History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 200 and Episode 276

the Baltic Crusades

the Samajetian Crusade part nine the Battle on the Striba.

Hello again.

Last week we saw the Teutonic Order come to the dawning realization that the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, our Girdis, who was ruling Lithuania,

along with his brother Kestutis, was actually a looming threat to the very existence of Latin Christian Prussia and

Livonia. Unlike his father and predecessor, Gediminas, Al Girdis wasn't too happy to see Latin

Christianity spread over the Baltic region, and if Al Girdis had his way, the Tutonic Order would be forced to retreat back to the

Holy Roman Empire and pagan Lithuania would then extend its territorial boundaries over both

Livonia and Prussia. Not surprisingly the conclusion quickly reached by the new Grand Master of the Teutonic Order,

a seasoned warrior named Heinrich Dusama, was that the focus of the Teutonic Order's efforts in the region

ought no longer to be the conversion of the pagans of Samagetia.

No, the new goal was to defeat Lithuania and prevent Algirdis from achieving

his plans for repagonizing Prussia and Livonia. To this end the Grant Master declared that in early 1348

a major crusading expedition would depart from Prussia and head into Lithuania.

Now the Grandmaster was pretty fortunate in his timing for the recruitment of this crusade. A temporary truce had just

been declared in the 100 years war, which meant that a bunch of bored English and French soldiers were hanging around

with nothing to do, and suddenly they found a perfect solution to dealing with all the same. Suddenly they had on their

dealing with all the spare time they had on their hands.

That solution was to get themselves to pressure and prepare for a winter crusade deep into the heart of Lithuania.

Now those fabulous listeners amongst you who are patrons of this podcast will know all about

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