that already in the XIV century he received the opportunity to deploy a powerful army. No wonder during the so-called Great War of 1409-1411. it was completed in different ways: firstly, it included brothers-knights and half-brothers; secondly, the militia of the secular vassals subordinate to him; then - the detachments that were assembled by the Prussian bishops and cities, then there were mercenaries who fought for salaries; and, finally, "guests" - foreign crusaders, as well as troops belonging to the allies of the Order. However, the Teutonic Order still lost.
Georg von Bach, died 1415 Germany, Steinbach, St. Jacob. The image on the coat of arms is again repeated on the “big helmet”. Attention is drawn to the chain mail fabric of the aventail. At that time this was already an outdated solution, but, as you can see, it was still used by the German knights.
Figures of the firm "Zvezda" on a scale of 1:72.
However, although this happened, it would be best to end the story of the northern crusaders with a poem by the troubadour Thibault Champagne, which was called “The Song of the Crusade” and, perhaps, best conveys the psychology of most of the then knights-crusaders.
Be merciful, Lord, to my destiny.
Against Thy enemies, I will send raids.
Behold: I will raise the sword in holy struggle.
I will leave all the joys for You, -
I will listen to your draft trumpet.
Strengthen your power, Christ, in your slave.
The reliable one serves the master, Who serves by faith, righteousness to You.
I'm leaving the ladies. But holding the sword, I am proud to serve the holy temple, That faith in the God of strength is fresh in the soul, Prayerfully flying after the incense.
Faith is more expensive than gold: no rust, Neither does the fire eat her: who, dear
Only with her, he goes into battle, will not accept shame
And he will meet death, rejoicing, not trembling.
Lady! Surrounded by a veil, Give help! I'm going into battle, serving you.
For the fact that I am losing a lady on earth, Heavenly lady will help.
Translated by S. Pinus
