The borders of modern Russia are historically connected with the borders of the Russian Empire, which were influenced by certain events. And therefore, the significance of the Battle of the Ice is very great: thanks to it, the Teutonic Order forever abandoned serious claims to Russian lands. Although this did not protect our ancestors from the Golden Horde, it helped to defend, at least, the western borders, and showed people in difficult times that they were capable of winning victories.
However, before the Battle of the Ice occurred, it was preceded by other events that largely predetermined it. In particular, the Battle of the Neva, which clearly demonstrated the leadership talent of the then young Prince Alexander. Therefore, it’s worth starting with it.
The Battle of the Neva itself is directly determined by the claims of both the Swedes and Novgorodians to the Karelian Isthmus and to the Finnish tribes. What was connected with the influence and with the advance of the crusaders to the west. Here historians differ in their assessments of what happened. Some believe that Alexander Nevsky stopped the expansion with his actions. Others disagree, believing that the significance of his victories was greatly exaggerated and that the crusaders actually had no real intention of advancing in earnest. So the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice still cause a lot of controversy. But it is worth returning to the first event.
So, the Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. It should be noted that the young Prince Alexander at that time was a very inexperienced commander; he participated in battles only with his father, Yaroslav. And this was, in fact, his first serious military test. Success was largely determined by the suddenness of the appearance of the prince along with his retinue. The Swedes, who landed at the mouth of the Neva, did not expect serious resistance. In addition, in the summer they experienced serious thirst, as a result, as many historians noted, they found themselves either drunk or hungover. A camp set up near the river meant the presence of tents, which turned out to be very easy to cut down, which is what the youth Savva did.
The timely warning of the Izhora elder Pelgusius, who monitored these lands and sent messengers to Alexander, thus came as a complete surprise to the Swedes. As a result, the Battle of the Neva ended in a real defeat for them. According to some reports, the Swedes loaded almost 3 ships with the bodies of the dead, while the Novgorodians killed about 20 people. It is worth noting that the battle began during the day and lasted until the evening; at night hostilities ceased, and in the morning the Swedes began to flee. No one pursued them: Alexander Nevsky did not see the need for this, in addition, he was afraid of increasing losses. Please note that he received his nickname precisely after this victory.
What happened between the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice?
After the battle on the Neva River took place, the Swedes abandoned their claims. But this did not mean that the crusaders stopped thinking about conquering Rus'. Do not forget in which year the described event took place: our ancestors already had problems with the Golden Horde. Which, together with feudal fragmentation, significantly weakened the Slavs. Understanding the date is so important here because it allows you to relate some events to others.
Therefore, the Teutonic Order was not impressed by the defeat of the Swedes. The Danes and Germans decisively moved forward, captured Pskov, Izborsk, founded Koporye, where they decided to strengthen themselves, making it their fortpost. Even the summary of the Laurentian Chronicle, which tells about those events, makes it clear that the successes of the Order were significant.
At the same time, the boyars, who had considerable power in Novgorod, became alarmed about Alexander’s victory. They were afraid of his increasing power. As a result, the prince left Novgorod after a major quarrel with them. But already in 1242, the boyars called him back with his squad because of the Teutonic threat, especially since the enemy was approaching the Novgorodians closely.
How did the battle take place?
So, the famous battle on Lake Peipsi, the Battle of the Ice, took place in 1242 on April 5. Moreover, the battle was carefully prepared by the Russian prince. What makes it clear is the work of Konstantin Simonov dedicated to this event, which, although it cannot be called an impeccable historical source from the point of view of reliability, is quite well worked out.
In short, everything happened according to a certain pattern: the knights of the Order, in full heavy armor, acted as a typical wedge for themselves. Such a ramming attack was intended to demonstrate the full power of the enemy, sweep him away, sow panic and break resistance. Such tactics have repeatedly proven successful in the past. But Alexander Nevsky really prepared the Battle of the Ice in 1242 well. He studied the enemy’s weak points, so the archers were first waiting for the German “pig”; their main task was simply to lure out the knights. Which then came across heavily armed infantry with long pikes.
In fact, it was difficult to call what happened next anything other than a massacre. The knights could not stop, because otherwise the front ranks would be crushed by the back ones. It was not possible to break the wedge at all. Therefore, the horsemen could only move forward, hoping to break the infantry. But the central regiment was weak, but the strong ones were placed on the sides, contrary to the then established military tradition. In addition, another detachment was placed in an ambush. In addition, Alexander Nevsky perfectly studied the area where the Battle of the Ice took place, so his warriors were able to drive some of the knights to where the ice was very thin. As a result, many of them began to drown.
There is another important factor. He is also shown in “Alexander Nevsky,” a famous painting; maps and pictures also depict him. This is the stampede of the monster who was helping the Order when she realized that professional warriors were fighting against her. Speaking even briefly about the Battle of the Ice, one cannot help but note the excellent knowledge of the knights’ weapons and weak points. So, they were frankly helpless when they were pulled off their horses. And that is why the prince armed many of his warriors with special hooks, which made it possible to throw the crusaders to the ground. At the same time, the battle that took place turned out to be very cruel to the horses. To deprive the horsemen of this advantage, many injured and killed the animals.
