Livonian knight on Lake Peipus. Battle on the Ice briefly

Battle on the Ice, artist Serov V.A. (1865-19110

When the event happened : 5 April 1242

Where did the event take place : Lake Peipus (near Pskov)

Members:

The troops of the Novgorod Republic and the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky and Andrei Yaroslavich

Livonian Order, Denmark. Commander - Andres von Velven

Causes

Livonian order:

Capture of Russian territories in the northwest

Spread of Catholicism

Russian troops:

Defense of the northwestern borders from the German knights

Prevention of subsequent threats of attack on Russia by the Livonian Order

Defending access to the Baltic Sea, the possibility of trade with Europe

Defense of the Orthodox Faith

move

In 1240, the Livonian knights captured Pskov and Koporye

In 1241, Alexander Nevsky recaptured Koporye.

At the beginning of 1242, Nevsky with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich of Suzdal took Pskov.

The knights were lined up in a battle wedge: heavy knights on the flanks, and light ones in the center. In Russian chronicles, such a formation was called a "great pig."

First, the knights attacked the center of the Russian troops, thinking to surround them from the flanks. However, they themselves were trapped in pincers. Moreover, Alexander introduced an ambush regiment.

The knights began to be pushed to the lake, on which the ice was no longer strong. Most of the knights drowned. Only a few managed to escape.

Results

Eliminated the threat of the capture of the northwestern lands

Trade relations with Europe were preserved, Russia defended access to the Baltic Sea.

According to the agreement, the knights left all the conquered lands and returned the prisoners. The Russians also returned all the prisoners.

For a long time the raids of the West on Russia stopped.

Meaning

The defeat of the German knights is a bright page in the history of Russia.

For the first time, foot Russian soldiers were able to defeat heavily armed cavalry.

The significance of the battle is also great in the sense that the victory took place during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In the event of a defeat, it would be much more difficult for Russia to get rid of the double oppression.

Was protected Orthodox faith, since the crusaders wanted to actively introduce Catholicism in Russia. But it was precisely Orthodoxy in the period of fragmentation and the yoke that was the link that united the people in the struggle against the enemy.

During the battle on the ice and the Battle of the Neva, the military talent of the young Alexander Nevsky manifested itself. He used proven tactics:

before the battle, he delivered a number of successive blows to the enemy, and only then did the decisive battle take place.

used the surprise factor

successfully and on time introduced an ambush regiment into battle

the location of the Russian troops was more flexible than the clumsy "pig" of the knights.

The Battle on Lake Peipus, better known as the Battle of the Ice, is one of the most important battles in history. Kievan Rus. The Russian troops were commanded by Alexander Nevsky, who received his nickname after the victory in.

Date of the Battle of the Ice.

The battle on the ice took place on April 5, 1242 on Lake Peipus. The Russian army accepted the battle with the Livonian Order, which invaded the Russian lands.

A few years earlier, in 1240, Alexander Nevsky had already fought with the army of the Livonian Order. Then the invaders of Russian lands were defeated, but a few years later they again decided to attack Kievan Rus. Pskov was captured, but in March 1241 Alexander Nevsky was able to recapture it with Vladimir's help.

The order army concentrated its forces in the Derpt bishopric, and Alexander Nevsky went to Izborsk, captured by the Livonian Order. The reconnaissance detachments of Nevsky were defeated by the German knights, which affected the self-confidence of the command of the Order Army - the Germans went on the attack in order to win an easy victory as quickly as possible.

The main forces of the Order Army moved to the junction between the Pskov and Peipsi lakes in order to get to Novgorod in a short way and cut off the Russian troops in the Pskov region. The Novgorod army turned to the lake and carried out an unusual maneuver to repel the attack of the German knights: it moved across the ice to the island of Voronii Kamen. Thus, Alexander Nevsky blocked the path of the Order's army to Novgorod and chose a place for the battle, which was of great importance.

The course of the battle.

The order army lined up in a “wedge” (in Russian chronicles this order was called a “pig”) and went on the attack. The Germans were going to break a strong central regiment, and then attack the flanks. But Alexander Nevsky unraveled this plan and deployed the army differently. Weak regiments were in the center, and strong ones along the flanks. There was also an ambush regiment to the side.

The archers, who came out first in the Russian army, did not cause serious damage to the armored knights and were forced to retreat to strong flank regiments. The Germans, putting out long spears, attacked the Russian central regiment and broke through its defensive lines, a fierce battle ensued. The rear ranks of the Germans pushed the front ones, literally pushing them deeper and deeper into the Russian central regiment.

Meanwhile, the left and right regiments forced the knights, who covered the knights from the rear, to retreat.

After waiting until the entire "pig" was drawn into the battle, Alexander Nevsky gave a signal to the regiments located on the left and right flanks. The Russian army clamped the German "pig" in pincers. Meanwhile, Nevsky, together with his squad, struck the Germans from the rear. Thus, the Order army was completely surrounded.

Some Russian warriors were equipped with special spears with hooks to pull the knights off their horses. Other warriors are equipped with cobbler knives, with which they incapacitate horses. Thus, the knights were left without horses and became easy prey, and the ice began to crack under their weight. An ambush regiment appeared from behind the shelter, and the German knights began a retreat, which almost immediately turned into a flight. Some knights managed to break through the cordon and fled. Some of them rushed to the thin ice and drowned, the other part german army was killed (the cavalry of the Novgorodians drove the Germans to the opposite shore of the lake), the rest was taken prisoner.

Results.

The battle on the ice is considered the first battle in which the foot army defeated the heavy cavalry. Thanks to this victory, Novgorod retained trade ties with Europe, and the threat posed by the Order was eliminated.

