In a fierce battle on Lake Peipsi On April 5, 1242, Novgorod warriors under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky won a significant victory over the army of the Livonian Order. To put it briefly " Battle on the Ice", then even a fourth grade student will understand what we are talking about. The battle under this name has a great historical meaning. That is why its date is one of the days of military glory.
At the end of 1237, the Pope proclaimed the 2nd Crusade to Finland. Taking advantage of this plausible pretext, in 1240 Livonian Order captured Izborsk, and then Pskov. When a threat loomed over Novgorod in 1241, at the request of the city's residents, Prince Alexander led the defense of Russian lands from invaders. He led an army to the Koporye fortress and took it by storm.
In March next year his younger brother, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, came to his aid from Suzdal with his retinue. By joint actions the princes recaptured Pskov from the enemy.
After this, the Novgorod army moved to the Dorpat bishopric, which was located on the territory of modern Estonia. Dorpat (now Tartu) was ruled by Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden, brother of the military leader of the order. The main forces of the crusaders were concentrated in the vicinity of the city. German knights met with forward detachment Novgorodians and defeated them. They were forced to retreat to the frozen lake.
Formation of troops
The combined army of the Livonian Order, Danish knights and Chuds (Baltic-Finnish tribes) was built in the shape of a wedge. This formation is sometimes called a boar's head or pig's head. The calculation is made to break the enemy's battle formations and break into them.
Alexander Nevsky, assuming a similar formation of the enemy, chose a scheme for placing his main forces on the flanks. The correctness of this decision was shown by the outcome of the battle on Lake Peipsi. The date April 5, 1242 is of crucial historical significance.
Progress of the battle
At sunrise, the German army under the command of Master Andreas von Felfen and Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden moved towards the enemy.
As can be seen from the battle diagram, the archers were the first to enter the battle with the crusaders. They fired at the enemies, who were well protected by armor, so under the pressure of the enemy the archers had to retreat. The Germans began to press the middle of the Russian army.
At this time, from both flanks the regiment hit the crusaders with the left and right hand. The attack was unexpected for the enemy, his battle formations lost order, and confusion ensued. At this moment, Prince Alexander’s squad attacked the Germans from the rear. The enemy was now surrounded and began a retreat, which soon turned into a rout. Russian soldiers pursued those who fled for seven miles.
Losses of the parties
As with any military action, both sides suffered heavy losses. Information about them is quite contradictory - depending on the source:
- The Livonian rhymed chronicle mentions 20 knights killed and 6 captured;
- The Novgorod First Chronicle reports about 400 Germans killed and 50 prisoners, as well as large quantities those killed among the Chudi “and the Pade Chudi were beschisla”;
- The Chronicle of Grandmasters provides data on the fallen seventy knights of the “70 Lords of the Order”, “seuentich Ordens Herenn”, but this total number killed in the battle on Lake Peipus and during the liberation of Pskov.
Most likely, the Novgorod chronicler, in addition to the knights, also counted their warriors, which is why there are such large differences in the chronicle: we are talking about different killed.
Data on the losses of the Russian army are also very vague. “Many brave warriors fell,” our sources say. The Livonian Chronicle says that for every German killed, 60 Russians were killed.
As a result of two historical victories of Prince Alexander (on the Neva over the Swedes in 1240 and on Lake Peipsi), the crusaders managed to prevent the seizure of the Novgorod and Pskov lands. In the summer of 1242, ambassadors from the Livonian department of the Teutonic Order arrived in Novgorod and signed a peace treaty in which they renounced encroachment on Russian lands.
The feature film “Alexander Nevsky” was created about these events in 1938. The Battle of the Ice went down in history as an example of military art. The brave prince was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.
For Russia, this event plays a big role in the matter patriotic education youth. At school they begin to study the topic of this fight in the 4th grade. Children will find out what year the Battle of the Ice took place, who they fought with, and mark on the map the place where the Crusaders were defeated.
