Recently I came across a curious article by Alexander Samsonov about the myths of the Battle on the Ice. Where is it really a myth, and where is it not? Here is the original article:
« Myths of the Ice Battle.
The battle on the ice, or the battle on Lake Peipsi, is a battle between Novgorodians and Vladimirians led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich against the troops of the Livonian Order, which by that time included the Order of the Sword Bearers (after the defeat at Saul in 1236), in the region of Lake Peipus. The battle took place on April 5 (in terms of the Gregorian calendar, i.e., according to the New Style - April 12) 1242. It was a pitched battle that ended the Order's aggressive campaign of 1240-1242.
The battle, like many events in the history of Russia, is surrounded by a number of conjectures and myths. This article will discuss the most famous myths of the Battle of the Ice.
The myth of the war with the Germans
Most of the townsfolk, if they know about this war. they will confidently say that the Russians fought the Germans, the German knights. This is not entirely true. The word "Germans" we now call the inhabitants of Germany and Austria, in the XIII century the word "German" meant - "mute", that is, not speaking Russian. "Germans" were called representatives of many peoples of Europe who did not speak our language. The Livonian chronicle reports that the army that went on a campaign to the lands of Pskov and Novgorod consisted of the knights of the Livonian Order (at that time it was one of the departments of the Teutonic Order, located on the territory of the modern Baltic), Danish vassals and militia from Yuryev-Derpt. And the militia consisted of “chud”, as the Estonians (ancestors of the Estonians) were then called. The war had a religious character - a "crusade" against heretics, who were considered adherents of the eastern branch of Christianity. But it cannot be called a war between Germans and Russians, because most of the soldiers were not Germans. This is typical for the wars of Russia-Russia-USSR, the enemy troops are usually of a coalition character.
The myth of the size of the invading army
Since the times of the USSR, some historians, when mentioning the number of armies clashed near Lake Peipus, indicate that the army of Alexander Yaroslavich numbered about 15-17 thousand people, 10-12 thousand soldiers of the Livonian Order fought against them. But given the fact that the population of the largest European cities at that time did not exceed the figure of 20-30 thousand people, these figures for the size of the armies are doubtful. Currently, there are authors who generally decided to "modernize" the battle to the level of a petty feudal skirmish. Revisionist historians rely on a Livonian source who reported the loss of 20 brothers and 6 prisoners.
But these scientists forget the fact that a noble warrior, a knight, did not fight alone, or only with a squire. The knightly “spear”, a combat tactical unit, included squires, “bodyguard” servants, and professional soldiers. The number of "spears" could be up to 100 people. We should not forget the auxiliary units of the Chud militia, which the knights did not consider as people at all, and did not take them into account. Therefore, the Novgorod chronicle claims that the losses of the Germans amounted to 400 people killed, and 50 people were captured, as well as “pade chyudi beschisla”. Russian chroniclers, apparently, counted all the "Germans", regardless of clan and tribe, knights and ordinary soldiers, servants.
Therefore, the figures of researchers who claim that the order’s army numbered about 150 knights, a thousand and a half knechts (soldiers) and two thousand militias from Estonians are most trustworthy. Novgorod and its allies were able to oppose them with about 4-5 thousand fighters. That is, neither side had a significant advantage.
Nazaruk V. M. "Battle on the Ice", 1984
The myth of the heavily armed knights and lightly armed soldiers of Alexander Nevsky
This is one of the most popular misconceptions, replicated in numerous works. According to him, the armor of the warrior of the order was 2-3 times heavier than the Russians. Thanks to this myth, arguments about the tactics of the Russian prince appeared. Allegedly, this is why the ice on Lake Peipsi broke, and part of the German army simply drowned. In reality, Russian and order soldiers were protected approximately the same, and the weight of the armor was almost equal. Yes, and plate armor, in which Livonian knights are usually depicted in novels and films, appeared much later - in the XIV-XV centuries. Western knights of the 13th century, like Russian warriors, put on a steel helmet and chain mail before the battle. They could be reinforced with one-piece forged breastplates, shoulder pads - they protected the chest from blows from the front and the shoulders from chopping blows from above. The arms and legs of the warriors were covered with bracers and greaves. This protective equipment pulled 15-20 kilograms. And not everyone had such protective weapons, but only the most noble and rich, or the prince's combatants. Ordinary Novgorod and Chud militias did not have such protective weapons.