The Battle of Neva, the Battle of the Ice, the Battle of Toropets - battles that were of great importance for the whole of Kievan Rus, because attacks from the west were held back, while the rest of Russia suffered from princely strife and the consequences of the Tatar conquest.

One of the most significant events medieval Russian history was the Battle of the Ice in 1242, which took place on April 5 on the ice of Lake Peipsi. The battle summed up the war that lasted almost two years between the Livonian Order and the northern Russian lands - the Novgorod and Pskov republics. This battle went down in history as a vivid example of the heroism of Russian soldiers who defended the freedom and independence of the country from foreign invaders.

Historical context and the beginning of the war

The end of the first half of the 13th century was very difficult and tragic for Russia. In 1237-1238, it swept through the northeastern principalities. Dozens of cities were destroyed and burned, people were killed or taken into captivity. The territory of the country was in severe desolation. In 1240, the western campaign of the Mongols began, during which the blow fell on the southern principalities. This situation was decided to take advantage of the western and northern neighbors of Russia - the Livonian Order, Sweden and Denmark.

Back in 1237, Pope Gregory IX announced another crusade against the "pagans" who inhabited Finland. The fighting of the Order of the Sword against the local population in the Baltic States continued throughout the first half of the 13th century. Repeatedly German knights undertook campaigns against Pskov and Novgorod. In 1236, the swordsmen became part of the more powerful Teutonic Order. The new formation was called the Livonian Order.

In July 1240, the Swedes attacked Russia. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich of Novgorod quickly set out with a retinue and defeated the invaders at the mouth of the Neva. It was for this feat of arms that the commander received the honorary nickname Nevsky. In August of the same year, they began fighting and Livonian knights. First, they captured the fortress of Izborsk, and after the siege - and Pskov. In Pskov they left their deputies. The following year, the Germans began to devastate Novgorod lands, rob merchants, and drive the population into captivity. Under these conditions, the Novgorodians asked Prince Yaroslav of Vladimir to send his son Alexander, who reigned in Pereyaslavl.

Actions of Alexander Yaroslavich

Arriving in Novgorod, Alexander first decided to avert the immediate threat. To this end, a campaign was undertaken against the Livonian fortress Koporye, built not far from the Gulf of Finland, on the territory of the Vod tribe. The fortress was taken and destroyed, and the remnants of the German garrison were taken prisoner.

Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Years of life 1221 - 1263

In the spring of 1242, Alexander set out on a campaign against Pskov. In addition to his squad, he was with the Vladimir-Suzdal squad younger brother Andrei and the regiment of the Novgorod militia. Having liberated Pskov from the Livonians, Alexander reinforced his army with the Pskovs who joined and continued the campaign. Having crossed into the territory of the Order, intelligence was sent forward. The main forces were deployed "in prosperity", that is, in local villages and villages.

The course of the battle

The advance detachment met the German knights and entered into battle with them. In front of superior forces, the Russian soldiers had to retreat. After the reconnaissance returned, Alexander deployed his troops, "backward" back to the shore of Lake Peipsi. A convenient place for the battle was chosen here. Russian troops stood on the eastern shore of Uzmen (a small lake or strait between Lake Peipsi and Pskov), not far from the Raven Stone.

Battle map

The place was chosen in such a way that right behind the backs of the soldiers there was a wooded snow-covered shore, on which the movement of the cavalry was difficult. At the same time, the Russian troops were in shallow water, which froze to the very bottom and could easily withstand many armed people. But on the territory of the lake itself there were areas with loose ice - sigovitsy.

The battle began with a heavy Livonian cavalry ramming directly into the center of the Russian formation. It is believed that here Alexander placed the weaker Novgorod militia, and put professional squads on the flanks. Such a construction gave a serious advantage. After the blow, the knights got stuck in the center, breaking through the ranks of the defenders could not turn around on the shore, having no room for maneuver. At this time, the Russian cavalry struck at the flanks, surrounding the enemy.

The Chud warriors, allied with the Livonians, walked behind the knights and were the first to scatter. The chronicle notes that a total of 400 Germans were killed, 50 were taken prisoner, and Chudi died "without number." The Sofia Chronicle says that part of the Livonians died in the lake. Having defeated the enemy, the Russian army returned to Novgorod, taking prisoners.

The meaning of the battle

First brief information about the battle are contained in the Novgorod Chronicle. Subsequent chronicles and lives of Nevsky provide additional information. Today there is a lot of popular literature devoted to the description of the battle. Here, the emphasis is often placed on colorful pictures rather than on correspondence. real events. Summary books for children rarely allow you to fully describe the entire historical outline of the battle.

Historians assess the strength of the parties in different ways. Traditionally, the number of troops is called approximately 12-15 thousand people on each side. At that time, these were very serious armies. True, German sources claim that only a few dozen "brothers" died in the battle. However, here we are talking only about the members of the Order, who were never numerous. In fact, these were officers, under whose command were ordinary knights and auxiliary warriors - knechts. In addition, along with the Germans, allies from the Chud took part in the war, which the Livonian sources did not even take into account.

The defeat of the German knights in 1242 had great importance for the situation in the north-west of Russia. Under the conditions, it was very important to stop the advance of the Order on the Russian lands for a long time. The next serious war with the Livonians will take place only in more than 20 years.

Prince Alexander Nevsky, who commanded the combined forces, was later canonized. In the history of Russia, the order named after the famous commander was established twice - for the first time, the second time - during the Great Patriotic War.