But what were the results of the Battle of the Ice for both sides? Alexander Nevsky managed to repel claims to Rus' from the west and strengthen the borders for centuries to come. Which was of particular importance given how much the Slavs suffered from invasions from the east. In addition, the first battle in history took place where infantrymen defeated heavily armed horsemen in full armor in battle, demonstrating to the whole world that this was quite possible. And although the Battle of the Ice is not on a very large scale, from this point of view Alexander Nevsky demonstrated good talent as a commander. As a prince, he acquired a certain weight, they began to reckon with him.
As for the Order itself, it cannot be said that the defeat in question was critical. But 400 knights died on Lake Peipus, and about 50 were captured. So for its age, the Battle of the Ice still caused quite serious damage to the German and Danish knighthood. And for that year, this was not the only problem of the Order, which also faced the Galicia-Volyn and Lithuanian principalities.
Reasons for winning the battle
Alexander Nevsky won a convincing victory in the Battle of the Ice. Moreover, he forced the Teutonic Order to sign a peace treaty on his own terms. In this agreement, he forever renounced any claims to Russian lands. Since we were talking about spiritual brotherhood, which was also subordinate to the Pope, the Order could not break such an agreement without problems for itself. That is, even speaking briefly about the results of the Battle of the Ice, including diplomatic ones, one cannot fail to note that they were impressive. But let's return to the analysis of the battle.
Reasons for victory:
- Well chosen place. Alexander's soldiers were lighter armed. Therefore, thin ice did not pose such a danger for them as for knights clad in full armor, many of whom simply drowned. In addition, the Novgorodians knew these places better.
- Successful tactics. Alexander Nevsky was in complete control of the situation. He not only correctly used the advantages of the place, but also studied the weak points in the usual style of fighting, which the Teutonic knights themselves repeatedly demonstrated, starting from the classic “pig” and ending with their dependence on horses and heavy weapons.
- Underestimation of the Russians by the enemy. The Teutonic Order was accustomed to success. By this time, Pskov and other lands had already been captured, and the knights did not encounter any serious resistance. The largest of the conquered cities was taken thanks to betrayal.
The battle in question was of great cultural significance. In addition to Simonov's story, several films were made based on it, including documentaries. This event was covered in many books, both fiction and biographical, dedicated to the personality of Alexander Nevsky. Many consider it extremely important that the victory occurred during the onset of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.
The Battle of the Ice or the Battle of Lake Peipus is a battle between the Novgorod-Pskov army of Prince Alexander Nevsky and the troops of the Livonian knights, which took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus. It put a limit to the advance of German knighthood to the East. Alexander Nevsky - Prince of Novgorod, Grand Duke of Kiev, Grand Duke of Vladimir, legendary commander, saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Causes
In the middle of the 13th century, Russian lands were threatened from all sides by foreign invaders. The Tatar-Mongols were advancing from the east, and the Livonians and Swedes were laying claim to Russian soil from the northwest. In the latter case, the task of fighting back fell to powerful Novgorod, which had a vested interest in not losing its influence in the region and, most importantly, in preventing anyone from controlling trade with the Baltic countries.
How it all began
1239 - Alexander took measures to protect the Gulf of Finland and the Neva, which were strategically important for the Novgorodians, and therefore was ready for the Swedish invasion in 1240. In July, on the Neva, Alexander Yaroslavich, thanks to extraordinary and swift actions, was able to defeat the Swedish army. A number of Swedish ships were sunk, but Russian losses were extremely insignificant. After that, Prince Alexander was nicknamed Nevsky.
The Swedish offensive was coordinated with the next attack of the Livonian Order. 1240, summer - they took the border fortress of Izborsk, and then captured Pskov. The situation for Novgorod was becoming dangerous. Alexander, not counting on help from Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', devastated by the Tatars, imposed large expenses on the boyars in preparation for the battle and tried to strengthen his power in the Novgorod Republic after the victory on the Neva. The boyars turned out to be stronger and in the winter of 1240 they were able to remove him from power.
Meanwhile, German expansion continued. 1241 - the Novgorod land of Vod was imposed with tribute, then Koporye was taken. The Crusaders intended to capture the coast of the Neva and Karelia. A popular movement broke out in the city for an alliance with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the organization of resistance to the Germans, who were already 40 versts from Novgorod. The boyars had no choice but to ask Alexander Nevsky to return. This time he was given emergency powers.
With an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhorians and Karelians, Alexander knocked out the enemy from Koporye, and then liberated the lands of the Vod people. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich sent the Vladimir regiments, newly formed after the Tatar invasion, to help his son. Alexander took Pskov, then moved to the lands of the Estonians.
Movement, composition, disposition of troops
The German army was located in the Yuryev area (aka Dorpat, now Tartu). The Order gathered significant forces - there were German knights, the local population, and the troops of the King of Sweden. The army that opposed the knights on the ice of Lake Peipus had a heterogeneous composition, but a single command in the person of Alexander. The “lower regiments” consisted of princely squads, boyar squads, and city regiments. The army that Novgorod fielded had a fundamentally different composition.
When the Russian army was on the western shore of Lake Peipus, here in the area of the village of Mooste, a patrol detachment led by Domash Tverdislavich scouted out the location of the main part of the German troops, started a battle with them, but was defeated. Intelligence managed to find out that the enemy sent minor forces to Izborsk, and the main parts of the army moved to Lake Pskov.
In an effort to prevent this movement of enemy troops, the prince ordered a retreat to the ice of Lake Peipsi. The Livonians, realizing that the Russians would not allow them to make a roundabout maneuver, went straight to their army and also set foot on the ice of the lake. Alexander Nevsky positioned his army under the steep eastern bank, north of the Uzmen tract near the island of Voroniy Kamen, opposite the mouth of the Zhelcha River.