In 7th grade, students are already working on this in more detail. historical event: draw tables, diagrams of battles with symbols, give messages and reports on this topic, write abstracts and essays, read the encyclopedia.
The significance of the battle on the lake can be judged by the way it is presented in different types arts:
According to the old calendar, the battle took place on April 5, and according to the new calendar, on April 18. On this date, the day of victory of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the crusaders was legally established. However, the discrepancy of 13 days is valid only in the interval from 1900 to 2100. In the 13th century the difference would have been only 7 days. Therefore, the actual anniversary of the event falls on April 12. But as you know, this date was “staken out” by the astronauts.
According to Doctor of Historical Sciences Igor Danilevsky, the significance of the Battle of Lake Peipus is greatly exaggerated. Here are his arguments:
A well-known expert on medieval Rus' Englishman John Fennell and German historian specializing in Eastern Europe, Dietmar Dahlmann. The latter wrote that the significance of this ordinary battle was inflated in order to form a national myth, in which Prince Alexander was appointed the defender of Orthodoxy and Russian lands.
Famous Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky did not even mention this battle in his scientific works, probably due to the insignificance of the event.
Data on the number of participants in the fight are also contradictory. Soviet historians believed that about 10-12 thousand people fought on the side of the Livonian Order and their allies, and the Novgorod army was about 15-17 thousand warriors.
Currently, most historians are inclined to believe that there were no more than sixty Livonian and Danish knights on the side of the order. Taking into account their squires and servants, this is approximately 600 - 700 people plus the Chud, the number of which is not available in the chronicles. According to many historians, there were no more than a thousand miracles, and there were about 2,500 - 3,000 Russian soldiers. There is another curious circumstance. Some researchers reported that Alexander Nevsky was helped in the Battle of Lake Peipus by Tatar troops sent by Batu Khan.
In 1164, a military clash took place near Ladoga. At the end of May, the Swedes sailed to the city on 55 ships and besieged the fortress. Less than a week later, the Novgorod prince Svyatoslav Rostislavich arrived with his army to help the Ladoga residents. He committed a real Ladoga massacre on uninvited guests. According to the testimony of the First Novgorod Chronicle, the enemy was defeated and put to flight. It was a real rout. The winners captured 43 ships out of 55 and many prisoners.
For comparison: in the famous battle on the Neva River in 1240, Prince Alexander took neither prisoners nor enemy ships. The Swedes buried the dead, grabbed the stolen goods and went home, but now this event is forever associated with the name of Alexander.
Some researchers question the fact that the battle took place on ice. It is also considered speculation that during the flight the crusaders fell through the ice. In the first edition of the Novgorod Chronicle and in the Livonian Chronicle, nothing is written about this. This version is also supported by the fact that at the bottom of the lake at the supposed site of the battle, nothing was found confirming the “under-ice” version.
In addition, it is unknown where exactly the Battle of the Ice took place. You can read briefly and in detail about this in different sources. According to the official point of view, the battle took place on the western shore of Cape Sigovets in the southeastern part of Lake Peipsi. This place was determined based on the results of a scientific expedition of 1958−59 led by G.N. Karaev. At the same time, it should be noted that no archaeological finds, which clearly confirms the scientists’ conclusions.
There are other points of view about the location of the battle. In the eighties of the twentieth century, an expedition led by I.E. Koltsov also explored the supposed site of the battle using dowsing methods. The supposed burial places of fallen soldiers were marked on the map. Based on the results of the expedition, Koltsov put forward the version that the main battle took place between the villages of Kobylye Gorodishche, Samolva, Tabory and the Zhelcha River.
Alexander Nevsky and Battle of the Ice
Alexander Nevsky: Brief biography
Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv and Grand Duke Vladimirsky, Alexander Nevskiy He is best known for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the knights of the Teutonic Order into Rus'. At the same time, instead of resisting the Mongols, he paid them tribute. This position was considered by many to be cowardice, but perhaps Alexander simply sensibly assessed his capabilities.