If you carefully study the scheme of the Battle on the Ice, it is clear that the warriors of the Order fell under the ice not at all where the battle was going on. This happened later: already retreating, some of the soldiers accidentally ran into a "sigovitsa". Cape Sigovets is located near the island of Raven, or Raven Stone, its coast - from the name of the whitefish. There, due to the peculiarities of the current, the ice is weak.
The main merit of Alexander Yaroslavich, in this battle, is that the Russian prince correctly chose the place of the battle and managed to break the order with a “pig” (wedge). The essence of the system is that the knights, having concentrated the infantry units in the center and covering it on the flanks with knightly cavalry, as usual attacked "head on", hoping to simply crush the main forces of the Russian army. Alexander placed his weakest units in the center - the Novgorod militia, the infantry. They tied up the wedge of the order with a fight, while he was losing time, the main forces of the Russian army entered from the flanks and rear. "Pig" lost its striking power and was doomed. According to Russian sources, the prince's soldiers drove the defeated forces of the order seven miles to the far shore of Lake Peipsi.
In the first edition of the Novgorod chronicle, there is no message about a failure under the ice, this fact was added a century after the battle. There is no such information in the Livonian Chronicle. So, it is very possible that the knights of the order drowning among the ice are also just a beautiful myth.
Battle of the Raven Stone
In reality, researchers do not know where the battle took place. This is just one of several places where the battle could have taken place. Novgorod sources, speaking of the place of the battle, point to the Raven stone. But only where this very Crow stone is located, researchers argue to this day. Some historians believe that this was the name of the island, which is now called Vorony, others say that the stone was once high sandstone, which was washed away by the current over the centuries. In the Livonian chronicle, it is reported that the defeated fighters fell on the grass, so that the battle could take place not on the ice of the lake, but on the shore, where dry reeds would have passed for grass. And the Russian soldiers pursued the already defeated, fleeing "Germans" on the ice of the lake.
Kostylev Dmitry, "Alexander Nevsky, Battle on the Ice", fragment, 2005
Many are confused by the fact that even with the help of the most modern equipment, no weapons and armor of the 13th century have yet been found in the lake, which is why some revisionist historians have generally put forward the hypothesis that there was no battle. Although in reality, if there was no failure under the ice, there is nothing surprising. Weapons and armor were valuable booty, even broken ones (the metal went to the forges), and the bodies were buried. As a result, not a single research expedition has ever established a reliable place for the Battle of the Ice.
Perhaps the only thing you can be sure of is that the battle of 1242 really took place. We once again took up over the Western invaders.
I would like to hope that when we make a new film about that battle, it will retain the spirit of the old film, but will be spared from historical inaccuracies.
Sources:
Begunov Y. Alexander Nevsky. M., 2009.
Pashuto V. T. Alexander Nevsky M., 1974.
In the summer of 1240, an army of many thousands of German Teutonic knights moved to Russia, which captured several cities and planned to storm Novgorod. But Prince Alexander Nevsky, invited by the Novgorodians, with his retinue liberated Koporye and Pskov, and then on April 5, 1242, lured the Germans onto the ice of Lake Peipsi. As he planned, the ice could not bear the weight of the armored knights and cracked, sinking most of the Teutonic host and providing the Russians with a glorious victory. Of course, we remember all this from the lessons of history. However, much of what is known about this battle is just a myth.
Myth 1. Russians fought the Germans
Let's first figure out whose army invaded Russia. Any person with even a little knowledge of history will answer: “Of course, German!” And he will be absolutely right, because even in the Novgorod chronicle it is said that these were precisely the “Germans”. Yes, only now we use this word exclusively for the Germans (we even study the language not German, but German), in the 13th century the word “German” meant “mute”, that is, one who could not speak. So the Russians called all the peoples whose speech was incomprehensible to them. It turns out that the inhabitants of medieval Russia considered the Danes, French, Poles, Germans, Finns and so on to be “Germans”.
The Livonian chronicle indicates that the army that went on a campaign against Russia consisted of the knights of the Livonian Order (one of the divisions of the Teutonic Order based in the territory of the present Baltic), Danish vassals and the militia from Derpt (now Tartu), a significant part of which was the Chud (as the Russians called Estonians). Consequently, this army cannot be called not only “German”, it cannot even be called “Teutonic”, because most of the soldiers did not belong to the Livonian Order. But you can call them crusaders, because the campaign was partly religious in nature.