Progress of the Battle of the Ice
The two armies met on Saturday, April 5, 1242. According to one version, Alexander had 15,000 soldiers at his disposal, and the Livonians had 12,000 soldiers. The prince, knowing about the German tactics, weakened the “brow” and strengthened the “wings” of his battle formation. Alexander Nevsky's personal squad took cover behind one of the flanks. A significant part of the prince's army was made up of foot militia.
The crusaders traditionally advanced with a wedge (“pig”) - a deep formation, shaped like a trapezoid, the upper base of which was facing the enemy. At the head of the wedge were the strongest of the warriors. The infantry, as the most unreliable and often not at all knightly part of the army, was located in the center of the battle formation, covered in front and behind by mounted knights.
At the first stage of the battle, the knights were able to defeat the leading Russian regiment, and then they broke through the “front” of the Novgorod battle formation. When, after some time, they scattered the “brow” and ran into a steep, steep shore of the lake, they had to turn around, which was quite difficult for a deep formation on the ice. Meanwhile, Alexander’s strong “wings” struck from the flanks, and his personal squad completed the encirclement of the knights.
A stubborn battle was going on, the entire neighborhood was filled with screams, crackling and clanging of weapons. But the fate of the crusaders was sealed. The Novgorodians pulled them off their horses with spears with special hooks, and ripped open the bellies of their horses with “booter” knives. Crowded together in a narrow space, the skilled Livonian warriors could not do anything. Stories about how the ice cracked under heavy knights are widely popular, but it should be noted that a fully armed Russian knight weighed no less. Another thing is that the crusaders did not have the opportunity to move freely and they were crowded into a small area.
In general, the complexity and danger of conducting combat operations with cavalry on the ice in early April leads some historians to the conclusion that the general course of the Battle of the Ice was distorted in the chronicles. They believe that no sane commander would take an iron-clanging and horse-riding army to fight on the ice. The battle probably began on land, and during it the Russians were able to push the enemy onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. Those knights who were able to escape were pursued by the Russians to the Subolich coast.
Losses
The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. During the battle, about 400 crusaders were killed, and many Estonians, whom they recruited into their army, also fell. The Russian chronicles say: “and Chudi fell into disgrace, and Nemets 400, and with 50 hands he brought them to Novgorod.” The death and capture of such a large number of professional warriors, by European standards, turned out to be a rather severe defeat, bordering on catastrophe. It is said vaguely about Russian losses: “many brave warriors fell.” As you can see, the losses of the Novgorodians were actually heavy.
Meaning
The legendary massacre and the victory of Alexander Nevsky’s troops in it were of exceptional importance for the entire Russian history. The advance of the Livonian Order into Russian lands was stopped, the local population was not converted to Catholicism, and access to the Baltic Sea was preserved. After the victory, the Novgorod Republic, led by the prince, moved from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Nevsky launched several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.
The blow dealt to the knights on Lake Peipus was echoed throughout the Baltic states. The 30 thousand Lithuanian army launched large-scale military operations against the Germans. In the same year 1242, a powerful uprising broke out in Prussia. The Livonian knights sent envoys to Novgorod who reported that the order renounced its claims to the land of Vod, Pskov, Luga and asked for an exchange of prisoners, which was done. The words that were spoken to the ambassadors by the prince: “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword” became the motto of many generations of Russian commanders. For his military exploits, Alexander Nevsky received the highest award - he was canonized by the church and declared a Saint.
German historians believe that, while fighting on the western borders, Alexander Nevsky did not pursue any coherent political program, but successes in the West provided some compensation for the horrors of the Mongol invasion. Many researchers believe that the very scale of the threat that the West posed to Rus' is exaggerated.
On the other hand, L.N. Gumilyov, on the contrary, believed that it was not the Tatar-Mongol “yoke”, but rather Catholic Western Europe in the person of the Teutonic Order and the Archbishopric of Riga that posed a mortal threat to the very existence of Rus', and therefore the role of Alexander’s victories Nevsky is especially great in Russian history.
Due to the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipsi, historians for a long time could not accurately determine the place where the Battle of the Ice took place. Only thanks to long-term research carried out by an expedition from the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, they were able to establish the location of the battle. The battle site is submerged in water in the summer and is located approximately 400 meters from the island of Sigovec.
Memory
The monument to the squads of Alexander Nevsky was erected in 1993, on Mount Sokolikha in Pskov, almost 100 km away from the actual site of the battle. Initially, it was planned to create a monument on Vorony Island, which would have been a more accurate solution geographically.
1992 - in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky district, in a place close to the supposed site of the battle, a bronze monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden worship cross were erected near the Church of the Archangel Michael. The Church of the Archangel Michael was created by the Pskovites in 1462. The wooden cross was destroyed over time under the influence of unfavorable weather conditions. 2006, July - on the 600th anniversary of the first mention of the village of Kobylye Gorodishche in the Pskov Chronicles, it was replaced with a bronze one.
By the middle of the 13th century, with the active participation of Catholic Rome, an agreement was reached between the three feudal-Catholic forces of northeastern Europe - the German crusaders, Danes and Swedes - to jointly act against Novgorod Rus' in order to conquer the northwestern Russian lands and introduce Catholicism there . According to the papal curia, after the invasion of the troops of the Mongol Empire, bloodless and plundered Rus' could not offer any resistance. The German and Danish knights were supposed to strike Novgorod from land from the Livonian possessions, and the Swedes were going to support them from the sea through the Gulf of Finland.