Son Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich, The Grand Duke of Vladimir and all-Russian leader, Alexander, was elected Prince of Novgorod in 1236 (a primarily military position). In 1239 he married Alexandra, daughter of the Prince of Polotsk.
Some time ago, the Novgorodians invaded Finnish territory, which was under the control of the Swedes. In response to this, and also wanting to block Russian access to the sea, in 1240 the Swedes invaded Rus'.
Alexander won a significant victory over the Swedes at the mouth of the Izhora River, on the banks of the Neva, as a result of which he received the honorary nickname Nevsky. However, a few months later, Alexander was expelled from Novgorod due to a conflict with the Novgorod boyars.
A little later, the Pope Gregory IX began to call on the Teutonic knights to “Christianize” the Baltic region, although the peoples living there were already Christians. In the face of this threat, Alexander was invited to return to Novgorod, and, after several skirmishes, in April 1242, he won a famous victory over the knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi. Thus, Alexander stopped the advance of both the Swedes and the Germans to the east.
But there was another serious problem in the east. Mongol troops conquered most of Russia, which was not politically unified at the time. Alexander's father agreed to serve the new Mongol rulers, but died in September 1246. As a result of this, the throne of the Grand Duke was free and Alexander and younger brother Andrei went to Batu(Batu), Mongol Khan of the Golden Horde. Batu sent them to the great Kagan, who, perhaps out of spite to Batu, who preferred Alexander, violating Russian custom, appointed Andrei Grand Duke of Vladimir. Alexander became the Prince of Kyiv.
Andrei entered into a conspiracy with other Russian princes and western neighbors against the Mongol rulers and Alexander took the opportunity to denounce his brother to Sartak, the son of Batu. Sartak sent an army to overthrow Andrei and Alexander soon took his place as Grand Duke.
As Grand Duke, Alexander sought to restore the prosperity of Rus' by building fortifications, temples, and passing laws. He continued to control Novgorod with the help of his son Vasily. This violated the established traditions of government in Novgorod (veche and invitation to reign). In 1255, the inhabitants of Novgorod expelled Vasily, but Alexander gathered an army and returned Vasily back to the throne.
In 1257, in connection with the upcoming census and taxation, an uprising broke out in Novgorod. Alexander helped force the city into submission, probably fearing that the Mongols would punish all of Rus' for Novgorod's actions. In 1262, uprisings began to occur against Muslim tribute collectors from the Golden Horde, but Alexander managed to avoid reprisals by going to Sarai, the Horde's capital on the Volga, and discussing the situation with the khan. He also achieved the release of Rus' from the obligation to supply soldiers for the Khan's army.
On the way home, Alexander Nevsky died in Gorodets. After his death, Rus' fell apart into warring principalities, but his son Daniil received the principality of Moscow, which ultimately led to the reunification of the northern Russian lands. In 1547 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Alexander Nevsky.
Battle on the Ice
The Battle of the Ice (Lake Peipus) occurred on April 5, 1242, during the Northern Crusades (12-13 centuries).
Armies and Generals
Crusaders
- Herman of Dorpat
- 1,000 – 4,000 people
- Prince Alexander Nevsky
- Prince Andrei II Yaroslavich
- 5,000 – 6,000 people
Battle on the Ice - background
In the thirteenth century, the papacy attempted to force Orthodox Christians living in the Baltic region to accept papal sovereignty. Despite the fact that previous efforts were unsuccessful, in the 1230s a new attempt was made to create a church state in the Baltic states.
Preaching the Crusade in the late 1230s, William of Modena organized a Western coalition to invade Novgorod. This papal action against Rus' coincided with the desire of the Swedes and Danes to expand their territories to the east, so both states began to supply troops for the campaign, as did the knights of the Teutonic Order.