Of course, it is worth saying that the roots of this event go back to the era of the Crusades. And it is not possible to analyze them in more detail within the framework of the text. However, in our training courses there is a 1.5 hour video lesson that, in the form of a presentation, analyzes all the nuances of this difficult topic. Become a member of our training courses

Battle on the Ice. Background.

But Albert, who had not yet sailed far, was informed in time of the betrayal of the Russian prince, returned with the knights to Riga, prepared for defense. True, the Germans did not have to defend themselves: the valiant Vyachko, having learned about the return of Albert, simply set fire to Kukenoys and fled somewhere to Russia with his retinue. This time the Germans decided not to tempt fate and took control of Kukenois.

And then a strange thing happens: in 1210, the Germans send ambassadors to the prince of Polotsk, who were supposed to offer him peace. And Polotsk agrees to this peace on the condition that the Livs, who were subordinate to Riga, will pay tribute to Polotsk and the bishop will be responsible for this. That's amazing: Polotsk, agrees to peace with the Germans, who captured two of its specific principalities and even extend their influence to the pagans. However, on the other hand, what is strange in this: contrary to the assertions of our historians, who shout on every corner that the Russians from ancient times helped the Baltic tribes fight the Western invaders, Polotsk did not care about these tribes from the high bell tower. The only thing that interested him was profit.

In 1216, the first clash of the Germans with Novgorod took place. And again, the Russian princes became the initiator of the conflict: at the end of the year, Novgorodians and Pskovians attacked the Estonian city of Odenpe (at that time already owned by the Germans) and plundered it. In January 1217, the Estonians, with the help of the Germans, carried out a retaliatory attack on the Novgorod lands. But there was no talk of any territorial acquisitions - the Germans, having robbed the Novgorodians, went home. In the same year, the Novgorodians again gathered for a campaign against Odempe. Novgorod troops besieged the city, but they could not take it, so the Novgorodians had to limit themselves to plundering the surroundings. A hastily assembled army hastened to help the besieged garrison of Odempe.

However, due to its small number, it failed to provide serious assistance to the Livonians in Odempe. All that the strength of this army was enough for was to break through to Odempe. As a result, the number of people in the city turned out to be quite large, and supplies were extremely small. Therefore, the Livonians were forced to ask for peace from the Russians. Those, having taken a ransom from the Germans, left Livonia. What is characteristic: the Novgorodians, if they were really afraid of the excessive activity of the Catholic Church or fought for the freedom of the Baltic tribes, quite calmly could simply starve out all the Germans in Odenpe, thereby destroying most of the Livonian army and stopping the Catholic expansion for a long time.

However, the Novgorodians did not even think of doing this. The Catholics did nothing to stop them. On the contrary, they had even more money than the pagans, which means that robbing is doubly fun. So the Russians did not seek to cut the branch on which they sat - why kill the Germans, who in a year or two could again accumulate money, which could then be taken away from them in the next campaign? Actually, this is exactly what the Novgorodians did: in 1218, the Novgorod army again invades Livonia. Again, the Russians are unable to take a single Livonian castle and again, having ruined the surroundings, they return home with booty.

But in 1222, a significant event occurs: the Estonians raise a revolt against the Germans. Realizing that they will not be able to cope with the knights on their own, the Estonians turn to Novgorod for help. And Novgorodians really come, plunder the surroundings, and leave, leaving small garrisons in the castles donated by the Estonians. That is, the Novgorodians were little interested in annexing the Livonian lands. As usual, they were driven only by greed. It goes without saying that the few Russian troops left in German castles could not resist the retaliatory actions of the Livonians for a long time, and by 1224 the Germans had cleared the Estonian lands from the Russians. Interestingly, while the Germans were destroying the Russian garrisons, the Novgorodians did not blow their heads and were not even going to help their comrades.

But when the Germans, having regained the lands seized by the Russians in 1223, asked Novgorod for peace, while paying tribute, the Novgorodians happily agreed - still, a freebie after all. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who at that time was the Novgorod prince, decided to conduct the next campaign in 1228. However, Yaroslav was not very liked either in Novgorod or in Pskov, as a result of which, at first, the Pskovians, and then the Novgorodians, refused to participate in the campaign. But the year 1233 became, to a certain extent, significant for Russian-Livonian relations, since it was a kind of forerunner of the events of 1240-1242.

In 1233, with the help of the Livonian army, the former Pskov prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich (expelled from the city, apparently, on the initiative of the pro-Uzdal group that supported Yaroslav Vsevolodovich) captured Izborsk. Apparently, Izborsk surrendered to the prince without a fight, because if this perfectly fortified fortress decided to resist, the Germans would have taken at least a few weeks to take it, and during this time the Pskov one would have had time to approach the city, and the Novgorod militia, which would not leave a stone unturned from the "Western invaders."

But the city fell quickly, which means that the inhabitants of Izbor did not want to fight with their prince. And now the Livonians are given a great opportunity to begin the seizure of Novgorod lands, because Izborsk, a key point of the Pskov land and a beautiful fortress, has already been in their hands. However, the Germans did not want to defend Izborsk, and in the same year, the Pskovites (probably with the support of the same pro-Uzdal party inside the city) again captured Izborsk and captured Yaroslav Vladimirovich. Yaroslav Vladimirovich was sent first to Novgorod to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, and then to Pereyaslavl, from where, after some time, he somehow managed to escape, which played an important role in the "crusader aggression" of 1240-1242.