In 1240, the Swedes were the first to invade Rus', intending to seize the Novgorod lands and capture Prince Alexander Yaroslavich. In July, the invaders who landed on the Neva River were defeated by the squad of the Novgorod prince and the Novgorod militia. Only a small part of the Swedes were able to escape on ships, leaving a large number of dead on the banks of the Neva. For the victory in the Battle of Neva, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname “Nevsky”.
At the end of August - beginning of September 1240, the Pskov land was invaded by the crusaders of the Livonian Order, which was formed as a result of the merger of the remnants of the Order of the Sword and part of the Teutonic Order in 1237 in the Eastern Baltic on the territory inhabited by the Livonian and Estonian tribes (on Latvian and Estonian lands) .
After a short siege, German knights captured the city of Izborsk. Then they besieged Pskov and, with the assistance of the traitor boyars, soon occupied it too. After this, the crusaders invaded the Novgorod land, captured the coast of the Gulf of Finland and built their own on the site of the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye. Having not reached Novgorod 40 kilometers, the knights began plundering its surroundings.
In the face of the impending danger, the Novgorodians began to prepare to fight back. At the request of the veche, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky again arrived in Novgorod, having left him in the winter of 1240 after a quarrel with part of the Novgorod boyars.
In 1241, he gathered an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelians and, secretly making a quick transition to Koporye, took this strong fortress by storm. As a result, trade routes were freed and the danger of joint actions between the Germans and the Swedes was eliminated. By capturing Koporye, Alexander Nevsky secured the northwestern borders of the Novgorod lands, secured his rear and northern flank for further struggle against the German crusaders.
At the call of Alexander Nevsky, troops from Vladimir and Suzdal under the command of his brother Prince Andrei arrived to help the Novgorodians. The united Novgorod-Vladimir army in the winter of 1241-1242 undertook a campaign in the Pskov land and, cutting off all roads from Livonia to Pskov, stormed this city, as well as Izborsk.
After this, both warring parties began to prepare for the decisive battle and announced a new gathering of troops. The Russian army gathered in liberated Pskov, and the Teutonic and Livonian knighthood - in Dorpat (now Tartu).
In the spring of 1242, the army of the Crusaders, consisting of knightly cavalry and infantry from the Livs, conquered by the Order of the Chuds and other peoples (12 thousand people), moved to Rus'. Near the village of Hammast, a Russian patrol discovered a large Teutonic army. The patrol was defeated in the battle, and the survivors reported the approach of the crusaders. The Russian army retreated to the east. Alexander Nevsky occupied with his regiments the narrow strait between Lakes Peipus and Pskov and forced a battle on the enemy in the place he had chosen, which covered the routes to Veliky Novgorod and Pskov.
The ice battle took place near Voronie Island, adjacent to the eastern shore of the narrow southern part of Lake Peipsi. The chosen position took into account to the maximum extent all the favorable geographical features of the area and placed them at the service of the Russian army. Behind the back of the Novgorod army there was a bank overgrown with dense forest with steep slopes, which excluded the possibility of maneuver.
The right flank was protected by a zone of water called Sigovica. Here, due to certain features of the flow and a large number of springs, the ice was very fragile. The left flank was protected by a high coastal cape, from where a wide panorama opened up to the opposite shore.
Alexander Nevsky, skillfully using the terrain and the numerical advantage of his troops (15-17 thousand people), taking into account the nature of the enemy’s actions (an offensive with an armored “wedge”, called a “pig” in Rus'), concentrated 2/3 of his forces on the flanks (regiments of the right and left hands) in order to envelop the enemy from both sides and inflict a decisive defeat on him. At the same time, he increased the depth of the battle formation.
Ahead of the main forces was placed an advanced regiment, reinforced with archers. The third line consisted of cavalry, part of which was in reserve (princely squad).
At dawn on April 5, 1242, the crusaders approached the Russian position at a slow trot on the ice of the lake. They advanced in a “wedge”, at the tip of which was the main group of knights, some of them covered the flanks and rear of the “wedge”, in the center of which the infantry was located. The Germans' plan was to crush and defeat a large Russian regiment and then the flanking regiments with the blow of a powerful armored "wedge".
Having fired arrows at the crusaders, the archers retreated behind the flanks of the leading regiment. The knights immediately attacked the leading Russian regiment and, after a fierce battle, crushed it. Developing their success, they broke through the center of the Russian army, came out to the steep shore of the lake and huddled in front of an obstacle that suddenly appeared in front of them. At this moment, the regiments of the left and right arm of the Russians, reinforced by cavalry, struck the enemy’s flanks, overturned them and squeezed the “wedge” that had lost its striking power, not giving it the opportunity to turn around.
Under the onslaught of Russian regiments, the knights mixed their ranks and, having lost freedom of maneuver, were forced to defend themselves. A brutal battle ensued. Russian infantrymen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks and chopped them down with axes. Hemmed in on all sides in a limited space, the crusaders fought desperately. But their resistance gradually weakened, it became disorganized, and the battle broke up into separate centers. Where large groups of knights accumulated, the ice could not withstand their weight and broke. Many knights drowned.
