Read The Northern Crusades Online
Authors: Eric Christiansen
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PENGUIN BOOKS
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
PENGUIN BOOKS
PENGUIN BOOKS
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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
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
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.
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. |