The Northern Crusades

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Authors: Eric Christiansen

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PENGUIN BOOKS

THE NORTHERN CRUSADES
 

Eric Christiansen, a Fellow of New College, Oxford, is the author of
The Origins of Military Power in Spain
and works mainly on Northern history in the Middle Ages. Danish by descent and English by education, he has spent some time in and around the Baltic Sea, and has lectured in London, Copenhagen and Florida. He has translated the histories of Saxo Grammaticus and Dudo of St Quentin.

Acclaim for
The Northern Crusades:

‘This interesting, well-written book fills a major gap in historians’
literature dealing with the late Middle Ages in northern Europe & a
worthy introduction to a complex area of history’ – James Brundage in
the
Journal of Ecclesiastical History

‘The author’s many insights… give the book an importance far
beyond the circle for which it was intended… For Mr Christiansen
history remains an art as well as a science’ – Peter King in
the
Slavonic Review

‘His scholarship is wide, honest and exact… Grounded in rigorous
historical observation, not ideological fervour, military Christianity is
explained with a brilliance which leaves the reader at once dazzled
and sickened… Valuable, learned and attractively written’ —
F. R. H. du Boulay

 
ERIC CHRISTIANSEN
 
The Northern Crusades
 

PENGUIN BOOKS

 

PENGUIN BOOKS

Published by the Penguin Group
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, England

First published by Macmillan
Published in Penguin Books 1997
II

Copyright © Eric Christiansen, 1980, 1997
All rights reserved

The moral right of the author has been asserted

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

978-0-14-193736-6

CONTENTS
 
        
List of Maps
        
Acknowledgements
        
Chronological Table
        
Northern Rulers
        
Spelling of Names
        
INTRODUCTION
    
1   
    
NORTH-EAST EUROPE ON THE EVE OF THE CRUSADES
        
Land and Sea
        
Peoples
        
Interactions
    
2   
    
THE WENDISH CRUSADE IN THEORY AND PRACTICE, 1147–1185
        
The Crusade of 1147
        
Supporters and Chroniclers
        
The Slav Wars of Henry the Lion and Valdemar the Great
    
3   
    
THE ARMED MONKS: IDEOLOGY AND EFFICIENCY
        
Varieties of Monastic Knighthood, 1128–1237
        
The Monastic War-Machine, 1225–1309
    
4   
    
THE CONQUEST OF THE EAST BALTIC LANDS, 1200–1292
        
Livonia
        
Prussia
        
Estonia
        
Finland
    
5   
    
THE THEOCRATIC EXPERIMENT, 1200–1273
        
Popes and Legates
        
The Battle for the Convert
        
The War on the Schismatics
    
6   
    
THE LITHUANIAN CRUSADE, 1283–1410
        
The Roads to Collision, 1203–1309
        
The Morality and Recruitment of the Crusade
        
Wars and Politics, 1304–1409
        
Strategy and Tactics
    
7   
    
THE CRUSADE AGAINST NOVGOROD, 1295–1378
        
The Debatable Lands
        
The Making of a Russo-Swedish Frontier, 1295–1326
        
The Crusades of King Magnus
    
8   
    
THE CRUSADING STATES OF NORTH-EAST EUROPE
        
Systems of Government
        
Conditions of Men
        
Civilizations
    
9   
    
THE WITHERING OF THE CRUSADE, 1409–1525
        
Tannenberg and After, 1409–14
        
Confrontations at Constance, 1414–18
        
The Survival and Extinction of the Order in Prussia, 1418–1525
        
Livonia and the Russians, 1400–1562
        
CONCLUSION
        
Further Reading
        
References to Sources
        
Index
 
LIST OF MAPS
 

1 The Baltic Region, 1100

2 The Wendish Crusades, 1147–85

3 The Livonian and Estonian Crusades, 1198–1290

4 The Prussian Crusades, 1230–83

5 The Lithuanian Front, 1280–1435

6 The Russian Front, 1242–1500

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 

The author owes more than he can repay to almost everyone else who has written on the subjects of crusades and the North, but in particular to Christopher Tyerman, Peter King, and Peter and Birgit Sawyer; and to the late John Fennell, the late Karol Gorski, and the late Karl Leyser.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
 
