A monument in Pskov Oblast marking the location of the battlefield.

The Battle of the Ice (Russian: Ледовое побоище, Ledovoe poboišče; German: Schlacht auf dem Eise; Estonian: Jäälahing), also known as the Battle of Lake Peipus (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee), was a battle between the Republic of Novgorod and the Teutonic Knights on April 5, 1242 at Lake Peipus. The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... Image File history File links Confederation_of_Livonia_1260. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events April 5 - During a battle on the ice of Chudskoye Lake, Russian forces rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights. ... Lake Peipus (Estonian: Peipsi-Pihkva järv, Russian: (Chud Lake), German: Peipussee) is a large fresh water lake, on the border between Estonia and Russia in Northern Europe. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... The career of Albert of Buxhoeveden (ca 1165 - Riga, January 17, 1229) and his brother Hermann exemplify the double nature of power, ecclesiastical and secular, especially on the marches of Europe, where Roman Catholicism was pushing aggressively to the East. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (480x720, 106 KB) A monument in the Pskov Oblast commemorating Battle on the Ice (1237). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (480x720, 106 KB) A monument in the Pskov Oblast commemorating Battle on the Ice (1237). ... Coat of arms Pskov Oblast (Russian: , Pskovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ... Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events April 5 - During a battle on the ice of Chudskoye Lake, Russian forces rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights. ... Lake Peipus (Estonian: Peipsi-Pihkva järv, Russian: (Chud Lake), German: Peipussee) is a large fresh water lake, on the border between Estonia and Russia in Northern Europe. ...

The battle was one of the most significant defeats sustained by Roman Catholic crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which were directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land. The crusaders' defeat in the battle effectively marked the end of significant campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Russian territories in the aftermath of the conquest of Estonia. “Catholic Church” redirects here. ... The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... Pagan and heathen redirect here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Holy Land (Biblical). ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... Combatants Livonian Order Estonian elderships Commanders Albert of Riga Anders Sunesen Caupo of Turaida † Theoderich von Treyden Volquin Wenno William of Modena Lembitu of Lehola † Vyachko † Strength unknown unknown The 13th century conquest of Estonia was undertaken by the Livonian Order, the Kingdom of Denmark, and their allies against the...

Background

Hoping to exploit the Russians' weakness in the wake of the Mongol and Swedish invasions, the Teutonic Knights attacked the neighboring Novgorod Republic and occupied Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye in the autumn of 1240. When they approached Novgorod itself, the local citizens recalled to the city 20-year-old Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, whom they had banished to Pereslavl earlier that year. During the campaign of 1241, Alexander managed to retake Pskov and Koporye from the crusaders. The Mongol Invasion of Russia was an invasion of the medieval state of Kievan Rus by a large army of nomadic Mongols, starting in 1223. ... For the state, see Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. ... Medieval walls of Novgorod City The Novgorod Feudal Republic (Новгородская феодальная республика or Novgorodskaya feodalnaya respublika in Russian) was a powerful medieval state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th century. ... The Trinity Cathedral (1682-99) is a symbol of Pskovs former might and independence. ... General view of the fortress Inside the fortress of Izborsk Izborsk (Russian: ; Estonian: ) is a village in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. ... Koporye Fortress near St Petersburg Koporye (Russian: Копорье) is a historic village in Russia, about 100 km to the west of St Petersburg, which contains some of the most impressive medieval ruins in Russia. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... Pereslavls most famous ruler, Alexander Nevsky, was baptized at the Saviour Cathedral (1152-57). ...

The battle

In the spring of 1242, the Teutonic Knights defeated a reconnaissance detachment of Novgorodians about 20 km south of the fortress of Dorpat (Tartu). Led by Prince-Bishop Hermann of Buxhoeveden of the Bishopric of Dorpat, the knights and their auxiliary troops of local Ugaunian Estonians then met with Alexander's forces by the narrow strait that connects the northern and southern parts of Lake Peipus (Lake Peipus proper with Lake Pskovskoe) on April 5, 1242. Alexander, intending to fight in a place of his own choosing, retreated in efforts to draw the often over-confident Crusaders to the frozen lake. County Tartu County Mayor Laine Jänes Area 38. ... Prince-Bishop was the title given bishops who held secular powers, beside their inherent clerical power. ... The career of Albert of Buxhoeveden (ca 1165 - Riga, January 17, 1229) and his brother Hermann exemplify the double nature of power, ecclesiastical and secular, especially on the marches of Europe, where Roman Catholicism was pushing aggressively to the East. ... The Bishopric of Dorpat was a medieval principality 1234-1558 in what are now Tartu, Põlva, Võru and Jõgeva counties in Estonia. ... The Ugaunians (Estonian: ugalased) is one of the Finnic tribes that were called Chudes in Russian and that later formed the Estonian nation. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events April 5 - During a battle on the ice of Chudskoye Lake, Russian forces rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights. ...