And the Russian army was not exclusively the army of Alexander Nevsky. In addition to the squad of the prince himself, the army included a detachment of the bishop, the Novgorod garrison subordinate to the mayor, the militia of the towns, as well as the squads of boyars and wealthy merchants. In addition, the “grassroots” regiments from the Suzdal principality came to the aid of the Novgorodians: the prince’s brother Andrei Yaroslavich with a squad, and with him the city and boyar detachments.
Myth 2. Countless army
Since Soviet times, some historians, when mentioning the number of armies clashed on Lake Peipsi, indicate that the army of Alexander Nevsky numbered about 15-17 thousand people, while 10-12 thousand German soldiers opposed them. For comparison, we note that the population of Novgorod at the beginning of the 13th century was only about 20-30 thousand people, and this includes women, the elderly and children. Approximately the same number lived in medieval Paris, London, Cologne. That is, according to the facts presented, armies equal in number to half the population of the largest cities in the world were supposed to converge in the battle. Very doubtful, isn't it?
Now there are also such historians who, on the contrary, assert that the battle of 1242 was a very insignificant event. After all, the Livonian chronicle says that, for their part, the Germans lost only 20 "brothers" killed and six captured. Yes, only pundits seem to forget that not every warrior of medieval Europe was considered a knight. The knights were only well-armed and equipped noble people, and usually 100 people of support went with each of them: archers, spearmen, cavalry (the so-called knechts), as well as local militia, which the Livonian chroniclers could not take into account. The Novgorod chronicle claims that the losses of the Germans amounted to 400 people killed and 50 were captured, as well as “pade chyudi beschisla”. Russian chroniclers probably counted everyone, regardless of clan and tribe.
So, it seems that the figures of researchers who claim that the German army numbered about 150 knights, one and a half thousand bollards and a couple of thousand chud militia are most credible. Novgorod opposed them with about four to five thousand fighters.
Myth 3. Heavy versus light
One of the most popular misconceptions says that the armor of a German warrior was two or three times heavier than Russians. Allegedly, it was thanks to this that the ice on the lake broke and the heavy armor pulled the Germans to the bottom. In fact, Russian and German soldiers were protected about the same. By the way, plate armor, in which knights are usually depicted in novels and films, appeared later - in the XIV-XV centuries. The knights of the 13th century, like the Russian warriors, put on a steel helmet, chain mail before the battle, on top of it - a mirror, plate armor, or a brigandine (a leather shirt with steel plates), the arms and legs of the warrior were covered with bracers and leggings. All this ammunition pulled 20 kilograms. And not every warrior had such equipment, but only the most noble and rich.
Myth 4. Alexander hoped for ice
If we carefully examine the scheme of the battle, we will see that the German invaders fell through the ice not at all where the battle took place. This happened later: already retreating, some of them accidentally ran out to the "sigovitsa" - a place on the lake, where the water does not freeze well due to the current. So, breaking the ice could not be included in the tactical plans of the prince. The main merit of Alexander Nevsky turned out to be that he correctly chose the place of the battle and managed to break the German system with a pig, or a wedge. The knights, concentrating the infantry in the center and covering it on the flanks with cavalry, as usual attacked "head on", hoping to sweep away the main forces of the Russians. But there was only a small detachment of light warriors, who immediately began to retreat. Yes, only, chasing him, the Germans suddenly ran into a steep bank, and at that time the main forces of the Russians, turning the flanks, hit from the sides and from the rear, taking the enemy into the ring. Immediately, Alexander's cavalry detachment, hidden in an ambush, entered the battle, and the Germans were broken. As the chronicle describes, the Russians drove them seven miles to the far shore of Lake Peipus.
By the way, in the first Novgorod chronicle there is not a word about the fact that the retreating Germans fell through the ice. This fact was added by the chroniclers later - 100 years after the battle. There is no mention of this in the Livonian chronicle.
So, it is quite possible that knights drowning among the ice are also just a myth.
Myth 5. At the Raven Stone
Let's take another look at the battle diagram: it is indicated that it took place near the eastern shore, not far from the junction of Lake Peipus and Pskov. In fact, this is just one of the many alleged places where the Russians could have encountered the crusaders. The Novgorod chroniclers quite accurately indicate the place of the battle - at the Raven Stone. Yes, only where this very Crow stone is located, historians are guessing to this day. Some argue that this was the name of the island, and now called Vorony, others - that high sandstone was once considered a stone, which was washed away over the centuries. The Livonian chronicle says that the defeated soldiers fell on the grass, so that the battle could not have happened at all on the ice, but on the shore (dry reeds would have gone for the grass), and the Russians were already chasing the retreating Germans across the frozen lake.