960S–990S
Christian churches established among West Slavs, Danes, Poles, Russians.
997
Martyrdom of St Adalbert of Prague in Prussia.
1000
Polish archbishopric founded at Gniezno.
1050s
Building of cathedrals of Holy Wisdom at Novgorod and at Polotsk.
1066
Ousting of German missions and rule from West Slavs.
1070s
Adam of Bremen writes his
History of the Archbishops
.
1086
Martyrdom of King Canute IV in Denmark.
1096–9
First Crusade to Jerusalem.
1103
Pilgrimage of King Eric of Denmark to the East.
1103/4
Establishment of Lund as metropolitan of the North.
1108?
Appeal for war on Slavs in Magdeburg diocese.
1116
Russian outpost among Estonians at Odenpäh.
1118
Hospital of St Mary for Germans founded at Jerusalem.
1124 and 1127
Missions of Bishop Otto of Bamberg to the Pomeranians; bishopric at Wollin.
1129–36
Bernard of Clairvaux composes Rule for the Templars.
1135
Danes raid Rügen; Saxons build stone fort at Segeburg.
1139–43
Saxon conquest of Wagria and Polabia.
1143–4
Cistercians enter Sweden and Denmark.
1147
First Northern crusade, against the Baltic Slavs.
1164
Revolt and subjugation of the Abotrites by the Saxons and Danes.
1168–9
Conquest of Rügen by Valdemar I of Denmark.
1171
Alexander III authorizes crusade against the east-Baltic heathen.
1181
Fall of Duke Henry of Saxony.
1185
Pomeranian Slavs submit to Canute VI of Denmark.
1188
Estonians raid Uppsala. First mission to the Livs.
1198
Innocent III authorizes the Livonian crusade; Bishop Berthold slain.
1200
Bishop Albert establishes the see of Riga and Order of Sword-Brothers.
1200–1209
Conquest of the Livs and Letts by Bishop Albert and crusaders.
1215
Innocent III consecrates Christian bishop of the Prussians.
1217
Honorius III authorizes crusade against the Prussians.
1219
Valdemar II founds Reval and begins conquest of northern Estonia.
1225
William of Sabina’s first legation to the east-Baltic churches.
1226
Frederick II’s Bull of Rimini grants Prussia to the Teutonic Order.
1230
Gregory IX authorizes the Teutonic Order to conquer the Prussians.
1231–40
Teutonic Knights and crusaders conquer the western Prussians.
1236
Sword-Brothers annihilated by the Lithuanians at Siaulai (Saule).
1240
First crusade against the Russians; Swedes beaten on the Neva, Pskov taken.
1242
Teutonic Knights defeated at Lake Chud. Prussians revolt.
1249
Treaty of Christburg. Conquest of middle Finland by the Swedes under Birger Jarl.
1254–6
Conquest of Samland.
1260–83
Revolt and final subjugation of the southern Letts, the Curonians and Prussians.
1290
Conquest of Semigallia by Teutonic Knights of Livonia.
1292
Swedes establish outpost of Viborg (Viipuru) in Karelia.
1297
Civil war in Livonia.
1300
Swedes build fort of Landskrona on the Neva.
1304
Crusaders from Rhineland assist the Teutonic Knights against Lithuania.
1308
Teutonic Knights occupy Danzig.
1309
Headquarters of the Teutonic Order moved from Venice to Marienburg.
1318
Novgorodians raid Finland and burn Åbo cathedral.
1323
Treaty of Nöteborg ends Swedish-Novgorodian war. Peace of Vilnius between the Teutonic Order and Gediminas of Lithuania.
1329
King John of Bohemia’s crusade; Prussia at war with the Poles and Lithuanians.
1332
Prussia makes peace with Poland.
1337
Emperor Lewis IV authorizes the grand-master to conquer Eastern Europe.
1343
Revolt of the Estonians against the colonists.
1346
Valdemar IV of Denmark sells Estonia to the Teutonic Order.
1348
King Magnus of Sweden invades Russia. Prussians beat the Lithuanians at Strawe.
1350
King Magnus’s second crusade.
1362
Prussian Knights and crusaders capture Kaunas.
1364
Urban V’s crusading Bull urges continued war on Lithuania.
1381
Cannon used by the Teutonic Knights on the Niemen.
1382
The Order takes Vilnius and Trakai.
1386
Prince Jogailo of Lithuania baptized and made king of Poland.
1392
The Order seizes the Polish duchy of Dobrzyn.
1398
The Order conquers Gotland and is ceded Samogitia by Witold.
1405
Dobrzyn returned to Poland. Samogitia subjugated.
1409
Samogitia revolts. Dobrzyn reoccupied by the Order.
1410
Poles and Lithuanians defeat the Order at Tannenberg.
1414
King Wladyslaw IV invades Prussia again, and retires.
1415
Poland and the Order appeal to the Council of Constance.
1423
The Order cedes Samogitia to Witold by the peace of Lake Melno. Last German crusaders reach Prussia.
1429
Detachment of Teutonic Knights sent to defend Hungary against the Turks, at request of Emperor Sigismund.
1433
Polish–Hussite army invades Prussia.
1435
Poles defeat the Livonian Knights at Wilkomierz; peace of Brest.
1444–8
War between the Livonians and Novgorod.
1454–66
Thirteen Years’ War of Poland and Prussian towns against the Teutonic Order.
1466
Second peace of Torun; half Prussia ceded to Poland.
1471
Livonian-Lithuanian alliance frustrated by deposition of Master Wolthus von Herse.
1478
Submission of Novgorod to Ivan III of Moscow.
1480
Livonians fail to conquer Pskov.
1496
Swedes take Ivangorod.
1501
Treaty of Wenden unites Livonians and Lithuanians against Ivan III.
1502
Master von Plettenberg saves Livonia at the battle of Lake Smolina.
1519–21
Poles invade Prussia.
1525
Secularization of Prussia under Duke Albert.
1561–2
Partition and secularization of Livonia.

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