So what conclusion can we draw? Livonia has never pursued an aggressive policy towards the Russian principalities. She just didn't have the strength to do it. Neither before nor after 1242 was Livonia able to compete with Novgorod in terms of economic and military potential. The Russian principalities, on the other hand, constantly took advantage of the weakness of their western neighbor, conducting large and not very large raids. It should be noted that the Russian principalities were never interested in destroying the bridgehead of "Western aggression" in the Baltic states, although the Russians had plenty of opportunities to crush the weak Livonia (especially in the initial period of its existence). However, the leitmotif of Russia's relations with Livonia was not at all the fight against "foreign invaders", but making a profit from robberies.

Battle on the Ice. From the capture of Izborsk to the battle on Lake Peipsi.

So, Yaroslav Vladimirovich somehow managed to escape from Pereyaslavl. And where is he running? Again to their "sworn enemies" - the Germans. And in 1240, Yaroslav is trying to repeat what he failed in 1233. An extremely accurate (albeit somewhat anachronistic) definition of the actions of the Germans in 1233 and 1240 was given by Belitsky and Satyreva: "The so-called" captures "by the troops of the Order of Izborsk and Pskov in 1233 and 1240 can, in the light of the foregoing, be considered as a temporary entry of a limited contingent of order troops into the Pskov principality, made at the request of the legitimate ruler of Pskov, Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. ("Pskov and the Order in the first third of the XIII century").

Indeed, the actions of the Germans cannot be regarded as an attempt to seize Russian lands, or, even more so, an attempt to conquer Novgorod (for the Livonians, this would be no less (and even more) a murderous undertaking than for the Swedes) - the Germans only sought to help Yaroslav Vladimirovich in the fight at the prince's table. Someone may have a question: why did they need it? It's simple: the Livonians wanted to see a kind of buffer state in place of the Pskov principality, which would protect the Baltic states from the constant raids of the Novgorodians. The desire is quite understandable, it should be noted. Interestingly, both Pskovians and Novgorodians were also not at all opposed to being part of the "Western civilization", fortunately, they had much more in common with the West than with the Horde, paying tribute to which they did not really smile at all.

Yes, and the power of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and his son, our hero, Alexander Yaroslavovich, who, at every opportunity, tried to curtail Novgorod's liberties, had already got enough of them. Therefore, when in the fall of 1240, Yaroslav Vladimirovich, with the support of the Livonian army, invaded the Pskov lands and approached Izborsk, the city, apparently, again did not resist. Otherwise, how can one explain the fact that the Germans managed to take it at all? As mentioned above, Izborsk was an excellent fortress, which could only be taken as a result of a long siege. But the distance from Izborsk to Pskov is 30 km, that is, one day's march. That is, if the Germans had not been able to take Izborsk on the move, they would not have been able to take it at all, since the Pskov army that had arrived in time would simply have defeated the invaders.

Thus, it can be assumed that Izborsk surrendered without a fight. However, in Pskov, where the separatist mood, apparently, was also strong, supporters of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich make an attempt to save their power: the Pskov army is sent to Izborsk. Under the walls of Izborsk, the Germans attacked the Pskovites and defeated them, killing 800 people (according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle). Further, the Germans advance to Pskov and besiege it. Once again, the Russians show little desire to fight: after only a week's siege, Pskov surrenders. It is significant that Novgorod did not at all seek to help the Pskovians: instead of sending an army to help Pskov, the Novgorodians calmly wait for the Germans to take the city.

Apparently, the Novgorodians did not consider the restoration of the princely power of Yaroslav Vladimirovich to be evil in Pskov. And what do the "crusaders" do after the capture of such a large and significant center as Pskov? But nothing. According to LRH, the Germans only leave two Vogt Knights there. Based on this, one can draw a completely logical conclusion: the Germans did not at all seek to seize the Novgorod lands - their only goal was to establish the power they needed in Pskov. Only and everything. That's the whole "mortal threat hanging over Russia."

After the capture of Izborsk and Pskov, the Germans commit the next "act of aggression" - they build a "fortress" Koporye on the lands of the Vod tribe. Of course, our historians have tried to present this fact as a clear demonstration that the Germans are trying to gain a foothold in new lands. However, it is not. It’s just that the leaders, apparently, announced their intention to accept Catholicism and the patronage of the Livonian Church, after which the Germans built a small prison for them. The fact is that the Germans built fortifications for all the pagans who converted to Catholicism. Such was the tradition in the Baltics.

After the founding of this terrible stronghold of Catholic aggression, the Germans take the town of Tesov and, in fact, everything. This is where the aggression ends. Having plundered the environs of Novgorod, the Germans and Estonians leave the Novgorod lands, leaving Pskov in the possession of their old ally Yaroslav Vladimirovich. The entire German "occupation army" consisted of the two knights already mentioned above. However, our historians shout at the top of their voices that, they say, these two knights posed a terrible threat to the independence of Russia.

As we can see, the Germans came to Russia not at all with the aim of converting Pskov to Catholicism or, God forbid, capturing Novgorod. The Germans were just trying to protect themselves from the devastating raids of the Novgorodians. However, the theory of Catholic expansion continues to be persistently imposed on us. But, as in the case of the Swedes, there is not a single documentary evidence that the Pope called the Livonians for a crusade against Russia. Quite the opposite: the details of this campaign tell us that it was of a completely different character.

The only hostile action of the Pope against Novgorod was that he transferred the Russian lands captured by the Germans (and some other) under the jurisdiction of the Ezel bishopric. True, it is completely incomprehensible what is special about this. Do not forget that the Russian Orthodox Church a priori supported any Russian campaigns in the same Livonia, but for some reason no one believes that these campaigns were provoked precisely by the Church. So there was no "crusade against Russia". And it couldn't be.