The crusader forces likely numbered somewhere in the area of 500 to 1000 ^{[citation needed]}. Most of them were Germans, including knights of the Teutonic Order and their squires, although there were large numbers of Danes and Swedish and Estonian mercenaries. The Russian force in contrast numbered around 5,000 soldiers: Alexander and his brother Andrew's bodyguards (druzhina), who numbered around 1,000, plus the militia of Novgorod (not at full force, because of the absence of a direct threat to Novgorod). The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ...

According to contemporary Russian chronicles, after hours of hand-to-hand fighting, Alexander ordered the left and right wings of his archers to enter the battle. The knights by this time were exhausted from the constant fighting and struggling with the slippery surface of the frozen lake. The Crusaders started to retreat in disarray deeper onto the ice, and the appearance of the fresh Russian cavalry made them run for their lives. When the knights attempted to rally themselves at the far side of the lake the thin ice started to collapse, under the weight of their heavy armour, and many knights drowned. Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ...

According to the First Novgorod Chronicle, The Novgorod First Chronicle (Russian: ) is the most ancient extant chronicle of the Novgorod Republic. ...

Prince Alexander and all the men of Novgorod drew up their forces by the lake, at Uzmen, by the Rave's Rock; and the Germans and the Estonians rode at them, driving themselves like a wedge throughout their army. And there was a great slaughter of Germans and Estonians... they fought with them during the pursuit on the ice seven versts short of the Subol [north-western] shore. And there fell a countless number of Estonians, and 400 of the Germans, and they took fifty with their hands and they took them to Novgorod.^[1] A verst (Russian versta, верста) is an obsolete Russian unit of length. ...

According to the Livonian Order's Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, written years later, Map of the Livonian Confederation, showing the territories of the Order in 1260 Capital Fellin (Viljandi) Language(s) Low German Religion Roman Catholicism Government Principality Master of the Livonian Order  - 1204–09 Wenno von Rohrbach  - 1209–36 Volquin  - 1237–38 Hermann Balk¹  - 1559–61 Gotthard Kettler¹ Historical era Middle Ages... Livlandische Reimchronik: The Old Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, written in Low German by an anonymous writer covers the period 1180 – 1290 and contains a wealth of detail about ‘strange’ Estonia. ...

The [Russians] had many archers, and the battle began with their bold assault on the king's men [Danes]. The brothers' banners were soon flying in the midst of the archers, and swords were heard cutting helmets apart. Many from both sides fell dead on the grass. Then the Brothers' army was completely surrounded, for the Russians had so many troops that there were easily sixty men for every one German knight. The Brothers fought well enough, but they were nonetheless cut down. Some of those from Dorpat escaped from the battle, and it was their salvation that they fled. Twenty brothers lay dead and six were captured.^[2]

The Battle of the Ice has been described as an event of major significance, especially by Russian historians. The knights' defeat at the hands of Alexander's forces prevented the crusaders from retaking Pskov, the linchpin of their eastern crusade. The Novgorodians succeeded in defending Russian territory, and the German crusaders never mounted another serious challenge eastward. After the battle Alexander was canonised as a saint in Russian Orthodox church. Later, during World War 2, the image Alexander Nevsky became the great national symbol of fighting against the Western occupation. Today, in Russia, there exists an "Order of Holy Alexander Nevsky", a medal given for outstanding bravery and excellent sevice to the homeland.

Sergei Eisenstein's historical drama film Alexander Nevsky features the Battle of the Ice. The film has elements of propaganda and makes changes to the historical background, however, and should not be viewed as being accurate. Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, Latvian: Sergejs Eizenšteins) (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a revolutionary Soviet film director and film theorist noted in particular for his silent films Strike, Battleship Potemkin and Oktober. ... For other uses, see Alexander Nevsky (disambiguation). ... The Why We Fight Series depicts the Nazi propaganda machine. ...

References

1. ^ Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades. Penguin Books. London, 1997. ISBN 0-14-026653-4
2. ^ Urban, William. The Teutonic Knights: A Military History. Greenhill Books. London, 2003. ISBN 1-85367-535-0

Further reading

• Military Heritage did a feature on the Battle of Lake Peipus and the holy Knights Templar and the monastic knighthood Hospitallers (Terry Gore, Military Heritage, August 2005, Volume 7, No. 1, pp.28 to 33)), ISSN 1524-8666.
• Basil Dmytryshyn, Medieval Russia 900-1700. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973.
• John France, Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1000-1300. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999.
• David Nicolle, Lake Piepus 1242. London: Osprey Publishing, 1996.
• Terrence Wise, The Knights of Christ. London: Osprey Publishing, 1984.