History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 295, the Baltic Crusades, the Levonian Crusade Part 52 Internal Strife. Hello again. 52 internal strife.

Hello again.

Last time we saw how

while the Samagitzian Crusade had ended

the potential for further rebellion in Samagetsia remained, with the Samagetsians

having not really been brought under the Teutonic thumb. This week we're heading back to Livonia. Remember Livonia, we haven't been there

since episode 281, but now it's time to pop back over to the Livonia and Estonia to see what has been taking place

while we have been concentrating on matters in Lithuania, Poland and Prussia.

Now you might have noticed that the Lavonian chapter of the Teutonic Order haven't been playing a huge role in the military expeditions

interlithuania and Samagetia in recent times.

The master of Livonia and his knights have made an occasional appearance, but they haven't

been regulars on the crusader scene. In his book, The Livonian Crusade, William Urban points out that there were two reasons for this.

The first reason was largely one of geography. Most Crusaders who were traveling from Europe to engage

in a crusading adventure in the Baltic region chose first to sail to Danzig, then travel overland to

Kurnigsburg in Prussia and from there into Samagitsia and Lithuania via the Nemunas River. The days of Crusaders sailing to Riga and then

traveling up the Dalgova River to Dunneburg Castle and then into Lithuania were kind of over and

had been replaced by the quicker and more popular, Dansig, Kurnicksburg, Kowness route.

As such, the Prussian chapter of the Teutonic Order and not the Livonian chapter were the instigators and promoters of crusading expeditions heading into

Samagetia and Lithuania, while the Livonian chapter tended only to play a limited role.

The second reason why the Livonians ceased to become crusading regulars in this period was due to internal difficulties.

William Urban describes these troubles as commencing just before the year

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