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.
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“The fight against Western conquerors” - The art of military leadership of Alexander Yaroslavich. Crusaders. The beginning of knightly raids. Test. Gabriel Oleksich. Battle of the Neva July 15, 1240. Not “easy victories.” Crusade against the pagans. Alexander Nevskiy. 1164 The struggle of Rus' with Western conquerors. Swedish feudal lords. Battle on the Ice. The meaning of the struggle of the Russian people.
"Crusade" - Siege of Damietta. Not heeding the warnings of his advisers, Louis IX again went to war against the Arabs. 8th Crusade (1270). Used materials. Map of the Fourth Crusade. Teuton. Map of the First Crusade. Salah ad-Din. Departure of the Crusaders from Europe. The Seventh and Eighth Crusades.
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“The History of the Battle of the Ice” - Purpose. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. Prerequisites. The Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory “on the bones”, as was customary before. Crusaders. April 5, 1242 Find out how Nevsky's military art manifested itself on Lake Peipsi. The Russians pursued the fleeing enemy 7 miles to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi.
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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.
Values: As for the historical significance of the Battle of Lake Peipsi, Alexander’s main role was that he was able to stop the advance of a powerful army of crusaders on Russian lands. The famous historian L. Gumelev argues that the fact of conquest by the crusaders would have meant the end for the very existence of Rus', and therefore the end of the future Russia.
Some historians criticize Nevsky for his truce with the Mongols, and that he did not help defend Rus' from them. In this discussion, most historians still side with Nevsky, because in the situation in which he found himself, it was necessary either to negotiate with the khan or to fight two powerful enemies at once. And as a competent politician and commander, Nevsky made a wise decision.
Results: The first result of the battle was that the Livonian and Teutonic orders signed a truce with Alexander and renounced their claims to Rus'. Alexander himself became the de facto ruler of Northern Rus'. After his death, in 1268, the Livonian Order violated the truce: the Battle of Rakovsk took place. But this time, too, the Russian troops achieved victory.
After the victory in the “Battle on the Ice,” the Novgorod Republic, led by Nevsky, was able to move from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Alexander undertook several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.
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.
Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.
Alexander Nevskiy
The Battle of the Ice is one of the most famous battles in Russian history. The battle took place in early April 1242 on Lake Peipsi, on the one hand, the troops of the Novgorod Republic, led by Alexander Nevsky, took part in it, on the other hand, it was opposed by the troops of the German crusaders, mainly representatives of the Livonian Order. If Nevsky had lost this battle, the history of Russia could have gone a completely different way, but the prince of Novgorod was able to win. Now let's look at this page of Russian history in more detail.
Preparing for battle
To understand the essence of the Battle of the Ice, it is necessary to understand what preceded it and how the opponents approached the battle. So... After the Swedes lost the Battle of the Neva, the German crusaders decided to more carefully prepare for a new campaign. The Teutonic Order also allocated part of its army to help. Back in 1238, Dietrich von Grüningen became the master of the Livonian Order; many historians attribute to him the decisive role in shaping the idea of a campaign against Rus'. The crusaders were further motivated by Pope Gregory IX, who in 1237 declared a crusade against Finland, and in 1239 called on the princes of Rus' to respect the border orders.
At this point, the Novgorodians already had successful experience of war with the Germans. In 1234, Alexander's father Yaroslav defeated them in the battle on the Omovzha River. Alexander Nevsky, knowing the plans of the crusaders, began to build a line of fortifications along the southwestern border in 1239, but the Swedes made minor adjustments to his plans by attacking from the northwest. After their defeat, Nevsky continued to strengthen the borders, and also married the daughter of the Prince of Polotsk, thereby enlisting his support in case of a future war.
At the end of 1240, the Germans began a campaign against the lands of Rus'. In the same year they took Izborsk, and in 1241 they besieged Pskov. At the beginning of March 1242, Alexander helped the residents of Pskov liberate their principality and drove the Germans northwest of the city, to the region of Lake Peipsi. It was there that the decisive battle took place, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.
The course of the battle briefly
The first clashes of the ice battle began in early April 1242 on the northern shore of Lake Peipsi. The crusaders were led by a famous commander Andreas von Felfen, who was twice as old as the Novgorod prince. Nevsky's army numbered 15-17 thousand soldiers, while the Germans had about 10 thousand. However, according to chroniclers, both in Rus' and abroad, the German troops were much better armed. But as subsequent developments showed, this played a cruel joke on the crusaders.
The Battle of the Ice took place on April 5, 1242. German troops, mastering the “pigs” attack technique, that is, a strict and disciplined formation, directed the main blow to the enemy’s center. However, Alexander first attacked the enemy army with the help of archers, and then ordered a strike on the flanks of the crusaders. As a result, the Germans were forced forward onto the ice of Lake Peipus. The winter at that time was long and cold, so at the time of April the ice (very fragile) remained on the reservoir. After the Germans realized that they were retreating onto the ice, it was already too late: the ice began to crack under the pressure of the heavy German armor. That is why historians called the battle the “Battle of the Ice.” As a result, some of the soldiers drowned, others were killed in battle, but most still managed to escape. After this, Alexander's troops finally drove the crusaders out of the territory of the Pskov principality.
The exact location of the battle has not yet been established, this is due to the fact that Lake Peipsi has very variable hydrography. In 1958-1959, the first archaeological expedition was organized, but no traces of the battle were found.
Historical reference
Result and historical significance of the battle
The first result of the battle was that the Livonian and Teutonic orders signed a truce with Alexander and renounced their claims to Rus'. Alexander himself became the de facto ruler of Northern Rus'. After his death, in 1268, the Livonian Order violated the truce: the Battle of Rakovsk took place. But this time, too, the Russian troops achieved victory.
