Battles of Wenden (1577–1578)
Encyclopedia
The Battles of Wenden were a series of battles for control of the stronghold of Wenden
(Cēsis, Võnnu), in present-day Latvia
, fought during the Livonian War
in 1577 and 1578. Magnus of Livonia besieged the town in August 1577, but was deposed and replaced by Russian forces under tsar Ivan IV
who eventually sacked town and castle in what became a symbolic victory. Lithuanian forces however re-captured the stronghold in November, and beat back a Russian counter-attack in February 1578.
In October, the Russian army again laid siege, but was destroyed by a smaller Swedish-German-Polish relief force. This marked the turning point in the Livonian War, shifting the initiative from the Tsardom of Russia
to Sweden and Poland-Lithuania
. It also marked the end of the Kingdom of Livonia
, which collapsed when Magnus retired to Courland
.
faced internal disputes, culminating in the slaughtering of Novgorod's inhabitants and the burning of Moscow
by the tartars
. Yet, he was able to recover and resume his campaigns in the Livonian War
in 1572. A Swedish counter-offensive in 1574 failed
. Ivan IV had introduced a new strategy, relying on tens of thousands of native troops, cossacks and tartars, instead of a few thousand skilled troops and mercenaries, as practiced by his adversaries. Swedish
forces were sieged in Reval
(Tallinn), Danish Estonia was raided, and so was central Livonia as far as Dünaburg
(Daugavpils), since 1561 formally under
Polish-Lithuanian
superiority. The conquered territories submitted to Ivan or his vassal, Magnus, declared king of Livonia
in 1570.
The year of 1576 marked the height of Ivan's campaign, and another 30,000 Russian forces crossed into Livonia in 1577. Magnus had fallen into disgrace when he defected from Ivan IV during the same year, and started to subordinate castles without consulting the tsar. When Kokenhusen
(Koknese) submitted to Magnus to avoid fighting Ivan IV's army, the tsar sacked it and executed its German commanders. The campaign then focussed on Wenden
(Cēsis, Võnnu), "the heart of Livonia", which as the former capital of the Livonian Order
was not only of strategic importance, but also a symbol for Livonia itself.
In the summer of 1577, Magnus of Livonia
laid siege to Wenden. The Russian army under Ivan IV appeared before Wenden's walls in late August. Ivan had Magnus arrested, sacked the town and laid siege to the castle. The last 300 defenders, men, women and children who were "promised a terrible fate" by the tsar, retreated to the castle's main tower and committed collective suicide by blowing it up with 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of gunpowder.Responsible for the blast was Livonian noble Hinrik (Heinrich) Boismann. Thus, Wenden fell to Ivan in September, and was made seat of four newly-appointed voivodes who were to administer the province for Russia.
The sack of Wenden was a huge symbolic victory for Ivan. Of his opponents in the Livonian War
, John III of Sweden
only controlled Reval
(Tallinn), Stephen Báthory of Poland-Lithuania
only held Riga
, Frederick II of Denmark
was limited to the island of Øsel
(Ösel, Saaremaa), Magnus of Livonia
, though released by Ivan, abdicated in 1578 and withdrew to Piltene
in Courland
. Ivan's control of nearly all of Livonia and Estonia was secured by garrisons numbering 22,000 men in total.
. Already in November, Lithuanian forces had started an offensive from the south and captured Dünaburg
(Daugavpils). A Polish-Swedish force took the town and castle of Wenden in early 1578. Russian forces tried to re-take the town in February, but failed.
What followed was a Swedish offensive, targeting Leal
(Lihula), Lode (Koluvere), Hapsal
(Haapsalu), Pernau
(Pärnu), Dorpat
(Tartu) and Novgorod. In September, Ivan responded by sending in an army of 18,000 men, who re-captured Oberpahlen
(Põltsamaa) from Sweden and then marched on Wenden.
s. More than twenty siege guns and large numbers of horses"A thousand" according to Frost, "thousands" according to Peterson. were captured, enabling the whole Swedish infantry to ride back to Reval.