The Russian cavalry pursued the defeated enemy for over seven kilometers, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi.
The army of the Livonian Order suffered a complete defeat and suffered huge losses for those times: up to 450 knights died and 50 were captured. Several thousand infantrymen were killed.
According to the peace treaty concluded a few months later, the order renounced all claims to Russian lands and returned the territories captured earlier. The victory in the Battle of the Ice thwarted the advance of the Livonian knights to the east and secured the western borders of Rus'.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
(Additional
Many memorable battles have taken place throughout history. And some of them are famous for the fact that Russian troops inflicted a devastating defeat on enemy forces. All of them carried great significance for the history of the country. It is impossible to cover absolutely all the battles in one short review. There is not enough time or energy for this. However, one of them is still worth talking about. And this battle is an ice battle. We will try to talk briefly about this battle in this review.
A battle of great historical significance
On April 5, in 1242, a battle took place between Russian and Livonian troops (German and Danish knights, Estonian soldiers and Chud). This happened on the ice of Lake Peipsi, namely in its southern part. As a result, the battle on the ice ended with the defeat of the invaders. The victory that took place on Lake Peipus is of great historical significance. But you should know that German historians to this day are unsuccessfully trying to downplay the results that were achieved in those days. But Russian troops managed to stop the advance of the crusaders to the East and prevented them from achieving the conquest and colonization of Russian lands.
Aggressive behavior on the part of the Order's troops
In the period from 1240 to 1242, aggressive actions were intensified by the German crusaders, Danish and Swedish feudal lords. They took advantage of the fact that Rus' was weakened due to regular attacks from the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Batu Khan. Before the battle on the ice broke out, the Swedes had already suffered defeat during the battle at the mouth of the Neva. However, despite this, the crusaders launched a campaign against Rus'. They were able to capture Izborsk. And after some time, with the help of traitors, Pskov was conquered. The crusaders even built a fortress after taking the Koporye churchyard. This happened in 1240.
What preceded the ice battle?
The invaders also had plans to conquer Veliky Novgorod, Karelia and those lands that were located at the mouth of the Neva. The Crusaders planned to do all this in 1241. However, Alexander Nevsky, having gathered the people of Novgorod, Ladoga, Izhora and Korelov under his banner, was able to drive the enemy out of the lands of Koporye. The army, together with the approaching Vladimir-Suzdal regiments, entered the territory of Estonia. However, after this, unexpectedly turning to the East, Alexander Nevsky liberated Pskov.
Then Alexander again moved the fighting to the territory of Estonia. In this he was guided by the need to prevent the crusaders from gathering their main forces. Moreover, by his actions he forced them to attack prematurely. The knights, having gathered sufficiently large forces, set out to the East, being fully confident of their victory. Not far from the village of Hammast, they defeated the Russian detachment of Domash and Kerbet. However, some warriors who remained alive were still able to warn of the approach of the enemy. Alexander Nevsky placed his army at a bottleneck in the southern part of the lake, thus forcing the enemy to fight in conditions that were not very convenient for them. It was this battle that later acquired such a name as the Battle of the Ice. The knights simply could not make their way towards Veliky Novgorod and Pskov.
The beginning of the famous battle
The two opposing sides met on April 5, 1242, early in the morning. The enemy column, which was pursuing the retreating Russian soldiers, most likely received some information from the sentinels sent ahead. Therefore, the enemy soldiers took to the ice in full battle formation. In order to get close to the Russian troops, the united German-Chud regiments, it was necessary to spend no more than two hours, moving at a measured pace.
Actions of the Order's warriors
The battle on the ice began from the moment when the enemy discovered Russian archers about two kilometers away. Order Master von Velven, who led the campaign, gave the signal to prepare for military operations. By his order, the battle formation had to be compacted. All this was done until the wedge came within range of a bow shot. Having reached this position, the commander gave an order, after which the head of the wedge and the entire column set off their horses at a fast pace. A ramming attack performed by heavily armed knights on huge horses, completely clad in armor, was supposed to bring panic to the Russian regiments.
When there were only a few tens of meters left to the first rows of soldiers, the knights set their horses into a gallop. They performed this action in order to enhance the fatal blow from the wedge attack. The Battle of Lake Peipus began with shots from archers. However, the arrows bounced off the chained knights and did not cause serious damage. Therefore, the riflemen simply scattered, retreating to the flanks of the regiment. But it is necessary to highlight the fact that they achieved their goal. Archers were placed on the front line so that the enemy could not see the main forces.
An unpleasant surprise that was presented to the enemy
The moment the archers retreated, the knights noticed that Russian heavy infantry in magnificent armor was already waiting for them. Each soldier held a long pike in his hands. It was no longer possible to stop the attack that had begun. The knights also did not have time to rebuild their ranks. This was due to the fact that the head of the attacking ranks was supported by the bulk of the troops. And if the front rows had stopped, they would have been crushed by their own people. And this would lead to even greater confusion. Therefore, the attack was continued by inertia. The knights hoped that luck would accompany them, and the Russian troops simply would not hold back their fierce attack. However, the enemy was already psychologically broken. The entire force of Alexander Nevsky rushed towards him with pikes at the ready. The Battle of Lake Peipus was short. However, the consequences of this collision were simply terrifying.