Paradoxically, Novgorod felt threatened only after the Germans left the Novgorod lands. Until that moment, the pro-German party in the city hoped that Novgorod would repeat the fate of Pskov. This party also hoped that the German knights would provide at least some help to Novgorod in the fight against Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and the Tatars. However, as it turned out, the Germans were not going to take Novgorod, much less to provide any kind of support to the Russians in anything - they did not even want to leave the garrison in Pskov.

In addition, after the capture of Pskov, Novgorod, which had previously been reliably covered from the Baltic tribes by the lands of the Pskov principality, was now open to Estonian raids, and this also could not please the Novgorodians. As a result, they turn to Yaroslav Vsevolodovich with a request to send them a prince (the Novgorodians expelled Alexander a few months after the Battle of Neva). Yaroslav first sends Andrei, but he did not suit the Novgorodians for some reason, and they ask Alexander.

On the second attempt, Yaroslav satisfies their request. The very first thing Alexander does upon arrival is to destroy the opposition. What is characteristic: when the Germans took Pskov, they did not carry out any punitive measures in it - on the contrary, everyone who did not like the new government was free to leave the city, which many did. But in Russia, dissenters were always treated cooler, here is the Russian national hero Alexander was no exception.

After the destruction of rivals within his possessions, Alexander goes over to external opponents: having gathered an army. He advances to Koporye, which he immediately takes. Many of the reins that were in prison were hanged, and the "fortress" itself was torn down. The next goal of Alexander was Pskov. But the prince did not have to storm this citadel: Pskov surrendered itself. Apparently, Yaroslav Vladimirovich felt the change in the situation in time, considered it more reasonable to remain without a principality, but with his head on his shoulders, and surrendered the city to the Novgorodians without a fight. For which, apparently, he was awarded the reign in Torzhok instead of the gallows tradition that was due to him according to the logic of things and the tradition of the gallows instituted by Alexander.

But the two knights who were in the city were less fortunate: according to LRH, they were expelled from the city. True, some of our historians are still sincerely convinced that there were not even 2 knights in the city, but some countless number. Here, for example, Yu. Ozerov writes about the capture of Pskov: "In the battle, 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed" ("How a "pig" ran into a "regimental" row "). I wonder what sacred meaning Ozerov invests in the term "ordinary knights". But this, in general, is not so important, if only because there could not be 70 knights in Pskov by definition, since then it must be recognized that in general all the brothers of the German House of St. Mary in Livonia were sitting in Pskov (as the Order Sword-bearers after joining the Teutonic Order in 1237), and then there was simply no one to fight on Lake Peipus.

Apparently, the myth of 70 knights killed in Pskov goes back to the Chronicle of the Teutonic Order, which contains the following passage: "This Prince Alexander gathered with a large army and came to Pskov with great force and took it. Despite the fact that the Christians defended themselves bravely , the Germans were defeated and captured and subjected to severe torture, and seventy order knights were killed there.Prince Alexander was glad of his victory, and the knight brothers with their people who were killed there became martyrs in the name of God, glorified among Christians ".

However, as we see, in this chronicle the author brought together the capture of Pskov and the battle on the ice, so we should talk about 70 knights who died in both of these battles. But even this would be wrong, since the author of the CTO borrowed information about the events in the Russian lands in 1240-1242 from LRH, and all the differences between the text of the CTO and the text of LRH are exclusively a figment of the CTO chronicler's fantasy. Begunov, Kleinenberg and Shaskolsky, in their work devoted to the study of Russian and Western sources about the Battle of the Ice, wrote the following regarding late European chronicles: “From the texts cited and from the comments, it is clear that all the texts of the late Baltic ., describing the German aggression against Russia in 1240-1242, date back to the corresponding part of the "Rhymed Chronicle" and are its highly abridged retellings.

In the cited texts there are several pieces of news that are missing from the Rhymed Chronicle, but, as was shown in the comments, none of these stories can be traced back to any reliable additional source (written or oral); apparently, all the discrepancies between the texts of the later chronicles and the text of the "Rhymed Chronicle" are simply the fruits of literary creativity late chroniclers, who in some places added from themselves (and according to their own understanding) individual details in the coverage of events, entirely borrowed from the "Rhymed Chronicle" ("Written sources about the Battle of the Ice"). That is, the only real and logical number of knights in Pskov should be the two Vogts mentioned in LRH.

The next stage of Alexander's campaign, apparently, was Izborsk. Not a single chronicle or chronicle tells about his fate. Apparently, this fortress, like Pskov, surrendered to the prince without a fight. Which, in general, is not surprising when total absence in this strategically important city of the Germans. And after the "foreign invaders" were finally expelled from the Russian lands, the Novgorodians began their favorite pastime: looting the Livonian lands.

In the spring of 1242, Alexander's army crossed to the western shore of Lake Peipus (the possessions of Livonia) and began to plunder property local residents. And it was during this glorious occupation that one of the Russian detachments under the command of the brother of the Novgorod posadnik Domash Tverdislavovich was attacked by the knightly army and the Chud militia. The Novgorod detachment was defeated, many, including Domash himself, were killed, and the rest fled to Alexander's main forces. After that, the prince retreated to the eastern shore of the lake. The hastily assembled Livonian troops, apparently, decided to catch up with the Novgorodians in order to take away the loot from them. And that's when the battle on the ice took place.

From the above events, it clearly follows that there was no such thing as a terrible "aggression by the West" or a "mortal threat to Novgorod". The Germans came to the Novgorod lands with the sole purpose of creating on the territory of the Pskov Principality a new, friendly state of Livonia under the rule of their longtime ally, Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. This state was supposed to serve as a kind of shield for the Baltic states from the devastating raids of the Novgorodians.