The battle was unusual insofar as only a few battles of the Livonian War were fought in open field; usually, one of the parties took a defensive position in a fortress, while the opposing party laid siege. Also, Wenden was to remain the only occasion of a Swedish-Polish-Lithuanian collaboration in battle, as the alliance fell apart in the following years.
The allied victory marked the turning point of the Livonian War. Ivan IV was for the first time seriously defeated in Livonia. A series of further Russian defeats followed, forcing Ivan to accept an unfavourable outcome of the war in the Truce of Jam Zapolski with Stephen Bathory and the Treaty of Plussa
with John III.
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
(Cēsis, Võnnu), in present-day Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, fought during the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
in 1577 and 1578. Magnus of Livonia besieged the town in August 1577, but was deposed and replaced by Russian forces under tsar Ivan IV
Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
who eventually sacked town and castle in what became a symbolic victory. Lithuanian forces however re-captured the stronghold in November, and beat back a Russian counter-attack in February 1578.
In October, the Russian army again laid siege, but was destroyed by a smaller Swedish-German-Polish relief force. This marked the turning point in the Livonian War, shifting the initiative from the Tsardom of Russia
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
to Sweden and Poland-Lithuania
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. It also marked the end of the Kingdom of Livonia
Kingdom of Livonia
The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominal state in what is now the territory of the present-day Estonia and Latvia, declared as such by Ivan IV during the Livonian War but never properly established. On June 10, 1570 the Danish Duke Magnus of Holstein arrived in Moscow where he was crowned King of Livonia...
, which collapsed when Magnus retired to Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
.
Background
In 1570 and 1571, Ivan IV "the Terrible" of RussiaIvan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
faced internal disputes, culminating in the slaughtering of Novgorod's inhabitants and the burning of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
by the tartars
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
. Yet, he was able to recover and resume his campaigns in the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
in 1572. A Swedish counter-offensive in 1574 failed
Siege of Wesenberg (1574)
The Siege of Wesenberg was an abortive Swedish siege of the Russian-held town of Wesenberg in Estonia from January through March 1574, during the Livonian War. The siege is infamous for a brawl and subsequent combat between German and Scottish mercenaries within the besieging army, which claimed...
. Ivan IV had introduced a new strategy, relying on tens of thousands of native troops, cossacks and tartars, instead of a few thousand skilled troops and mercenaries, as practiced by his adversaries. Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
forces were sieged in Reval
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(Tallinn), Danish Estonia was raided, and so was central Livonia as far as Dünaburg
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
(Daugavpils), since 1561 formally under
Treaty of Vilnius (1561)
The Treaty of Vilnius or Vilna was concluded on 28 November 1561, during the Livonian War, between the Livonian Confederation and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at Vilnius...
Polish-Lithuanian
Polish-Lithuanian Union
The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that lasted for prolonged periods of time and led to the creation of the Polish–Lithuanian...
superiority. The conquered territories submitted to Ivan or his vassal, Magnus, declared king of Livonia
Kingdom of Livonia
The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominal state in what is now the territory of the present-day Estonia and Latvia, declared as such by Ivan IV during the Livonian War but never properly established. On June 10, 1570 the Danish Duke Magnus of Holstein arrived in Moscow where he was crowned King of Livonia...
in 1570.
The year of 1576 marked the height of Ivan's campaign, and another 30,000 Russian forces crossed into Livonia in 1577. Magnus had fallen into disgrace when he defected from Ivan IV during the same year, and started to subordinate castles without consulting the tsar. When Kokenhusen
Koknese
Koknese is a historic town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Koknese municipality on the right bank of the Daugava River. It has a population of nearly 3,000.-History:...
(Koknese) submitted to Magnus to avoid fighting Ivan IV's army, the tsar sacked it and executed its German commanders. The campaign then focussed on Wenden
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
(Cēsis, Võnnu), "the heart of Livonia", which as the former capital of the 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...
was not only of strategic importance, but also a symbol for Livonia itself.