The trading center of the region, Novgorod, like most of Rus', was invaded by the Mongols in the recent past (the Novgorod lands were only partially devastated, and the Mongols did not attack Novgorod itself lane). Formally remaining independent, Novgorod accepted Mongol rule in 1237. The Western invaders hoped that the Mongol invasion would distract the attention of Novgorod and that this would be the right time to attack.
In the spring of 1240, Swedish troops began advancing into Finland. Alarmed residents of Novgorod called the recently exiled Prince Alexander back to the city to lead the army (Alexander was expelled and called back after the Battle of the Neva lane). Having planned a campaign against the Swedes, Alexander defeated them in the Battle of the Neva and received an honorary title Nevsky.
Campaign in the South
Although the Crusaders were defeated in Finland, they had better luck in the south. Here, at the end of 1240, the mixed forces of the knights of the Livonian and Teutonic orders, Danish, Estonian and Russian troops managed to capture Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye. But in 1241 Alexander recaptured eastern lands Neva, and in March 1242 he liberated Pskov.
Wanting to strike back at the crusaders, he launched a raid on the lands of the Order that same month. Having finished this, Alexander began to retreat to the East. Having gathered his troops in this region together, Hermann, Bishop of Dorpat, went in pursuit.
Battle on the Ice
Although Hermann's troops were smaller in number, they were better equipped than their Russian opponents. The chase continued, and on April 5, Alexander’s army set foot on the ice of Lake Peipus. Crossing the lake at its narrowest point, he looked for a good defensive position and it turned out to be the eastern shore of the lake, with ice blocks protruding from the uneven ground. Turning around at this point, Alexander lined up his army, placing the infantry in the center and the cavalry on the flanks. Arriving on the west bank, the crusader army formed a wedge, placing heavy cavalry at the head and on the flanks.
Moving on the ice, the crusaders reached the location of Alexander's Russian army. Their progress slowed as they had to overcome rough terrain and suffered casualties from archers. When both armies collided, hand-to-hand combat began. As the battle raged, Alexander ordered his cavalry and horse archers to attack the crusaders' flanks. Rushing forward, they soon successfully surrounded Herman's army and began beating him. As the battle took such a turn, many of the crusaders began to fight their way back across the lake.
According to myths, the crusaders began to fall through the ice, but most likely there were few who failed. Seeing that the enemy was retreating, Alexander allowed them to pursue him only to the western shore of the lake. Having been defeated, the crusaders were forced to flee to the West.
Consequences of the Battle of the Ice
While Russian casualties are not known with any certainty, it is estimated that about 400 Crusaders died and another 50 were captured. After the battle, Alexander offered generous peace terms, which were quickly accepted by Germanus and his allies. Defeats on the Neva and Lake Peipsi effectively stopped the West's attempts to subjugate Novgorod. Based on a minor event, the Battle of the Ice subsequently formed the basis of Russian anti-Western ideology. This legend was promoted by the film Alexander Nevskiy, filmed by Sergei Eisenstein in 1938.
The legend and iconography of the Battle of the Ice was used for propaganda purposes during World War II as a description of Russia's defense against German invaders.
Losses
Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikha
The issue of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. The Russian losses are spoken of vaguely: “many brave warriors fell.” Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the knights are indicated by specific figures, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, followed by domestic historians, say that about five hundred knights were killed, and the miracles were “beschisla”; fifty “brothers,” “deliberate commanders,” were allegedly taken prisoner. Four hundred to five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there was no such number in the entire Order.
According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to gather “many brave heroes, brave and excellent,” led by the master, plus Danish vassals “with a significant detachment.” The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights were killed and six were captured. Most likely, the “Chronicle” means only “brothers”-knights, without taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 “Germans” fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and “chud” is also discounted: “beschisla.” Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.
So, it is possible that 400 German cavalry soldiers (of which twenty were real “brothers” knights) actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipus, and 50 Germans (of which 6 “brothers”) were captured by the Russians. “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” claims that the prisoners then walked next to their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.