You can't win by standing in one place
There is an opinion that the Russian army was waiting for the Germans without moving. However, it should be understood that the strike will only be stopped if there is a retaliatory strike. And if the infantry under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky had not moved towards the enemy, it would have simply been swept away. In addition, it is necessary to understand that those troops that passively wait for the enemy to strike always lose. History clearly demonstrates this. Therefore, the Battle of the Ice of 1242 would have been lost by Alexander if he had not taken retaliatory actions, but had waited for the enemy, standing still.
The first infantry banners that collided with German troops were able to extinguish the inertia of the enemy wedge. The striking force was spent. It should be noted that the first onslaught was partially extinguished by archers. However, the main blow still fell on the front line of the Russian army.
Fighting against superior forces
It was from this moment that the Battle of the Ice of 1242 began. The trumpets began to sing, and Alexander Nevsky’s infantry simply rushed onto the ice of the lake, raising their banners high. With one blow to the flank, the soldiers were able to cut off the head of the wedge from the main body of the enemy troops.
The attack took place in several directions. A large regiment was to deliver the main blow. It was he who attacked the enemy wedge head-on. The mounted squads attacked the flanks of the German troops. The warriors were able to create a gap in the enemy forces. There were also mounted detachments. They were assigned the role of striking the chud. And despite the stubborn resistance of the surrounded knights, they were broken. It should also be taken into account that some of the miracles, having found themselves surrounded, rushed to run away, only noticing that they were being attacked by cavalry. And, most likely, it was at that moment that they realized that it was not an ordinary militia that was fighting against them, but professional squads. This factor did not give them any confidence in their abilities. The battle on the ice, pictures of which you can see in this review, also took place due to the fact that the soldiers of the Bishop of Dorpat, who most likely never entered the battle, fled from the battlefield after the miracle.
Die or surrender!
The enemy soldiers, who were surrounded on all sides by superior forces, did not expect help. They didn't even have the opportunity to change lanes. Therefore, they had no choice but to surrender or die. However, someone was still able to break out of the encirclement. But the best forces of the crusaders remained surrounded. The Russian soldiers killed the main part. Some of the knights were captured.
The history of the Battle of the Ice claims that while the main Russian regiment remained to finish off the crusaders, other soldiers rushed to pursue those who were retreating in panic. Some of those who fled ended up on thin ice. It happened on Teploe Lake. The ice could not stand it and broke. Therefore, many knights simply drowned. Based on this, we can say that the site of the Battle of the Ice was chosen successfully for the Russian army.
Duration of the battle
The First Novgorod Chronicle says that about 50 Germans were captured. About 400 people were killed on the battlefield. The death and capture of such a large number of professional warriors, by European standards, turned out to be a rather severe defeat that borders on catastrophe. Russian troops also suffered losses. However, compared to the enemy’s losses, they turned out to be not so heavy. The entire battle with the head of the wedge took no more than an hour. Time was still spent pursuing the fleeing warriors and returning to their original position. This took about 4 more hours. The ice battle on Lake Peipsi was completed by 5 o'clock, when it was already getting a little dark. Alexander Nevsky, with the onset of darkness, decided not to organize persecution. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the results of the battle exceeded all expectations. And there was no desire to risk our soldiers in this situation.
The main goals of Prince Nevsky
1242, the Battle of the Ice brought confusion to the ranks of the Germans and their allies. After a devastating battle, the enemy expected that Alexander Nevsky would approach the walls of Riga. In this regard, they even decided to send ambassadors to Denmark to ask for help. But Alexander, after the won battle, returned to Pskov. In this war, he sought only to return the Novgorod lands and to strengthen power in Pskov. This is exactly what was successfully accomplished by the prince. And already in the summer, ambassadors of the order arrived in Novgorod with the aim of concluding peace. They were simply stunned by the Battle of the Ice. The year when the order began to pray for help is the same - 1242. This happened in the summer.
The movement of Western invaders was stopped
The peace treaty was concluded on the terms dictated by Alexander Nevsky. The ambassadors of the order solemnly renounced all the encroachments on Russian lands that occurred on their part. In addition, they returned all the territories that had been captured. Thus, the movement of Western invaders towards Rus' was completed.
Alexander Nevsky, for whom the Battle of the Ice became the determining factor in his reign, was able to return the lands. The western borders, which he established after the battle with the order, were held for centuries. The Battle of Lake Peipsi has gone down in history as a remarkable example of military tactics. There are many determining factors in the success of Russian troops. This includes the skillful construction of a combat formation, the successful organization of the interaction of each individual unit with each other, and clear actions on the part of intelligence. Alexander Nevsky also took into account the enemy’s weaknesses and was able to make the right choice in favor of the place for the battle. He correctly calculated the time for the battle, well organized the pursuit and destruction of superior enemy forces. The Battle of the Ice showed everyone that Russian military art should be considered advanced.
The most controversial issue in the history of the battle
The losses of the parties in the battle - this topic is quite controversial in the conversation about the Battle of the Ice. The lake, together with Russian soldiers, took the lives of approximately 530 Germans. About 50 more warriors of the order were captured. This is said in many Russian chronicles. It should be noted that the numbers indicated in the “Rhymed Chronicle” are controversial. The Novgorod First Chronicle indicates that about 400 Germans died in the battle. 50 knights were captured. During the compilation of the chronicle, the Chud were not even taken into account, since, according to the chroniclers, they simply died in huge numbers. The Rhymed Chronicle says that only 20 knights died, and only 6 warriors were captured. Naturally, 400 Germans could fall in the battle, of which only 20 knights could be considered real. The same can be said about captured soldiers. The chronicle “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” says that in order to humiliate the captured knights, their boots were taken away. Thus, they walked barefoot on the ice next to their horses.