After the victory in the “Battle on the Ice,” the Novgorod Republic, led by Nevsky, was able to move from defensive tasks to the conquest of new territories. Alexander undertook several successful campaigns against the Lithuanians.
As for the historical significance of the Battle of Lake Peipsi, Alexander’s main role was that he was able to stop the advance of a powerful army of crusaders on Russian lands. The famous historian L. Gumelev argues that the fact of conquest by the crusaders would have meant the end for the very existence of Rus', and therefore the end of the future Russia.
Some historians criticize Nevsky for his truce with the Mongols, and that he did not help defend Rus' from them. In this discussion, most historians still side with Nevsky, because in the situation in which he found himself, it was necessary either to negotiate with the khan or to fight two powerful enemies at once. And as a competent politician and commander, Nevsky made a wise decision.
The exact date of the Battle of the Ice
The battle took place on April 5, old style. In the 20th century, the difference between the styles was 13 days, which is why the holiday was assigned to April 18th. However, from the point of view of historical justice, it is worth recognizing that in the 13th century (when the battle took place) the difference was 7 days. Based on this logic, the Battle of the Ice took place on April 12, according to the new style. Nevertheless, today, April 18, is a public holiday in the Russian Federation, the Day of Military Glory. It is on this day that the Battle of the Ice and its significance in the history of Russia are remembered.
Participants in the battle after
Having achieved victory, the Novgorod Republic begins its rapid development. However, in the 16th century there was a decline in both the Livonian Order and Novgorod. Both of these events are associated with the ruler of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible. He deprived Novgorod of the privileges of the Republic, subordinating these lands to a single state. After the Livonian Order lost its strength and influence in Eastern Europe, Grozny declared war on Lithuania to strengthen his own influence and expand the territories of his state.
An alternative view of the Battle of Lake Peipsi
Due to the fact that during the archaeological expedition of 1958-1959 no traces and exact location of the battle were found, and also taking into account the fact that the chronicles of the 13th century contain very little information about the battle, two alternative views on the Battle of the Ice of 1242 were formed, which briefly discussed below:
- According to the first glance, there was no battle at all. This is an invention of historians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular Solovyov, Karamzin and Kostomarov. According to historians who share this point of view, the need to create this battle was caused by the fact that it was necessary to justify Nevsky’s cooperation with the Mongols, as well as to show the strength of Rus' in relation to Catholic Europe. Basically, a small number of historians adhere to this theory, since it is very difficult to deny the very fact of the existence of the battle, because the battle on Lake Peipsi is described in some chronicles of the late 13th century, as well as in the chronicles of the Germans.
- Second alternative theory: The Battle of the Ice is briefly described in the chronicles, which means it is a greatly exaggerated event. Historians who adhere to this point of view say that there were much fewer participants in the massacre, and the consequences for the Germans were less dramatic.
If professional Russian historians deny the first theory as a historical fact, then as for the second version, they have one weighty argument: even if the scale of the battle is exaggerated, this should not reduce the role of the victory over the Germans in the history of Russia. By the way, in 2012-2013 archaeological expeditions were carried out, as well as studies of the bottom of Lake Peipsi. Archaeologists have found several new probable sites of the Battle of the Ice, in addition, a study of the bottom showed the presence of a sharp decrease in depth near Raven Island, which suggests the existence of the legendary “Raven Stone”, that is, the approximate location of the battle, named in the chronicle of 1463.
The Battle of the Ice in the country's culture
The year 1938 is of great significance in the history of reporting historical events in modern culture. This year, the famous Russian writer Konstantin Simonov wrote the poem “Battle of the Ice,” and director Sergei Eisenstein shot the film “Alexander Nevsky,” in which he highlighted the two main battles of the Novgorod ruler: on the Neva River and Lake Peipus. The image of Nevsky was of particular importance during the Great Patriotic War. Poets, artists, and directors turned to him to show the citizens of the Soviet Union an example of a successful war with the Germans and thereby raise the morale of the army.
In 1993, a monument was erected on Mount Sokolikha near Pskov. A year earlier, in the village of Kobylye fortified settlement (the settlement closest to the battle site), a monument to Nevsky was erected. In 2012, a museum of the Battle of the Ice of 1242 was opened in the village of Samolva, Pskov region.
As you can see, even a brief history of the Battle of the Ice is not only the battle of April 5, 1242 between the Novgorodians and the Germans. This is a very important event in the history of Russia, since thanks to the talent of Alexander Nevsky, Rus' was saved from conquest by the crusaders.
Rus' in the 13th century and the arrival of the Germans
In 1240, Novgorod was attacked by the Swedes, by the way, allies of the Livonians, future participants in the Battle of the Ice. Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich, who at that time was only 20 years old, defeats the Swedes on Lake Neva, for which he received the nickname “Nevsky”. In the same year, the Mongols burned Kyiv, that is, most of Rus' was occupied with the war with the Mongols, Nevsky and its Novgorod Republic were left alone with strong enemies. The Swedes were defeated, but a stronger and more powerful opponent awaited Alexander ahead: the German crusaders. In the 12th century, the Pope created the Order of the Swordsmen and sent them to the Baltic Sea coast, where they received from him the right to own all the conquered lands. These events went down in history as the Northern Crusade. Since most of the members of the Order of the Sword were immigrants from Germany, this order was therefore called German. At the beginning of the 13th century, the order split into several military organizations, the main ones of which were the Teutonic and Livonian orders. In 1237, the Livonians recognized their dependence on the Teutonic Order, but had the right to choose their master. It was the Livonian Order that was the closest neighbors of the Novgorod Republic.