The immediate site of the battle, according to the conclusions of the expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences led by Karaev, can be considered a section of Warm Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern shore of Cape Sigovets, between its northern tip and the latitude of the village of Ostrov. It should be noted that the battle on a flat surface of ice was more advantageous for the heavy cavalry of the Order, however, it is traditionally believed that the place for meeting the enemy was chosen by Alexander Yaroslavich.
Consequences
According to the traditional point of view in Russian historiography, this battle, together with the victories of Prince Alexander over the Swedes (July 15, 1240 on the Neva) and over the Lithuanians (in 1245 near Toropets, near Lake Zhitsa and near Usvyat), had great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, delaying the onslaught of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Rus' was suffering from princely strife and consequences Tatar conquest big losses. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Germans on the Ice was remembered for a long time: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was remembered in the litanies of all Novgorod churches back in the 16th century.
The English researcher J. Funnel believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice (and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: “Alexander did only what numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders." Russian professor I.N. Danilevsky also agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles of Siauliai (city), in which the Lithuanians killed the master of the order and 48 knights (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle of Rakovor in 1268; Contemporary sources even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and give it greater significance. However, even in the “Rhymed Chronicle” the Battle of the Ice is clearly described as a defeat of the Germans, unlike Rakovor.
Memory of the battle
Movies
Music
The score for Eisenstein's film, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite dedicated to the events of the battle.
Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Worship Cross
The bronze worship cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of patrons of the Baltic Steel Group (A. V. Ostapenko). The prototype was the Novgorod Alekseevsky Cross. The author of the project is A. A. Seleznev. The bronze sign was cast under the direction of D. Gochiyaev by the foundry workers of NTCCT CJSC, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. When implementing the project, fragments from the lost wooden cross by sculptor V. Reshchikov were used.
Cultural and sports educational raid expedition
Since 1997, an annual raid expedition has been carried out to places feats of arms squads of Alexander Nevsky. During these trips, participants in the race help improve areas related to monuments of cultural and historical heritage. Thanks to them, memorial signs were installed in many places in the North-West in memory of the exploits of Russian soldiers, and the village of Kobylye Gorodishche became known throughout the country.
He defeated the army of the Livonian Order. Unlike the laconic and restrained German chronicles, in Russian chronicles the events on Lake Peipsi are described on an epic scale. “And I ran into the regiment of Nemtsi and Chud and smashed through the regiment with a pig, and there was a great slaughter of Nemtsi and Chud,” says “The Life of Alexander Nevsky.” The Battle of the Ice has long been a subject of debate among historians. The discussion was about the exact location of the battle and the number of participants.
Chronicle legendary battle, which forced the Germans to stop expansion to the East:
In August 1240, the Livonian Order began a campaign against Rus'. The knights captured Izborsk, Pskov and the coast of the Gulf of Finland. In 1241, Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky gathered an army. Warriors from Suzdal and Vladimir arrive to help him. Alexander recaptures Pskov and Izborsk, the Livonian knights retreat to Lake Peipus.
Most of the enemy forces were Estonians - in Russian-language sources “chjud”. The vast majority of Estonians were not professional warriors and were poorly armed. In numbers, the detachments from the enslaved peoples significantly outnumbered the German knights.
The Battle of Lake Peipsi began with the performance of Russian riflemen. Ahead, Nevsky placed a regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The main forces were concentrated on the flanks. The princely cavalry squad was in ambush behind the left flank.
The German cavalry broke through the enemy formation. The Russians attacked it from both flanks, which forced other units of the Order to retreat. Alexander Nevsky's squad struck from the rear. The battle broke up into separate pockets. “And Nemtsi fell down, and Chud dropped splash; and, as a chaser, beat them 7 versts along the ice to the Subolich coast,” says the first Novgorod chronicle of the older edition.
Thus, Russian army pursued the enemy across the ice for 7 versts (more than 7 kilometers). In later sources, information appeared that the Germans went under the ice, but historians still argue about its reliability.
