In the northwestern part of modern Lithuania there is a territory that was called emaitija several centuries ago, which is translated from the Lithuanian language as “lower”. It had a unique location, located between the possessions of the Teutonic and Livonian orders, but this was what caused frequent battles for Zemaitiya, because both orders could not divide it for a long time. In the middle of the XIII century, the Lithuanian ruler Mindovg decided to give this land to the Livonians, but a little more than ten years later, and the people living in Zemaitija were able to regain their territory and join the battle with the Teutonic Order.
The beginning of the Great War of 1409-1411
At the very beginning of the XIV century, with the filing of Prince Vitovt, Zhematiyya fell under German rule. And the desire of the Principality of Lithuania at any cost to regain this land and became the cause of the Great War 1409-1411, the results of which were deplorable for the Teutonic Order. In the spring of 1409, a mass rebellion began in the Principality of Lithuania against the aggressive policy of the Teutons.
Soon the news of this reached the master of the order, Ulrich von Yuningen, and he decided to declare war on Lithuania and Poland. This happened on August 6, 1409. For some time it took both sides to prepare the troops and after a slight lull, at the end of autumn, hostilities began.
Course of war
At the beginning of the war, the strength of the army of the Lithuanian-Polish Union was significantly higher than the German. In July 1410, the Union army was able to reach Prussia, where the border of the territory of the Teutonic Order passed along the river. On the other side, one of the German troops was waiting for them, planning to suddenly attack the rivals after they crossed the river, but the Lithuanian prince Vitovt predicted their plan and ordered his troops to bypass.
Beginning of the Battle of Grunwald
The Germans who were waiting for the rivals were near the village of Grunwald. In mid-July, detachments of Lithuania and Poland approached them, starting the battle. The date of the Battle of Grunwald is July 15, 1410.
While the soldiers of the Teutonic Order were in ambush, the magistrate ordered the territory to be prepared for battle more intensely: the Germans dug up several traps, and also equipped inconspicuous places for guns and crossbowmen. Despite the fact that the rivals did not come from the side where they were waiting for, the Teutonic Order skillfully used all its advantages.
Before the most famous battle of the Great War of 1409-1411 began, both armies lined up in three columns, which are called "gufs".
The Polish military leader with the charismatic name of Jagiello was in no hurry to announce the start of the attack, and the troops began to await his symbolic order. But Prince Vitovt turned out to be less patient and ordered the Tatar cavalry to advance, which rushed into battle immediately after the Teutons began shelling from hidden guns. When the Germans gave a worthy rebuff, the alliance fighters began to retreat, and Jagiello - to think up a new plan. The Germans acted more stupidly: glad that they were able to repel the offensive, they began to pursue the Lithuanians and Poles without any tactics, leaving behind all their shelters and prepared traps. Prince Vitovt managed to react to this in time, and most of the Teutons were surrounded and destroyed within a few hours.
The height of the Battle of Grunwald
Enraged by such a mistake, the master of the order decided to launch a more powerful attack and ordered his troops to attack, which served as the beginning of a great battle. This day everyone remembered as the date of the Battle of Grunwald.
The master planned everything well enough for the Teutons to take up good positions, in connection with which Jagiello decided to withdraw all the Lithuanian troops in reserve. After about five hours of the battle, the warriors of the union began to retreat again, and the joyful Germans began to pursue them again.
The fighting of the Great War of 1409-1411 is known for the interesting and often unexpected for the opponent strategic moves of Prince Vitovt and his commander Jagiello. Upon learning of the persecution, Jagiello introduced another reserve on the battlefield. Ulrich von Jungingen realized that the number of enemy soldiers was only increasing, and ordered the second line of his cavalry to surround the Lithuanians. The ammunition began to run out on both sides, and soon almost everyone switched to hand-to-hand combat. Vytautas, who was watching this, was able to wait for the right moment and ordered the remaining cavalry to surround the Germans from the left flank, where their command was located. They did not have time to protect their ruler, and very soon the master, along with his entourage, was killed. The Teutons who found out about this took flight. The Lithuanian troops spent a few more days on the field, and then headed for Malbork, now Marienburg, which they reached without any obstacles. Thus, the Polish-Lithuanian alliance won and regained Zemaitija.
The results of the Great War
In the first months of 1411, Prince Vytautas and the rest of the union announced a peace treaty with the Teutons, provided that they would pay indemnities and return all previously occupied territories. The results of the Great War 1409-1411 turned out to be beneficial not only for the Lithuanians, but also for other countries nearby, and which the Teutonic Order often raided earlier. After the war, the Teutons, who suffered heavy losses, began to pursue a more peaceful policy.