The losses of Russian troops are quite vague. All chronicles say that many brave warriors died. It follows from this that losses on the part of the Novgorodians were heavy.
What was the significance of the Battle of Lake Peipsi?
In order to determine the significance of the battle, it is worth taking into account the traditional point of view in Russian historiography. Such victories of Alexander Nevsky, such as the battle with the Swedes in 1240, with the Lithuanians in 1245 and the Battle of the Ice, are of great importance. It was the battle on Lake Peipsi that helped hold back the pressure of quite serious enemies. It should be understood that in those days in Rus' there were constantly civil strife between individual princes. One could not even think about cohesion. In addition, constant attacks from the Mongol-Tatars took their toll.
However, the English researcher Fannell said that the significance of the battle on Lake Peipus is quite exaggerated. According to him, Alexander did the same as many other defenders of Novgorod and Pskov in maintaining long and vulnerable borders from numerous invaders.
The memory of the battle will be preserved
What else can you say about the Battle of the Ice? A monument to this great battle was erected in 1993. This happened in Pskov on Mount Sokolikha. It is almost 100 kilometers away from the real battle site. The monument is dedicated to the “Druzhina of Alexander Nevsky”. Anyone can visit the mountain and see the monument.
In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein made a feature film, which it was decided to call “Alexander Nevsky”. This film depicts the Battle of the Ice. The film became one of the most striking historical projects. It was thanks to him that it was possible to shape the idea of the battle in modern viewers. It examines, almost to the smallest detail, all the main points that are associated with the battles on Lake Peipsi.
In 1992, a documentary film entitled “In Memory of the Past and in the Name of the Future” was shot. In the same year, in the village of Kobylye, in a place as close as possible to the territory where the battle took place, a monument to Alexander Nevsky was erected. He was located near the Church of the Archangel Michael. There is also a worship cross, which was cast in St. Petersburg. For this purpose, funds from numerous patrons were used.
The scale of the battle is not so huge
In this review, we tried to consider the main events and facts that characterize the Battle of the Ice: on what lake the battle took place, how the battle took place, how the troops behaved, what factors were decisive in victory. We also looked at the main points related to losses. It should be noted that although the Battle of Chud went down in history as one of the most grandiose battles, there were wars that surpassed it. It was inferior in scale to the Battle of Saul, which took place in 1236. In addition, the battle of Rakovor in 1268 also turned out to be larger. There are some other battles that are not only not inferior to the battles on Lake Peipus, but also surpass them in grandeur.
Conclusion
However, it was for Rus' that the Battle of the Ice became one of the most significant victories. And this has been confirmed by numerous historians. Despite the fact that many specialists who are quite attracted to history perceive the Battle of the Ice from the perspective of a simple battle, and also try to downplay its results, it will remain in everyone’s memory as one of the largest battles that ended in a complete and unconditional victory for us. We hope that this review helped you understand the main points and nuances that accompanied the famous massacre.
The Battle of the Ice occurred on April 5, 1242. The battle brought together the army of the Livonian Order and the army of North-Eastern Rus' - the Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal principalities.
The army of the Livonian Order was headed by the commander - the head of the administrative unit of the Order - Riga, Andreas von Velven, the former and future Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia (from 1240 to 1241 and from 1248 to 1253).
At the head of the Russian army was Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Despite his youth, he was 21 years old at the time, he had already become famous as a successful commander and brave warrior. Two years earlier, in 1240, he defeated a Swedish army on the Neva River, for which he received his nickname.
This battle got its name, “Battle of the Ice,” from the location of this event – the frozen Lake Peipsi. The ice at the beginning of April was strong enough to support a horse rider, so the two armies met on it.
Causes of the Battle of the Ice.
The Battle of Lake Peipus is one of the events in the history of territorial rivalry between Novgorod and its western neighbors. The subject of dispute long before the events of 1242 were Karelia, the lands near Lake Ladoga and the Izhora and Neva rivers. Novgorod sought to extend its control to these lands not only to increase the territory of influence, but also to provide itself with access to the Baltic Sea. Access to the sea would greatly simplify trade with its western neighbors for Novgorod. Namely, trade was the main source of the city’s prosperity.Novgorod's rivals had their own reasons to dispute these lands. And the rivals were all the same western neighbors, with whom the Novgorodians “both fought and traded” - Sweden, Denmark, the Livonian and Teutonic Orders. All of them were united by the desire to expand the territory of their influence and take control of the trade route on which Novgorod was located. Another reason to gain a foothold in the lands disputed with Novgorod was the need to secure their borders from raids by the tribes of Karelians, Finns, Chuds, etc.
New castles and strongholds in new lands were to become outposts in the fight against restless neighbors.
And there was another, very important reason for the zeal to the east - ideological. The 13th century for Europe is the time of the Crusades. The interests of the Roman Catholic Church in this region coincided with the interests of the Swedish and German feudal lords - expanding the sphere of influence, obtaining new subjects. The conductors of the policy of the Catholic Church were the Livonian and Teutonic Orders of Knighthood. In fact, all campaigns against Novgorod are the Crusades.
On the eve of the battle.