Having fulfilled their mission and established the power of Yaroslav in Pskov, the Germans left the Russian lands, leaving only two observers. This is where the "aggressive" actions of the Livonians ended. Of course, this state of affairs did not suit the Novgorodians, and in 1241 Alexander set off on his "liberation campaign" through Koporye, Pskov and Izborsk straight to the lands of Livonia - to rob. A reasonable question: so who threatened whom in 1242: Livonia Novgorod or is it the other way around?

Battle on the Ice. Number of participants.

For some reason, in Russian historiography, such figures are most often taken as an axiom: 10-12 thousand Germans, 15-17 Russians. However, where these thousands came from is completely incomprehensible. Let's start with the Novgorodians: according to Tikhomirov, at the beginning of the 13th century, the population of Novgorod reached 30 thousand people. Of course, the population of the entire Novgorod land was several times larger. However, probably, by the period of interest to us, the real population of Novgorod and the Novgorod principality was lower. Than at the beginning of the century.

S.A. Nefedov in his article "On demographic cycles in the history of medieval Russia" writes: "In 1207-1230, characteristic signs of an eco-social crisis were observed in the Novgorod land: famine, epidemics, uprisings, the death of large masses of the population, which took on the character of a demographic catastrophe, the decline of crafts and trade, high prices for bread, the death of a significant number of large owners and the redistribution of property.

The famine of 1230 claimed the lives of 48 thousand people in Novgorod alone, including residents of the surrounding lands who came to Novgorod in the hope of escaping from this disaster. And how many people died in Novgorod principality? Thus, the number in Novgorod land by 1242 had fallen significantly compared to the beginning of the 13th century. In the city itself, a third of the population perished. That is, in 1230 the population of Novgorod did not exceed 20,000 people. It is unlikely that in 10 years it will again reach the mark of 30 thousand. Thus, Novgorod itself could put up an army of 3-5 thousand people with the maximum tension of all mobilization resources.

However, this could only be in case of extreme danger for Novgorod (for example, if suddenly Batu's army did not limit itself to sacking Torzhok, but would still reach the walls of Novgorod). And as we have already established above, there was absolutely no danger to the city in 1242. Therefore, the army that Novgorod itself would have gathered did not exceed 2000 people (besides, one should not forget that in Novgorod there was a serious opposition to the prince, who would hardly have joined his army - however, the thirst for profit could make the Novgorodians and forget about their enmity with the prince).

However, Alexander planned a relatively large campaign in Livonia, so the army was going from all over the principality, and not just from Novgorod. But he did not assemble it for a long time - no more than a few months, therefore, apparently, the total number of the Novgorod army did not exceed 6-8 thousand people. For example: according to the Chronicle of Henry, in 1218 the number of the Russian army that invaded Livonia was 16 thousand people, and at the same time this army was gathering for two years.

So, the number of Novgorodians was 6-8 thousand. A few hundred more soldiers are Alexander's squad. And besides, Andrei Yaroslavovich also arrived from Suzdal to help his brother with some kind of army (apparently, again, several hundred). Thus, the size of the Russian army was 7-10 thousand people. There was no time to recruit more troops, and, apparently, no desire.

With the German army, everything is much more interesting: there is no talk of any 12 thousand there. Let's start in order: in 1236, an important event for Livonia took place - the battle of Saul. In this battle, the Order army was utterly defeated by the Lithuanians. 48 knights of the Order of the Sword were killed along with the master. Essentially, it was total annihilation Order, from which no more than 10 people remained. The first and only time in the Baltics was completely destroyed knightly Order. It would seem that our historians should in every possible way discuss this fact, talking about how our allies in the fight against Catholic expansion - the Lithuanians - destroyed an entire order.

However, no, the ordinary Russian does not know about this battle. Why? And because, together with the army of "dog-knights" with the Lithuanians, a detachment of Pskovians numbering 200 people fought (with a total number of German troops that did not exceed 3000, the contribution is quite significant), but that's not the point. So in 1236 the Order of the Swordsmen was destroyed, after which, with the participation of the pope, the remnants of the order in 1237 joined the Teutonic Order and became the German House of St. Mary in Livonia. In the same year, the new Landmaster of the Order, Herman Balke, arrived in Livonia along with 54 new knights.

Thus, the number of the Order increased to about 70 knights. As a result, we can say with confidence that the number of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order by 1242 could not exceed 100 people. Begunov, Kleinenberg and Shaskolsky write about the same thing (op. cit.). However, there could have been even fewer knights, due to their rapid decline: for example, in 1238, the knights lost more than 20 of their brothers at Dorogichin. However, even if the number of knights approached a hundred, not all of them could participate in the Battle on the Ice, since the order had other things to do: only in 1241 was the Estonian uprising on about. Saaremaa.

In 1242, a Curonian uprising broke out, which diverted significant forces of the Order. Dietrich von Grüningen, the master of the TO department in Livonia, did not participate in the battle on Lake Peipsi precisely because of his busyness with the affairs of Courland. As a result, we come to the conclusion that the number of order troops in the battle could not exceed 40-50 knights. Considering that there were 8 so-called half-brothers per knight in the Order, the total number of the Order's army was 350-450 people. The Bishop of Dorpat could put up a militia of a maximum of 300 people. A few hundred more people could be provided by the Danish Revel to the allies. That's all, there were no more Europeans in the army. In total, a maximum of 1000 people is obtained. In addition, there were militias from the Chud in the "German" army - about a thousand and a half more. Total: 2500 people.

