Battle of Grunwald. The massacre, which was repeatedly described by writers in books, brought a huge number of victims on both sides. This battle goes down in history as one of the most ambitious, bloody, changing the course of history.
Background and preparation for battle
Knights of the Teutonic Order of the XIV-beginning of the XV century especially got raids on nearby states. Most of all hit Poland and the Principality of Lithuania. The main advantage of the Germans was much better uniforms and weapons. Despite this, the Battle of Grunwald showed that the right choice of strategy and tactics is a decisive factor. Even in the winter of 1409-1410, negotiations began between the allies: Poland and the Principality of Lithuania. An offensive plan was set for mid-summer under the command of the Polish King Vladislav II Jagello. In late June, the Polish king received news that Lithuanian and Russian troops had lined up on the banks of the Narew River for inspection. The Smolensk Regiments, which played a very important role in the battle called the Battle of Grunwald, were the most combat-ready.
On June 30, the army went on a campaign, on June 7, all parts of the fighting squad were inspected, and on the 9th, the allied forces crossed the territory where the Teutonic Order reigned. The Great Battle of Grunwald was inexorably approaching, and meanwhile, on July 13, troops peered into the fortress of Hilbenburg, which they immediately captured.
July 15. Battle
For the first time, the Jagello forces converged with the army of thousands of opponents on July 10, but the leadership could not find how to cross the Drvenza River, where the Germans were located. It was decided to move to the source of Soldau. And finally between the villages of Grunwald and Tannenberg the two armies converged. So the battle of Grunwald began in 1410. On July 15, at 12:00, the army of Jagello received a package from the opponents: two crossed swords. Seeing this as an offensive sign, the command gave the order to go on the offensive. On a field measuring 11x9 km, there were 130,000th Allied troops, which included Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Tatars, Armenians, Volokhs, as well as Czechs, Hungarians and Moravians as mercenaries. The army of the Teutonic Order had 85 thousand soldiers, who were 22 nationalities, most of which were occupied by the Germans.
Despite the allied advantage in warriors, the Teutons had better weapons. The battle began with the advance of the Lithuanian troops, the Germans responded with artillery nuclei. Then the Lithuanian army was thrown back by the Germans. Smolensk regiments remained on the battlefield and stubbornly repulsed attacks, while the Lithuanians retreated. Poles at that time attacked the banners of Liechtenstein, and Smolensk regiments covered them on the right. And then there was a cry: "Lithuania is returning." And indeed, Vytautas gathered a runaway army and returned to the field. With renewed vigor they struck the Teutonic Order, which could not stand the last battle. Some of the troops were killed, some were taken prisoner, wounded, fled, and the Battle of Grunwald left almost nothing from the Teutonic Order. The year 1410 was long remembered by both sides as the year of the great battle.
Effects
The battle of Grunwald significantly weakened the Teutonic Order, which was on the verge of ceasing to exist. And for the allies, the threat from the West in the form of crusaders was eliminated. It was only in 1422 that a peace treaty was concluded between the participants in the war, according to which the Order lost Zanemanye, Zemaitiya, Neshav lands and Pomerania.