History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 260

and six. Episode 266

the Baltic Crusades the Livonian Crusade part 45

the letters of Godediminas.

Hello again.

Last week we brought the timeline in the Livonian Crusade up to the year 1323, with the dramatic resignation of Master Gerhard from the Levonian

chapter of the Teutonic Knights, and his replacement by a man hand-picked by Grand Master Carl Conrad Kesselhut from Prussia,

who was appointed as Vice-Master. Meanwhile Archbishop Friedrich is still in Avignon, whistling and humming to himself

as he keeps alive his dream of one day convincing the Pope to reign some hellfire down on the

Livonian chapter of the Teutonic Order. Those of you with a keen sense for dates will notice that we are also at the year 1323

in the Samagetian crusade, with the Latin Christians reeling after devastating pagan successes

against Christian interests in Samagitsia,

and Samagalia.

Since we are all at the year 1323,

this is going to be a combined episode driving both the Livonian Crusade and the Samagitian

Crusade ahead along their timelines under the heading of the Livonian Crusade as events are geographically closer to that

crusade.

Now one of the things affecting both Crusades at the moment was the weather.

The winters at this point in time were truly horrendous and the spring and summer seasons were lukewarm at best, meaning that

harvests failed, people were cold and hungry and generally totally miserable.

It may or may not have helped the people of Eastern Europe to know that this was actually not just happening in their neck of the woods, but was a global phenomenon,

...