What were Novgorod's rivals like on the eve of the Battle of the Ice?Sweden. Due to the defeat by Alexander Yaroslavovich in 1240 on the Neva River, Sweden temporarily dropped out of the dispute over new territories. In addition, at this time a real civil war for the royal throne broke out in Sweden itself, so the Swedes had no time for new campaigns to the east.
Denmark. At this time, the active king Valdemar II ruled in Denmark. The time of his reign was marked for Denmark by an active foreign policy and the annexation of new lands. So, in 1217 he began expansion into Estland and in the same year founded the Revel fortress, now Tallinn. In 1238, he entered into an alliance with the Master of the Teutonic Order Herman Balk on the division of Estonia and joint military campaigns against Rus'.
Warband. The Order of German Crusader Knights strengthened its influence in the Baltic states by merging in 1237 with the Livonian Order. In essence, the Livonian Order was subordinated to the more powerful Teutonic Order. This allowed the Teutons not only to gain a foothold in the Baltic states, but also created the conditions for the spread of their influence to the east. It was the knighthood of the Livonian Order, already as part of the Teutonic Order, that became the driving force behind the events that ended with the Battle of Lake Peipsi.
These events developed in this way. In 1237, Pope Gregory IX announced a Crusade to Finland, that is, including the lands disputed with Novgorod. In July 1240, the Swedes were defeated by the Novgorodians on the Neva River, and already in August of the same year, the Livonian Order, picking up the banner of the Crusade from weakened Swedish hands, began its campaign against Novgorod. This campaign was led by Andreas von Velven, Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia. On the side of the Order, this campaign included the militia from the city of Dorpat (now the city of Tartu), the squad of the Pskov prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, detachments of Estonians and Danish vassals. Initially, the campaign was successful - Izborsk and Pskov were taken.
At the same time (winter of 1240-1241), seemingly paradoxical events took place in Novgorod - the Swedish winner Alexander Nevsky left Novgorod. This was the result of the intrigues of the Novgorod nobility, who rightly feared competition in the management of the Novgorod land from the side, which was rapidly gaining popularity of the prince. Alexander went to his father in Vladimir. He appointed him to reign in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
And the Livonian Order at this time continued to carry the “word of the Lord” - they founded the Koropye fortress, an important stronghold that allowed them to control the trade routes of the Novgorodians. They advanced all the way to Novgorod, raiding its suburbs (Luga and Tesovo). This forced the Novgorodians to think about defense seriously. And they couldn’t come up with anything better than inviting Alexander Nevsky to reign again. He did not take long to persuade himself and, having arrived in Novgorod in 1241, energetically set to work. To begin with, he took Koropje by storm, killing the entire garrison. In March 1242, united with his younger brother Andrei and his Vladimir-Suzdal army, Alexander Nevsky took Pskov. The garrison was killed, and two governors of the Livonian Order, shackled, were sent to Novgorod.
Having lost Pskov, the Livonian Order concentrated its forces in the area of Dorpat (now Tartu). The command of the campaign planned to move between the Pskov and Peipus lakes and move to Novgorod. As was the case with the Swedes in 1240, Alexander attempted to intercept the enemy along his route. To do this, he moved his army to the junction of the lakes, forcing the enemy to go out onto the ice of Lake Peipsi for a decisive battle.
Progress of the Battle of the Ice.
The two armies met early in the morning on the ice of the lake on April 5, 1242. Unlike the battle on the Neva, Alexander gathered a significant army - its number was 15 - 17 thousand. It consisted of:- “lower regiments” - troops of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality (squads of the prince and boyars, city militias).
- the Novgorod army consisted of Alexander’s squad, the bishop’s squad, the townsman’s militia and private squads of boyars and rich merchants.
The entire army was subordinated to a single commander - Prince Alexander.
The enemy army numbered 10 - 12 thousand people. Most likely, he did not have a single command; Andreas von Velven, although he led the campaign as a whole, did not personally participate in the Battle of the Ice, entrusting the command of the battle to a council of several commanders.
Adopting their classic wedge-shaped formation, the Livonians attacked the Russian army. At first they were lucky - they managed to break through the ranks of the Russian regiments. But having been drawn deep into the Russian defense, they got stuck in it. And at that moment Alexander brought reserve regiments and a cavalry ambush regiment into battle. The reserves of the Novgorod prince hit the flanks of the crusaders. The Livonians fought bravely, but their resistance was broken, and they were forced to retreat to avoid encirclement. Russian troops pursued the enemy for seven miles. The victory over the Livonians by their allies was complete.
Results of the Battle of the Ice.
As a result of its unsuccessful campaign against Rus', the Teutonic Order made peace with Novgorod and renounced its territorial claims.The Battle of the Ice is the largest in a series of battles during territorial disputes between northern Russia and its western neighbors. Having won it, Alexander Nevsky secured most of the disputed lands for Novgorod. Yes, the territorial issue was not finally resolved, but over the next few hundred years it boiled down to local border conflicts.
The victory on the ice of Lake Peipsi stopped the Crusade, which had not only territorial but also ideological goals. The question of accepting the Catholic faith and accepting the patronage of the Pope in northern Russia was finally removed.
These two important victories, military and, as a consequence, ideological, were won by the Russians during the most difficult period of history - the invasion of the Mongols. The Old Russian state virtually ceased to exist, the morale of the Eastern Slavs was weakened, and against this background, the series of victories of Alexander Nevsky (in 1245 - victory over the Lithuanians in the battle of Toropets) had important not only political, but also moral and ideological significance.