1577
Magnus of Livonia
Magnus of Holstein was a Prince of Denmark and a member of the House of Oldenburg. As a vassal of Ivan IV of Russia, he was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578.-Early life:...
laid siege to Wenden. The Russian army under Ivan IV appeared before Wenden's walls in late August. Ivan had Magnus arrested, sacked the town and laid siege to the castle. The last 300 defenders, men, women and children who were "promised a terrible fate" by the tsar, retreated to the castle's main tower and committed collective suicide by blowing it up with 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of gunpowder.Responsible for the blast was Livonian noble Hinrik (Heinrich) Boismann. Thus, Wenden fell to Ivan in September, and was made seat of four newly-appointed voivodes who were to administer the province for Russia.
The sack of Wenden was a huge symbolic victory for Ivan. Of his opponents in the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
, John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
only controlled Reval
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(Tallinn), Stephen Báthory of Poland-Lithuania
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
only held Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
was limited to the island of Øsel
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
(Ösel, Saaremaa), Magnus of Livonia
Magnus of Livonia
Magnus of Holstein was a Prince of Denmark and a member of the House of Oldenburg. As a vassal of Ivan IV of Russia, he was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578.-Early life:...
, though released by Ivan, abdicated in 1578 and withdrew to Piltene
Piltene
-Population:Population : 40,000 -History:*September 1234: Bishopric of Courland established , consisting of three separate enclaves after numerous distributions of the Couronian lands among the Bishops of Courland, and of Riga, and the Teutonic Order.*1290: The cathedral chapter is incorporated...
in Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
. Ivan's control of nearly all of Livonia and Estonia was secured by garrisons numbering 22,000 men in total.
1578
John III and Stephen Báthory allied against Ivan IV in December 1577, after the latter had concluded the Danzig WarSiege of Danzig (1577)
The Siege of the city of Danzig in 1577 by king Stephen Báthory of Poland ended militarily inconclusive.The conflict begun as the city of Danzig, along with the Polish episcopate and a portion of the Polish szlachta, did not recognize the election of Bathory to the Polish throne and instead...
. Already in November, Lithuanian forces had started an offensive from the south and captured Dünaburg
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
(Daugavpils). A Polish-Swedish force took the town and castle of Wenden in early 1578. Russian forces tried to re-take the town in February, but failed.
What followed was a Swedish offensive, targeting Leal
Lihula
Lihula is a town in Estonia with population of 1,614 . It is a centre of a rural municipality in Lääne County.The castle of Leal was first mentioned in 1211. It was the centre of Diocese Saare-Lääne...
(Lihula), Lode (Koluvere), Hapsal
Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It's the administrative centre of Lääne County and has a population of 11,618 ....
(Haapsalu), Pernau
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
(Pärnu), Dorpat
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
(Tartu) and Novgorod. In September, Ivan responded by sending in an army of 18,000 men, who re-captured Oberpahlen
Põltsamaa
-External links:...
(Põltsamaa) from Sweden and then marched on Wenden.
Resolution
Upon their arrival at Wenden, the Russian army laid siege to the town. An allied relief force consisting of 5,500 to 6,000 German, Polish and Swedish soldiers confronted the Russians on 21 October. First, the Russian cavalry was defeated and driven off in open field, then the Russian infantry, still entrenched for the siege, was routed or taken prisoner. Russian casualties were severe, and among the captives, there were several high-ranking boyarBoyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s. More than twenty siege guns and large numbers of horses"A thousand" according to Frost, "thousands" according to Peterson. were captured, enabling the whole Swedish infantry to ride back to Reval.
The battle was unusual insofar as only a few battles of the Livonian War were fought in open field; usually, one of the parties took a defensive position in a fortress, while the opposing party laid siege. Also, Wenden was to remain the only occasion of a Swedish-Polish-Lithuanian collaboration in battle, as the alliance fell apart in the following years.
The allied victory marked the turning point of the Livonian War. Ivan IV was for the first time seriously defeated in Livonia. A series of further Russian defeats followed, forcing Ivan to accept an unfavourable outcome of the war in the Truce of Jam Zapolski with Stephen Bathory and the Treaty of Plussa
Treaty of Plussa
The Treaty or Truce of Plussa, Pljussa, Plyussa or Narva and Plusa was a truce between Russia and Sweden, which ended the Livonian War . The truce was signed on 10 August 1583 at the Plyussa River in the Pskov region...
with John III.