This was the maximum that the Order and Dorpat were able to put up at that time and under those conditions. There can be no talk of any 12,000. There were not so many warriors in all of Livonia. The Teutonic Order was also unable to help its Livonian branch: in 1242, all its forces were directed to suppress the uprising that broke out in Prussia. Yes, and the Order was pretty battered: in 1241, his army, which was part of the army of the Silesian prince Henry II, recruited from Germans, Poles and Teutons to repel their victorious march across Europe Mongolian army. On April 9, 1241, in the battle of Legnica, the horde of Khan Kaidu utterly defeated the Europeans. The united troops, including the order, suffered huge losses.

The battle was really huge in scale, unlike our dwarf "Battle on the Ice". However, our historians rarely remember her either. Apparently, this fact does not fit into another favorite Russian theory: that Russia, they say, took the brunt of Mongolian hordes and thereby saved Europe from this disaster. Like, the Mongols did not dare to go further than Russia, being afraid to leave huge and completely unconquered spaces in their rear. However, this is just another myth - the Mongols were not afraid of anything.

In fact, by the summer of 1241 they had already conquered all Eastern Europe, occupying Hungary, Silesia, Romania, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, etc. breaking one by one European armies, taking Krakow and Pest, destroying European troops at Legnica and Chaillot. In a word, the Mongols quite calmly, without fear of any "attacks from the rear", subjugated all of Europe to themselves until Adriatic Sea. By the way, in all these glorious deeds Mongolian khans Russian troops helped, who also participated in the battles with the Europeans (such are the "saviors of Europe").

In the summer and autumn of 1241, the Mongols crushed all pockets of resistance in the already captured part of Europe, and in the winter of 1242 they embarked on new conquests: their troops had already invaded Northern Italy and moved towards Vienna, but here an event saving for Europe occurred: he died just in time great khan Ogedei. Therefore, all Genghisides left Europe and went home to fight for a vacant seat. Naturally, their army left Europe for the khans.

In Europe, only one tumen remained under the command of Khan Baydar - he passed through Northern Italy and Southern France, invaded the Iberian Peninsula, and, passing through it, went to Atlantic Ocean, only after that he went to Karakorum. Thus, the Mongols managed to make their way through the whole of Europe, and no Russia interfered with this, and Ogedei became the true "savior of Europe".

But we digress. Let's return to the Teutonic Order. As you can see, the Teutons were not able to help the Livonians in any way. They had neither the strength nor the time for this (after all, one should not forget that militant Lithuania separated Livonia from the TO’s possessions, so it would take a lot of time to transfer at least some troops to the Baltic States, but it just didn’t exist ). What do we end up with? The number of opponents in the battle on the ice was as follows: Germans 2000 - 2500, Russians 7-10 thousand people.

Battle on the Ice. German pigs.

Of course, I would very much like to talk about the course of the Battle of Peipus, however, this is not possible. We, in fact, have practically no data on how this battle proceeded, and fantasize about a "weakened center", "reserve regiments", "falling through the ice", etc. somehow you don't want to. Let's leave it to science fiction writers from history, of which there have always been many. It only makes sense to pay attention to the most noticeable, perhaps, flaw in the description of the battle by our historians. We will talk about the knightly "wedge" (in the Russian tradition - "pig").

For some reason, in the minds of Russian historians, the opinion was strengthened that the Germans, having formed a wedge, attacked the Russian troops with this wedge, thereby "pushing through the center" of Alexander's rati, who then surrounded the knights with a flank maneuver. Everything is fine, only the knights never attacked the enemy with a wedge. It would be a completely pointless and suicidal operation. If the knights really attacked the enemy with a wedge, then only three knights in the front row and flank knights would participate in the battle. The rest would be in the center of the formation, not participating in the battle in any way.

But the mounted knights are the main striking force of the army, and such an irrational use of them could lead to very serious consequences for the entire army as a whole. Therefore, the cavalry never attacked with a wedge. The wedge was used for a completely different purpose - rapprochement with the enemy. Why was a wedge used for this?

Firstly, the knightly troops were distinguished by extremely low discipline (whatever one may say, some feudal lords, what discipline for them), so if the rapprochement was carried out by a standard line, then there would be no question of any coordination of actions - the knights would simply disperse around battlefield in search of the enemy and prey. But in the wedge, the knight had nowhere to go, and he was forced to follow the three most experienced horsemen who were in the front row.

Secondly, the wedge had a narrow front, which reduced losses from archery. Thus, the knights approached the enemy with a wedge in an organized manner, and 100 meters before the enemy ranks, the wedge was rebuilt into a banal, but extremely effective line, with which the knights struck at the enemy. When attacking with a line, all horsemen participated in the battle, and thus they could inflict maximum damage on the enemy. At the same time, it should be noted that the wedge approached the enemy with a step, as Matthew Parisian wrote, "as if someone was riding, putting a bride in front of him on the saddle." I don't think it's necessary to explain what it was for.

Horses are not able to gallop at the same speed, so a galloping wedge would soon fall apart, with half of the riders falling from the saddle due to numerous collisions. The situation would have been aggravated by the falls of knights who died from enemy arrows, horses that would have fallen victim to the tools of florists (which were also in the Russian army, only now their devices were called not backs and flowers, but ragulki) and would certainly entail a fall and other knights. Thus, the wedge would have died before even reaching the enemy ranks.

Battle on the Ice. About losses.

In Russian historiography, the opinion was strengthened that 400 knights were killed in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and it was not known how many fighters of a lower rank were killed. However, even the NPL contains somewhat different information: "And pada Chyudi was beschisla, and N? Metz 400, and 50 with the hands of Yash and brought to Novgorod" That is, the annals say that 400 Germans fell. And now it looks like the truth. Considering that there were about 800 Germans on the lake, such losses seem quite real.

