Battle of Vedrosha
Encyclopedia
The battle on the Vedrosha River was a battle
in the course of the Russo-Lithuanian war of 1500-1503 which ended with a decisive Russian victory and proved to be of strategic significance. It was carried out on July 14, 1500, some 50 km to the west of Kaluga
, between joint forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
under command of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky
and Russian (Muscovite) army under Prince Daniil Shchenya
.
The skilled Russian commander employed similar tactics that proved successful for the Russian army in the Battle of Kulikovo
. Vedrosha was a crushing victory for the Russians. Some 8,000 Lithuanians were killed, and many more were taken prisoner, including Prince Ostrozhsky, the first ever Grand Hetman of Lithuania, himself.
After the battle the Lithuanians lost the possibilities for military initiative and restricted themselves to defensive actions. Ultimatively, a peace treaty
was signed in 1503 which saw huge territories (about one third of the Grand Duchy) incorporated into the nascent Russian state. Upon his release, Prince Ostroghsky made several attempts to retaliate, but even his well-known victory at Orsha
(1514) didn't entail any political or territorial consequences that could compensate the defeat at Vedrosha.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
in the course of the Russo-Lithuanian war of 1500-1503 which ended with a decisive Russian victory and proved to be of strategic significance. It was carried out on July 14, 1500, some 50 km to the west of Kaluga
Kaluga
Kaluga is a city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Population: It is served by Grabtsevo Airport.-History:...
, between joint forces of 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...
under command of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky
Konstanty Ostrogski
Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski was a Lithuanian duke of slavonic origin and a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since September 11, 1497, until his death. As a speaker of the Ruthenian language he is considered to be one of the precursors of the Belarusian language and a national hero in Belarus.He...
and Russian (Muscovite) army under Prince Daniil Shchenya
Daniil Shchenya
Prince Daniil Vasiliyevich Shchenya was a leading Russian military leader during the reigns of Ivan III and Vasili III....
.
The skilled Russian commander employed similar tactics that proved successful for the Russian army in the Battle of Kulikovo
Battle of Kulikovo
The Battle of Kulikovo was a battle between Tatar Mamai and Muscovy Dmitriy and portrayed by Russian historiography as a stand-off between Russians and the Golden Horde. However, the political situation at the time was much more complicated and concerned the politics of the Northeastern Rus'...
. Vedrosha was a crushing victory for the Russians. Some 8,000 Lithuanians were killed, and many more were taken prisoner, including Prince Ostrozhsky, the first ever Grand Hetman of Lithuania, himself.
After the battle the Lithuanians lost the possibilities for military initiative and restricted themselves to defensive actions. Ultimatively, a peace treaty
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a state of war between the parties...
was signed in 1503 which saw huge territories (about one third of the Grand Duchy) incorporated into the nascent Russian state. Upon his release, Prince Ostroghsky made several attempts to retaliate, but even his well-known victory at Orsha
Battle of Orsha
The Battle of Orsha was fought on 8 September 1514, between the allied forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland, under the command of Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski, and the army of Grand Duchy of Moscow under Konyushy Ivan Chelyadnin and Kniaz Mikhail Golitsin...
(1514) didn't entail any political or territorial consequences that could compensate the defeat at Vedrosha.