The Novgorod First Chronicle, the Suzdal and Laurentian Chronicles, and “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” tell about the Battle of the Ice. For a long time researchers debated the exact location of the battle; The chronicles mention that the troops converged on the shores of Lake Peipus at the Crow Stone and the Uzmen tract.
The number of warring parties is unknown. IN Soviet time The following figures appeared: up to 12 thousand soldiers of the Livonian Order and up to 17 thousand people from Alexander Nevsky. Other sources indicate that up to 5 thousand people fought on the Russian side. About 450 knights were killed in the battle.
Victory on Lake Peipsi long time delayed the German offensive and was of great importance for Novgorod and Pskov, which suffered from Western invaders. The Livonian Order was forced to make peace, abandoning its territorial claims.
The battle, which took place on April 5, 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus near the island of Voroniy Kamen, went down in history as one of the most important in the history of the state, as a battle that liberated the lands of Rus' from any claims of the Order of the Livonian Knights. Although the course of the battle is known, many controversial issues remain. Thus, there is no exact information about the number of soldiers who took part in the Battle of Lake Peipsi. Neither in the chronicles that have reached us, nor in the “Life of Alexander Nevsky” are these data given. Presumably, from the Novgorodians, from 12 thousand to 15 thousand soldiers took part in the battle. The number of the enemy ranged from 10 thousand to 12 thousand. At the same time, there were few knights among the German soldiers, the bulk of the army were militias, litas and Estonians.
Alexander's choice of the battle site was dictated by both tactical and strategic calculations. The position occupied by the prince's troops made it possible to block all approaches to Novgorod for the attackers. The prince probably also remembered that winter conditions provide certain advantages in confrontations with heavy knights. Let's look at how the Battle of the Ice took place (briefly).
If the battle formation of the crusaders is well known to historians and is called a wedge, or, according to the chronicles, a “great pig” (heavy knights are on the flanks, and more lightly armed warriors are inside the wedge), then there is no exact information about the construction and location of the Novgorod army. It is quite possible that this was a traditional “regimental row”. The knights, who had no information about the number and location of Nevsky’s troops, decided to advance on open ice.
Although detailed description There are no chronicles of the battle on Lake Peipsi; it is quite possible to restore the scheme of the Battle of the Ice. The wedge of knights crashed into the center of the Nevsky guard regiment and broke through its defenses, rushing further. Perhaps this “success” was foreseen in advance by Prince Alexander, since the attackers then encountered a lot of insurmountable obstacles. The knight's wedge, squeezed in pincers, lost its orderly ranks and maneuverability, which turned out to be a serious negative factor for the attackers. The attack of the ambush regiment, which had not participated in the battle until that moment, finally tipped the scales in favor of the Novgorodians. The knights dismounted from their horses in their heavy armor on the ice and became practically helpless. Only part of the attackers managed to escape, whom the Russian warriors pursued, according to the chronicler, “to the Falcon Coast.”
After the victory of the Russian prince in the Battle of the Ice on Lake Peipsi, the Livonian Order was forced to make peace, completely renouncing its claims to the lands of Rus'. According to the agreement, both sides returned the soldiers captured during the battle.
It is worth noting that on the ice of Lake Peipsi, for the first time in the history of wars, a foot army defeated heavy cavalry, which was a formidable force in the Middle Ages. Alexander Yaroslavich, who brilliantly won the Battle of the Ice, made maximum use of the surprise factor and took into account the terrain.
The military-political significance of Alexander’s victory is difficult to overestimate. The prince not only defended the opportunity for the Novgorodians to conduct further trade with European countries and reach the Baltic, but also protected the north-west of Rus', because in the event of the defeat of Novgorod, the threat of the Order capturing the north-west of Rus' would become quite real. In addition, the prince delayed the German onslaught on Eastern European territories. April 5, 1242 - one of important dates in the history of Rus'.