History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 207, the Baltic Crusades, the Lavonian Crusade, Part 13, the Estonian

Problem.

Hello again. the Estonian problem.

Hello again.

Last week we saw Bishop Albert head to Rome, where Pope Innocent made the momentous decision

that the troubled and still vacant position of Archbishop of Hamburg Bremen

should cease to have authority over the Bishop of Riga. Instead, Bishop Albert's powers were increased to enable

him, too, among other things, found new Bishoprics and monasteries in the Baltic region.

But while Bishop Albert was celebrating his new-found powers, Christian Livonia came under the combined attack of its pagan and Russian neighbors.

The pagans withdrew as winter set in, but fearing a renewed attack in the spring, the Christians

of Riga negotiated an alliance with the Russian principalities of Polotsk and Scorf.

Now if you are thinking that the spring of the year 1211 is going to be full of action on the Livonian Front, you would be exactly right.

The first major event, one which occurred before Bishop Albert had even arrived back from the Holy Roman Empire,

saw the Livonian German and let Alliance take the initiative and attack a settlement deep inside Estonia.

The settlement they decided to waive their swords at was a fort the Germans called Fellin and which today is the town of

Viliandi in southern Estonia. As the Germans approached the fort, they sent the Letts and Lavinians on raiding missions,

attacking neighbouring settlements, acquiring hostages, and securing food and grain.

The Germans then marched the hostages to the fort and declared that they would hand them

over unharmed if the Estonians inside fell in converted to Christianity.

In a move which surprised no one, the Estonians refused.

So the battle began.

...