Battle of Pabaiskas
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Pabaiskas took place on September 1, 1435 near Ukmergė
(formerly Vilkmergė), by the Šventoji River
in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. With the help of military units from the Kingdom of Poland
, the forces of Grand Duke Sigismund Kęstutaitis
soundly defeated Švitrigaila
and his Livonian Order
allies. The battle ended the Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435) and inflicted major damage to the Livonian Order.
died without an heir.
The Lithuanian nobles elected Švitrigaila, Jogaila
's brother and Vytautas' cousin, as the new Grand Duke without consulting with Poland. This violated the Union of Horodło of 1413, and outraged the Polish nobles. Švitrigaila prepared for war and enlisted the Teutonic Knights
, Moldavia
, and the Golden Horde
as his allies. Sigismund Kęstutaitis assumed power in Lithuania when he deposed Švitrigaila in a coup on August 31, 1432. Švitrigaila escaped, established himself in Polotsk, and rallied his supporters from Slavic lands of the Grand Duchy against Sigismund.
The Teutonic Knights secretly supported Švitrigaila chiefly through its branch in Livonia. Švitrigaila and Sigismund were now engaged in a destructive civil war. In December 1432 their armies met near Ašmena; Švitrigaila was defeated, but the victory was not decisive. In 1433 together with the Livonian knights, Švitrigaila raided Lida
, Kreva
, Eišiškės
and devastated the surrounding areas near Vilnius
, Trakai
, and Kaunas
. After Jogaila's death in 1434, the Teutonic Knights resumed their war against Poland.
s on his side as he enlisted his nephew Sigismund Korybut
, a distinguished military leader during the Hussite Wars
. Sigismund Kęstutaitis commanded Lithuanian and Polish army. His son Michael commanded Samogitian troops and Jakub Kobylański was in charge of Polish forces. The opponents met about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) south of Vilkmergė
near the Šventoji River
. Later a town, named Pabaiskas
, was built in the field to commemorate the battle. At first the armies were separated by the Lake Žirnajai and a marshy creek. The armies could not engage each other. After two days Švitrigaila and Livonian Grand Master Franco Kerskorff decided to change position and move towards Vilkmergė. As the army marched, it was attacked by Sigismund Kęstutaitis, split in half and soundly defeated. Švitrigaila escaped to Polotsk with about 30 followers. Kerskorff was killed in the battle. Korybut was severely wounded and captured. He died few days later; historians speculate whether he died of the wounds, was drowned, or poisoned.
(1410) had on the Teutonic Knights
. The peace treaty was signed on December 31, 1435 in Brześć Kujawski
. The Teutonic and Livonian Orders promised not to interfere with internal matters of Lithuania or Poland. Even Pope or Holy Roman Emperor
could not force the Orders to violate the treaty. The peace did not alter borders established in the Treaty of Melno
(1422).
Livonian Orders defeat in the battle brought it closer to its neighbors in Livonia. The Livonian Confederation
agreement was signed on December 4, 1435 by the Livonian Order, Livonian Bishops, vassals and city representatives.
Švitrigaila escaped and continued to resist, but he was losing his power in the eastern provinces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1437 he proposed a compromise: he would continue to rule Kiev
and Volhynia
, territories that still remained loyal to him, in exchange for peace and promise to transfer these lands after his death to the King of Poland. Because of strong protests from Sigismund Kęstutatis the Polish Senate did not ratify the agreement. The following year Švitrigaila retreated to Moldavia. Sigismund became the undisputed Grand Duke of Lithuania. However, his reign was short as he was assassinated in 1440. A church was built in the battlefield by Sigismund Kęstutaitis to commemorate his victory. The town of Pabaiskas
( means battlefield) later grew around the church.
Ukmerge
-Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...
(formerly Vilkmergė), by the Šventoji River
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. With the help of military units from the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
, the forces of Grand Duke Sigismund Kęstutaitis
Sigismund Kestutaitis
Sigismund Kęstutaitis was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1432 to 1440. Sigismund was his baptismal name; Sigismund's pagan Lithuanian birth name is unknown. He was son of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kęstutis and his wife Birutė....
soundly defeated Švitrigaila
Švitrigaila
Švitrigaila Švitrigaila Švitrigaila (ca 1370 – 10 February 1452; was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432. He spent most of his life in largely unsuccessful dynastic struggles against his cousins Vytautas and Sigismund Kęstutaitis.-Struggle against Vytautas:...
and his Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
allies. The battle ended the Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435) and inflicted major damage to the Livonian Order.
Background
In 1430 Vytautas the GreatVytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
died without an heir.
The Lithuanian nobles elected Švitrigaila, Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
's brother and Vytautas' cousin, as the new Grand Duke without consulting with Poland. This violated the Union of Horodło of 1413, and outraged the Polish nobles. Švitrigaila prepared for war and enlisted the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, and the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
as his allies. Sigismund Kęstutaitis assumed power in Lithuania when he deposed Švitrigaila in a coup on August 31, 1432. Švitrigaila escaped, established himself in Polotsk, and rallied his supporters from Slavic lands of the Grand Duchy against Sigismund.
