History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 200 and 60. Episode 264, the Baltic Crusades, the Samagitzian Crusade Part 4, Samagitzy in Focus.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the dispute between the Regans and the Teutonic Order in Lovonia fall down a legal pit hole with attempts to deal with a dispute

ending up in a frustrating quagmire of delays, appeals, and legal confusion. The end result of all of this who-ha is that the

Livonian chapter of the Teutonic Order is still in Livonia and is rebuilding and strengthening the fortress at

Dunamunda, while Archbishop Friedrich of Riga is spending an extended period in Avignon, trying fruitlessly to get the

Pope to reconsider the matter, while amusing himself by collecting beautiful objects and entertaining

members of his new friendship circle. So while things are in a holding

pattern in Riga, we are heading back to the Samagitzian

Crusade.

You might remember last time we checked in on the Samagetian Crusade two episodes ago, the field of conflict changed

from the Lithuanian town of Gardenas on the upper reaches of the Namunas River to the Samijitzian

strongholds on the lower reaches of the river with the new Grand Master

Carl von Tria declaring that the Order's priority should be to secure

the land corridor from Prussia to Livonia by first subduing Samagizia. We also saw the legendary Lithuanian warlord Vytanus die of unexplained causes.

Vytennis's successor, Gediminas, did a pretty impressive job, not only of uniting the

Lithuanian warlords under his rule, but also of forming new alliances which

could assist him in his battles against the Teutonic Order. Across parts of Russia, the grip on power of the Mongol-Tata rulers appeared

to be weakening, and there were plenty of Russians looking for military support from

outsiders to offer them protection as they rose up against the Tartakans.

Most Russians viewed Lithuania as their traditional enemy and not a possible ally,

...