Battle of Rakovor: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

Battle of Rakovor

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Battle of Rakovor
	Home Discussion Definition
	Topics Battle of Rakovor Topic Home The Battle of Rakovor or Battle of Wesenberg was a battleBattle Summary Generally, a battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat t... fought on February 18, 1268, between the Livonian branchLivonian Order The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation fr... of the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic Knights The Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order formed at the end of the 12th centur... and a coalition of RussiaRussia Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia.... n princes. The Knights were beaten so thoroughly that they would not undertake a new campaign against Northern Russia for the following thirty years. The two armies clashed within 7.5 kilometers (roughly 4.5 miles) from the LivoniaLivonia Summary Livonia once was the land of the Finnic Livonians, but came in the Middle Ages to designate a much broader territory contro... n town of RakvereRakvere Rakvere is a town in North Estonia, county seat of Lne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland.... . RussianRussians Russians are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... forces, numbering up to 30,000 troops, were led by Dmitry of PereslavlDmitry of Pereslavl Overview Dmitry Alexandrovich was Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1276 until 1281 and then from 1283 until 1293.... (representing the Novgorod RepublicNovgorod Republic The Novgorod Feudal Republic was a powerful medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains... ) together with his future son-in-law, Daumantas of PskovDaumantas of Pskov Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c.... (representing the Pskov RepublicPskov Republic Overview Pskov Feudal Republic was a Russian medieval state between the second half of the 13th century and early 16th century.... ). Apart from the knights, the Livonian army included Danish forces (right flank) and local EstonianEstonians Estonians are an ethnic group primarily associated with Estonia and the Finnic Estonian language. ... militia (left flank). The crusadingNorthern Crusades The Northern Crusades, or Baltic Crusades, were crusades undertaken by the Catholic kings of Denmark and Sweden, the G... army was led by the Livonian Ordensmeister Otto von LutterbergOtto von Lutterberg Otto von Lutterberg was the Ordensmeister of the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights from 1266 to 1270, and was in comman... . The German forces deployed in their customary deep "boar's head" wedge of heavily armoured knights, called by the Russians the "great iron pig." These deep wedges had considerable penetrative power, but were unmaneuverable and vulnerable to flank attack due to the resulting narrow frontage of the army, facts which led to the ultimate defeat of the Knights at the Battle of Lake Peipus. As a result, the Germans attempted to remedy this situation at Rakovor by splitting their knightly assault force into two formations, deploying one wedge in the open and a second in ambush, so that when the first wedge was attacked on all sides by the Russians the second wedge would burst from ambush and in turn encircle the enemy. The tactic worked well at first, as the wedge of German knights smashed the Novgorod and Pskov forces facing them, but then the second wedge, seeing the Russians in retreat, apparently assumed the battle was won and emerged from their ambush position to loot the Russian baggage. This abandonment of the battle plan led to the first wedge being encircled. The fighting to reduce the first wedge was apparently terrific. "Neither our fathers nor grandfathers have witnessed such a terrible battle", reports the Novgorodian First Chronicle. At last the Novgorodian militia prevailed, although its leader, the posadnikPosadnik Posadnik was a deputy of Knyaz in some East Slavic places assigned to rule a city or a land.... Mikhailo Fyodorovich, was killed in action. The Russian princes pursued the knights up to Rakvere. Prince Daumantas of PskovDaumantas of Pskov Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c.... , whose bravery was recognized even in the German chronicles of the battle, pursued the defeated knights all the way to the coast of the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... , and took substantial booty before returning to the Russian lines. Upon his return to his camp, Dmitry of Pereslavl discovered that it had been looted by another regiment of the knights. He decided to wait for the morning. Three days passed and no new attack ensued on the part of the knights. The Russian leaders claimed victory and returned to Novgorod in triumph.