History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 217 Episode 274, the Baltic, the Baltic Crusades, the Lavonian Crusade Part 50, the Great Estonian Insurection, part 3.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the Great Estonian Insurection continue with an army from Sweden arriving too late as it

happened to assist the rebels.

By the end of last week's episode, Master Bertchard of the Lovanian chapter of the Teutonic Order had managed to quell the uprising in every part of Estonia, save for the island of Isal, where he was

waiting for winter to come so that the Teutonic army could cross to the island over the frozen sea ice.

Now, while Master Birchard was waiting for the ice to thicken enough to enable a safe crossing to the island, he took the opportunity

to send word far and wide across Lavonia and throughout the Bishopric of Daupett and the Bishopric of

Eisilweck for fighting men to come to the aid of the Teutonic Knights. While this did make the bishops and a

ecclesiastical hierarchy sniff a little as it implied that they were at the Beck and Call of the Teutonic Order, a sizable force of men

did answer their call and made their way northwards towards Eisle.

By February of 1344, the ice was thick enough to cross

and the Order's forces made their way to the island.

They found that the rebels had stationed themselves inside a number of well fortified castles on the island.

Master Bertrand decided to start his attack by focusing on the strongest and most formidable of these castles, which

happened to be surrounded by a high wall, which in turn was surrounded by a moat.

Master Bertchard set up a number of siege engines and

catapult machines, which were aimed at two of the castle's three gates. The machines were manned night and day, and eventually

one of the gates gave way and the Teutonic Army poured into the castle.

The Estonians sheltering inside the structure, including thousands of unarmed women and children, were all killed.

And Master Bertrand ordered the rebel commander of the forces inside the castle to be tortured to death.

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