History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 250, the Baltic Crusades, the Levonian Crusade Part 37, the Early 1270s.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the end of the second Prussian insurrection, a pagan uprising which started after the order's defeat at the Battle of Duba and ended 15 or so years later in 1274. This week we are returning to Livonia. Last time we checked in on

Livonia was back in episode 246.

Master Otto had managed to put an end

to Russian invasions into Estonia

and had also managed to put an end to Archbishop Albert Sewerbier, who he ordered imprisoned

after the Archbishop's failed attempt to conspire to overthrow the Teutonic Order in Lovonia.

With the Russian threat over for now and with Archbishop Albert sitting powerless in his residence in Riga, meekly doing the

orders bidding, we shall now return back to Livonia. Now I guess it won't surprise anyone to learn that Master Otto, having dealt with the Russians and with Riga's Archbishop, turned his attentions back to the pagans.

In the year 1269, he began recruiting and planning

for a massive invasion into Semagalia.

In early 1270, when the winter freeze made it easier to travel over the frozen ice, he assembled a large force in Riga, and they

headed off towards Semigalia.

They had no sooner started their march, however, when word came in that Lavonia itself was

under attack. Word of the mobilization of the Latin Christian army must have reached the pagans,

who attacked Lovonia on two fronts simultaneously, with the Samagetsians gathering at the border

preparing to invade, and the Lithuanians traveling over the ice to the north and attacking the island of

Eisle.

With his plan to invade Semagalia now shelved for the moment, Master Otto decided to deal with the

Lithuanians first.

...