The Teutonic Knights secretly supported Švitrigaila chiefly through its branch in Livonia. Švitrigaila and Sigismund were now engaged in a destructive civil war. In December 1432 their armies met near Ašmena; Švitrigaila was defeated, but the victory was not decisive. In 1433 together with the Livonian knights, Švitrigaila raided Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
, Kreva
Kreva
Kreva is a township in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus.-History:The Kreva Castle, constructed of brick, was built by the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania at the borderland of Lithuanian ethnic lands. After his death in 1341, Kreva became the patrimony of his son and successor, Algirdas...
, Eišiškės
Eišiškes
Eišiškės ) is a city in southeastern Lithuania on the border with Belarus. It is situated on a small group of hills, surrounded by marshy valley of Verseka and Dumblė Rivers. Rivers divide the town into two parts; the northern part is called Jurzdika. As of January 2008, Eišiškės had a population...
and devastated the surrounding areas near Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
, and Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
. After Jogaila's death in 1434, the Teutonic Knights resumed their war against Poland.
The battle
Each side mobilized around 15,000 troops (in some cases estimates run up to 30,000 on each side). Švitrigaila commanded forces of Lithuanians, Orthodox Ruthenians, Livonian Knights, at least 500 Tatars from the Golden Horde, and a few Teutonic Knights. There might have been some HussiteHussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
s on his side as he enlisted his nephew Sigismund Korybut
Sigismund Korybut
Sigismund Korybut was a duke from the Gediminid dynasty, best known as a military commander of the Hussite army and a governor of Bohemia and Prague during the Hussite Wars....
, a distinguished military leader during the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
. Sigismund Kęstutaitis commanded Lithuanian and Polish army. His son Michael commanded Samogitian troops and Jakub Kobylański was in charge of Polish forces. The opponents met about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) south of Vilkmergė
Ukmerge
-Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...
near the Šventoji River
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
. Later a town, named Pabaiskas
Pabaiskas
Pabaiskas is a small town in Ukmergė district of Vilnius County, Lithuania, south-west of Ukmergė, with 249 inhabitants. The Battle of Pabaiskas took place here in 1435, when Sigismund Kestutaitis defeated Švitrigaila and his Livonian Order allies...
, was built in the field to commemorate the battle. At first the armies were separated by the Lake Žirnajai and a marshy creek. The armies could not engage each other. After two days Švitrigaila and Livonian Grand Master Franco Kerskorff decided to change position and move towards Vilkmergė. As the army marched, it was attacked by Sigismund Kęstutaitis, split in half and soundly defeated. Švitrigaila escaped to Polotsk with about 30 followers. Kerskorff was killed in the battle. Korybut was severely wounded and captured. He died few days later; historians speculate whether he died of the wounds, was drowned, or poisoned.
Aftermath
The battle reduced the power of the Livonian Order as its army was defeated, Grand Master killed, and many senior officers taken prisoners. The damage to the Livonian Order caused by the battle is often compared to the consequences that the Battle of GrunwaldBattle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
(1410) had on the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
. The peace treaty was signed on December 31, 1435 in Brześć Kujawski
Brzesc Kujawski
Brześć Kujawski is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Population - 4,521 , Poland.It has been the seat of one of two small duchies into which Kuyavia has been temporarily divided....
. The Teutonic and Livonian Orders promised not to interfere with internal matters of Lithuania or Poland. Even Pope or Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
could not force the Orders to violate the treaty. The peace did not alter borders established in the Treaty of Melno
Treaty of Melno
The Treaty of Melno or Treaty of Lake Melno was a peace treaty ending the Gollub War. It was signed on September 27, 1422, between the Teutonic Knights and an alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at Lake Melno , east of Graudenz...
(1422).
Livonian Orders defeat in the battle brought it closer to its neighbors in Livonia. The Livonian Confederation
Livonian Confederation
Terra Mariana was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia which was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade in the territories comprising present day Estonia and Latvia...
agreement was signed on December 4, 1435 by the Livonian Order, Livonian Bishops, vassals and city representatives.
Švitrigaila escaped and continued to resist, but he was losing his power in the eastern provinces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1437 he proposed a compromise: he would continue to rule Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
, territories that still remained loyal to him, in exchange for peace and promise to transfer these lands after his death to the King of Poland. Because of strong protests from Sigismund Kęstutatis the Polish Senate did not ratify the agreement. The following year Švitrigaila retreated to Moldavia. Sigismund became the undisputed Grand Duke of Lithuania. However, his reign was short as he was assassinated in 1440. A church was built in the battlefield by Sigismund Kęstutaitis to commemorate his victory. The town of Pabaiskas
Pabaiskas
Pabaiskas is a small town in Ukmergė district of Vilnius County, Lithuania, south-west of Ukmergė, with 249 inhabitants. The Battle of Pabaiskas took place here in 1435, when Sigismund Kestutaitis defeated Švitrigaila and his Livonian Order allies...
( means battlefield) later grew around the church.