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 that 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 his younger brother Andrei went to Batu(Batu), Mongol Khan 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

Battle on the Ice(Lake Peipsi) 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 conquered the eastern lands of the 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.

April 18 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia, the day of the victory of Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipus (the so-called Battle of the Ice, 1242). The date is marked according to Federal law“On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia” dated March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ.

In the early 40s. XIII century, taking advantage of the weakening of Rus', which occurred as a result of the devastating invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, German crusaders, Swedish and Danish feudal lords decided to seize its northeastern lands. By joint efforts they hoped to conquer the Novgorod feudal republic. The Swedes, with the support of the Danish knights, tried to capture the mouth of the Neva, but were defeated by the Novgorod army in the Battle of the Neva in 1240.

At the end of August - beginning of September 1240, the Pskov land was invaded by the crusaders of the Livonian Order, which was formed by the German knights of the Teutonic Order in 1237 in the Eastern Baltic on the territory inhabited by the Livonian and Estonian tribes. After a short siege, German knights captured the city of Izborsk. Then they besieged Pskov and, with the assistance of the traitor boyars, soon occupied it too. After this, the crusaders invaded the Novgorod land, captured the coast of the Gulf of Finland and built their own on the site of the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye. Having not reached Novgorod 40 km, the knights began plundering its surroundings.

(Military encyclopedia. Military publishing house. Moscow. in 8 volumes - 2004)

An embassy was sent from Novgorod to the great Prince of Vladimir Yaroslav, so that he would release his son Alexander (Prince Alexander Nevsky) to help them. Alexander Yaroslavovich ruled in Novgorod from 1236, but due to the machinations of the Novgorod nobility, he left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Rus'.

In 1241, Prince Alexander Nevsky, returning to Novgorod, gathered an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelians. Having secretly made a quick transition to Koporye, it took this strong fortress by storm. By capturing Koporye, Alexander Nevsky secured the northwestern borders of the Novgorod lands, secured his rear and northern flank for further struggle against the German crusaders. At the call of Alexander Nevsky, troops from Vladimir and Suzdal under the command of his brother Prince Andrei arrived to help the Novgorodians. United Novgorod-Vladimir army in the winter of 1241-1242. undertook a campaign in the Pskov land and, cutting off all roads from Livonia to Pskov, took this city, as well as Izborsk, by storm.

After this defeat, the Livonian knights, having gathered a large army, marched to the Pskov and Peipsi lakes. The basis of the army of the Livonian Order was the heavily armed knightly cavalry, as well as infantry (bollards) - detachments of peoples enslaved by the Germans (Estonians, Livonians, etc.), which many times outnumbered the knights.

Having found out the direction of movement of the enemy’s main forces, Alexander Nevsky sent his army there too. Having reached Lake Peipus, Alexander Nevsky’s army found itself in the center of possible enemy routes to Novgorod. At this place it was decided to give battle to the enemy. The opposing armies converged on the shores of Lake Peipsi near the Crow Stone and the Uzmen tract. Here, on April 5, 1242, a battle took place that went down in history as the Battle of the Ice.

At dawn, the crusaders approached the Russian position on the ice of the lake at a slow trot. The army of the Livonian Order, according to established military tradition, advanced with an “iron wedge”, which appears in Russian chronicles under the name “pigs”. At the forefront was the main group of knights, some of them covered the flanks and rear of the “wedge”, in the center of which the infantry was located. The wedge had as its task the fragmentation and breakthrough of the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were supposed to defeat the enemy's flanks. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable.

Alexander Nevsky contrasted this stereotypical tactics of knights with the new formation of Russian troops. He concentrated his main forces not in the center ("chele"), as Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. In front was an advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The Russian battle formation was turned with its rear to the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and the princely cavalry squad hid in ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was advantageous in that the Germans, advancing along open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian army.

The knight's wedge broke through the center of the Russian army. Having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the sedentary, armor-clad knights were unable to develop their success. The flanks of the Russian battle formation ("wings") squeezed the wedge into pincers. At this time, Alexander Nevsky's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy.

Under the onslaught of Russian regiments, the knights mixed their ranks and, having lost freedom of maneuver, were forced to defend themselves. A brutal battle ensued. Russian infantrymen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks and chopped them down with axes. Hemmed in on all sides in a limited space, the crusaders fought desperately. But their resistance gradually weakened, it became disorganized, and the battle broke up into separate centers. Where they accumulated large groups knights, the ice could not withstand their weight and broke. Many knights drowned. The Russian cavalry pursued the defeated enemy over 7 km, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi.

The army of the Livonian Order suffered a complete defeat and suffered huge losses for those times: up to 450 knights died and 50 were captured. Several thousand knechts were killed. The Livonian Order was faced with the need to conclude a peace, according to which the crusaders renounced their claims to Russian lands, and also renounced part of Latgale (a region in eastern Latvia).

The victory of the Russian army on the ice of Lake Peipus was of great political and military significance. The Livonian Order was dealt a crushing blow, and the crusaders' advance to the East stopped. The Battle of the Ice was the first example in history of the defeat of knights by an army consisting mainly of infantry, which testified to the advanced nature of Russian military art.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Period: , .

Battle of the Ice 1242. Miniature from the “Front Chronicle.” XVI century

IN difficult years Mongol invasion the Russian people had to repel the onslaught of German and Swedish feudal lords.