And we find data on losses among the knights in LRH, where it is said that 26 knights died in battle and 6 were taken prisoner. And again, the number of fallen knights fully corresponds to the number of brothers who participated in the battle. As for the losses of the Chud, apparently, they also amounted to several hundred people. However, given that the Chud fled from the battlefield as soon as she had such an opportunity, it must be admitted that it is unlikely that her losses exceeded 500 people. Thus, we can conclude that the total losses of the Livonian army were less than 1000 people.

It is difficult to talk about the losses of the Novgorodians due to the lack of any information on this matter.

Battle on the Ice. Effects.

Actually, there is no need to talk about any consequences of this battle, due to its mediocrity. In 1242, the Germans made peace with the Novgorodians, which they, in general, did all the time). Novgorod after 1242 still continued to disturb the Baltic states with raids. For example, in 1262 the Novgorodians sacked Dorpat. Indeed, a fortress. Around which the city was built, they failed to take, as usual - and they didn’t need it either: the campaign somehow paid off.

In 1268, seven Russian princes again undertook a campaign in the Baltic states, this time heading for the Danish Rakovor. Only now the strengthened Livonia also remained on the sidelines, and made its raids on the Novgorod lands. For example, in 1253 the Germans besieged Pskov. In a word, relations between Livonia and Novgorod after 1242 did not undergo any changes.

Afterword.

So, having examined the history of the Neva and Peipsi battles in more detail, we can confidently speak of a significant exaggeration of their scope and significance for Russian history. In reality, these were completely ordinary battles, pale in comparison to other battles even in the same region. In the same way, theories about the exploits of Alexander, the "savior of Russia", are only myths. Alexander did not save anyone from anything (fortunately, neither the Swedes nor the Germans threatened Russia and even Novgorod at that time).

Alexander only won two relatively small victories. Against the background of the deeds of his predecessors, descendants and contemporaries (the Pskov prince Dovmont, the Russian king Daniil of Galicia, the Novgorod prince Mstislav Udaly, etc.), this seems like a trifle. In the history of Russia there were dozens of princes who did more for Russia than Alexander, and much more great battles than the two we analyzed. However, the memory of these princes and their accomplishments has been completely ousted from the people's memory by the "exploits" of Alexander Yaroslavovich.

By the "feats" of a man who collaborated with the Tatars, a man who, for the sake of obtaining the Vladimir label, brought Nevryuyev's army to Russia, which, in terms of the scale of disasters brought to the Russian lands, is comparable to the invasion of Batu; the person who. He probably destroyed the coalition of Andrei Yaroslavovich and Daniel of Galicia, who did not want to live under the khan's oppression.

A man who was ready to sacrifice anything to satisfy his own thirst for power. And all these actions of his are presented as committed "for the good" of Russia. It becomes a shame for Russian history, from which all the pages of its glory miraculously disappear, and in their place comes admiration for such figures.

Sutulin Pavel Ilyich

The place of the Battle on the Ice - a monument in honor of the 750th anniversary of famous battle on Lake Peipsi, installed as close as possible to the alleged battle site, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, Gdovsky District, Pskov Region.

Battle on the Ice - one of the largest military clashes of the XIII century. During the period when Russia was weakened from the east by the raids of the Mongols, from the west the threat came from the Livonian Order. The knights captured the fortresses and, as well, and got as close as possible to. In 1241, the Novgorodians turned to Prince Alexander Nevsky. From the prince went to Novgorod, and then set out with an army in Koporye, freeing the fortress and destroying the garrison. In March 1242, having united with the troops of his younger brother, Prince of Vladimir and Suzdal Andrey Yaroslavich, Alexander marched on Pskov and freed him. Then the knights retreated to Dorpat (modern Estonian city of Tartu). Alexander made an unsuccessful attempt to attack the possessions of the Order, after which the prince's troops retreated to the ice of Lake Peipus.

The decisive battle took place on April 5, 1242. The Livonian army numbered about 10-15 thousand soldiers, the forces of Novgorodians and allies outnumbered the German ones and numbered about 15-17 thousand soldiers. During the battle, the knights initially broke into the center of the Russian defenses, but were later surrounded and defeated. The remaining forces of the Livonians retreated, the Novgorodians pursued them for about 7 miles. The losses of the knights amounted to about 400 killed and 50 captured. Novgorodians lost from 600 to 800 killed (in various historical sources data on losses on both sides are very different).

The significance of the victory on Lake Peipsi has not yet been finally determined. Some historians (mostly Western) believe that its significance is greatly exaggerated, and the threat from the west was insignificant compared to the Mongol invasion from the east. Others believe that it was the expansion of the Catholic Church that carried the main threat to Orthodox Russia, and traditionally call Alexander Nevsky one of the main defenders of Russian Orthodoxy.

For a long time, historians could not accurately determine the location of the battle. Research was complicated by the variability of the hydrography of Lake Peipus. There is still no clear archaeological evidence (any finds related to the past major battle). However, it is believed that the most plausible place was Teploye Lake, the narrowest place between Lake Peipus and Pskov, not far from Voronii Island (in legends, the island or "Crow's Stone" is mentioned as the place from which Alexander Nevsky watched the battle).

In 1992, in the village of Kobylye Gorodishche, which is the closest point from the alleged battle site, a monument to Alexander Nevsky and a wooden cross were opened near, which in 2006 was replaced by a bronze one cast in.

In 1993, not far from Pskov, dedicated to the victory in the Battle of the Ice, was opened. From a historical point of view, this position of the monument is not justified, since it is located 100 km. from the battlefield. But from a tourist point of view, the decision is quite successful, since the monument is located near Pskov, as a result of which it immediately became one of the main attractions.