History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 248, the Baltic, the Baltic Crusades, the Prussian Crusade Part 16, Samland

surrenders.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the second Prussian insurrection go from bad to worse for the Latin Christians. The whole of Prussia was now in rebellion, with

numerous attacks even occurring in the Latin Christian heartland inside Prussia, the city of Kome.

In a major victory for the pagans, the leader of the Natangian forces, Hercus Monter, managed to kill both the master of the

Teutonic Order in Prussia, Master Helmerich, and the marshal of the Teutonic Forces as the Teutonic Order moved in to oppose the

Prussians as they marched towards Kalm. We left last week's episode in the year 1265, with a victory by another

Prussian commander, the leader of the Suedovians, a warrior named Scumand.

Now both Grand Master Ano and Pope Urban the 4th are doing their best to drum up Crusaders in the Holy Roman Empire

and send them to Prussia and Lovonia. But really most of the influential noblemen had commitments closer to home

and the chaotic and ever-changing politics of the empire

made them reluctant to take up the cross.

As a result, most noblemen either made vague promises to embark on a crusade at some stage in the future or embarked on a lightning

fast crusade which enabled them to tick the go on a crusade to Prussia box but didn't result on

them achieving much on the ground for the Latin Christians in Prussia. But never fear because despite all these setbacks things are about to take a

turn for the better for the Teutonic order in Samland.

Now as we all know the second Prussian insurrection had its genesis in Samland and Samland had always been only loosely under Latin

Christian control. It's ironic then that the place where the Teutonic Order had its first successes on the long road

to getting Prussia back under control was in Samland. As we all know, the castle at Kurnicksburg is now back in Latin

Christian hands and the Teutonic order was effective in using the castle at

...