The Swedish government sent large forces against Rus' (including a detachment of subject Finns) under the leadership of Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Birger.

The goal of this campaign was to capture Ladoga, and, if successful, Novgorod itself. The predatory goals of the campaign, as usual, were covered up with phrases that its participants were trying to spread among the Russian people “ true faith" - Catholicism.

At dawn on a July day in 1240, the Swedish flotilla unexpectedly appeared in the Gulf of Finland and, having passed along the Neva, stood at the mouth of the Izhora. A temporary Swedish camp was set up here.

Novgorod Prince Alexander Yaroslavich (son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich), having received a message from the head of the sea guard, Izhorian Pelgusius, about the arrival of enemies, gathered his small squad and part of the Novgorod militia in Novgorod.

Considering that the Swedish army was much more numerous than the Russian one, Alexander decided to deal an unexpected blow to the Swedes.

On the morning of July 15 Russian army suddenly attacked the Swedish camp. The cavalry squad fought its way to the center of the Swedish troops. At the same time, the foot Novgorod militia, following along the Neva, attacked enemy ships.

Three ships were captured and destroyed. With blows along Izhora and the Neva, the Swedish army was overthrown and pushed into the corner formed by two rivers. The balance of forces changed, and Russian cavalry and foot troops united and threw the enemy into the water.

The plan of the talented commander Alexander Yaroslavich, designed for sudden blow against the Swedish army, combined with the heroism of ordinary soldiers, ensured them a quick and glorious victory.

Only about twenty Russians fell.

For the victory won on the Neva, Prince Alexander was nicknamed “Nevsky”.

The struggle for the mouth of the Neva was a struggle to preserve access to the sea for Rus'. The victory over the Swedes prevented Russia from losing the shores of the Finnish volley and the threat of cessation of economic ties with other countries.

Thus, this victory facilitated the further struggle of the Russian people for independence and for the overthrow of the Mongol yoke.

But the fight against the Swedish invaders was, however, only part of the defense of Rus'.

In 1240, German and Danish feudal lords captured the city of Izborsk. Then the German knights laid siege and, relying on the treason of the boyars, took Pskov, where they imprisoned their governors (vogts).

Meanwhile, due to strife with the Novgorod boyars, Alexander Nevsky left Novgorod with his entire court in the winter of 1240 and went to Pereyaslavl. At the beginning of 1241, German knights took Tesovo, Luga and Koporye, after which detachments of German feudal lords appeared near Novgorod.

At this moment, a popular uprising broke out in Novgorod and, at the request of the veche, Alexander Nevsky was again called to the city.

In the same year, with an unexpected blow, Russian regiments under the command of Prince Alexander drove the enemy out of Koporye. The successes of the Russian troops caused the rise of the liberation movement in the Baltic states. An uprising broke out on the island of Saaremaa.

Regiments from the Suzdal land arrived to help Alexander Nevsky, and the united Russian army under his command “expelled” (quick strike) liberated Pskov. Further, the path of the Russian army lay in the land of the Estonians. West of Lake Peipsi it met the main German forces and retreated onto the ice-covered lake.

It was here that on April 5, 1242, the famous battle took place, called the Battle of the Ice. The knights formed a wedge formation but were attacked from the flanks.

Russian archers caused confusion in the ranks of the surrounded German knights. As a result, the Russians won a decisive victory.

400 knights alone were killed, in addition, 50 knights were captured. Russian soldiers furiously pursued the enemy who had fled.

The victory on Lake Peipus was of great importance for the further history of both the Russian and other peoples of Eastern Europe. The Battle of Lake Peipsi put an end to the predatory advance to the east, which German rulers had carried out for centuries with the help of the German Empire and the papal curia.

It was during these years that the foundations of the joint struggle of the Russian people and the Baltic peoples against centuries-old German and Swedish feudal expansion were strengthened. The Battle of the Ice also played a big role in the struggle for independence of the Lithuanian people. The Curonians and Prussians rebelled against the German knights.

The Tatar-Mongol invasion of Rus' deprived it of the opportunity to expel the German feudal lords from the Estonian and Latvian lands. The Livonian and Teutonic knights also occupied the lands between the Vistula and the Neman and, uniting, cut off Lithuania from the sea.

Throughout the XIII century. The raids of the order's robbers into Rus' and Lithuania continued, but at the same time the knights repeatedly suffered severe defeats, for example, from the Russians at Rakvere (1268), and from the Lithuanians at Durbe (1260).

The Battle of the Ice occurred on April 5, 1242. The battle brought together the army of the Livonian Order and the army of North-Eastern Rus' - the Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal principalities.
The army of the Livonian Order was headed by the commander - the head of the administrative unit of the Order - Riga, Andreas von Velven, the former and future Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia (from 1240 to 1241 and from 1248 to 1253).
At the head of the Russian army was Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Despite his youth, he was 21 years old at the time, he had already become famous as a successful commander and brave warrior. Two years earlier, in 1240, he defeated a Swedish army on the Neva River, for which he received his nickname.
This battle got its name, “Battle of the Ice,” from the location of this event – ​​the frozen Lake Peipsi. The ice at the beginning of April was strong enough to support a horse rider, so the two armies met on it.

Causes of the Battle of the Ice.

On the eve of the battle.

Progress of the Battle of the Ice.

Results of the Battle of the Ice.