Many are confused by the fact that even with the help of modern equipment, no weapons and armor of the 13th century have yet been found in the lake, which raised doubts: was there a Battle on the Ice at all? However, if the knights did not actually drown, then the absence of equipment that went to the bottom is not at all surprising. In addition, most likely immediately after the battle, the bodies of the dead - both their own and those of others - were removed from the battlefield and buried.
In general, not a single expedition has ever established a reliable place for the battle of the Crusaders with the troops of Alexander Nevsky, and the points of a possible battle are scattered over a hundred kilometers long.
Perhaps the only thing that no one doubts is that the battle of 1242 really took place.
Oleg Gorosov /Five myths about the battle on the Ice / Secrets of the twentieth century. - 2011. - No. 20
The battle on the ice, or the battle on Lake Peipsi, is a battle between Novgorodians and Vladimirians led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich against the troops of the Livonian Order, which by that time included the Order of the Sword Bearers (after the defeat at Saul in 1236), in the region of Lake Peipus. The battle took place on April 5 (in terms of the Gregorian calendar, i.e., according to the New Style - April 12) 1242. It was a pitched battle that ended the Order's aggressive campaign of 1240-1242.
The battle, like many events in the history of Russia, is surrounded by a number of conjectures and myths. This article will discuss the most famous myths of the Battle of the Ice.
The myth of the war with the Germans. Most of the townsfolk, if they know about this war. they will confidently say that the Russians fought the Germans, the German knights. This is not entirely true. The word "Germans" we now call the inhabitants of Germany and Austria, in the XIII century the word "German" meant - "mute", that is, not speaking Russian. "Germans" were called representatives of many peoples of Europe who did not speak our language. The Livonian chronicle reports that the army that went on a campaign to the lands of Pskov and Novgorod consisted of the knights of the Livonian Order (at that time it was one of the departments of the Teutonic Order, located on the territory of the modern Baltic), Danish vassals and militia from Yuryev-Derpt. And the militia consisted of “chud”, as the Estonians (ancestors of the Estonians) were then called. The war had a religious character - a "crusade" against heretics, who were considered adherents of the eastern branch of Christianity. But it cannot be called a war between Germans and Russians, because most of the soldiers were not Germans. This is typical for the wars of Russia-Russia-USSR, the enemy troops are usually of a coalition character.
The myth of the size of the invading army. Since the times of the USSR, some historians, when mentioning the number of armies clashed near Lake Peipus, indicate that the army of Alexander Yaroslavich numbered about 15-17 thousand people, 10-12 thousand soldiers of the Livonian Order fought against them. But given the fact that the population of the largest European cities at that time did not exceed the figure of 20-30 thousand people, these figures for the size of the armies are doubtful. Currently, there are authors who generally decided to "modernize" the battle to the level of a petty feudal skirmish. Revisionist historians rely on a Livonian source who reported the loss of 20 brothers and 6 prisoners.
But these scientists forget the fact that a noble warrior, a knight, did not fight alone, or only with a squire. The knightly “spear”, a combat tactical unit, included squires, “bodyguard” servants, and professional soldiers. The number of "spears" could be up to 100 people. We should not forget the auxiliary units of the Chud militia, which the knights did not consider as people at all, and did not take them into account. Therefore, the Novgorod chronicle claims that the losses of the Germans amounted to 400 people killed, and 50 people were captured, as well as “pade chyudi beschisla”. Russian chroniclers, apparently, counted all the "Germans", regardless of clan and tribe, knights and ordinary soldiers, servants.
Therefore, the figures of researchers who claim that the order’s army numbered about 150 knights, a thousand and a half knechts (soldiers) and two thousand militias from Estonians are most trustworthy. Novgorod and its allies were able to oppose them with about 4-5 thousand fighters. That is, neither side had a significant advantage.
Nazaruk V. M. "Battle on the Ice", 1984
The myth of the heavily armed knights and lightly armed soldiers of Alexander Nevsky. This is one of the most popular misconceptions, replicated in numerous works. According to him, the armor of the warrior of the order was 2-3 times heavier than the Russians. Thanks to this myth, arguments about the tactics of the Russian prince appeared. Allegedly, this is why the ice on Lake Peipsi broke, and part of the German army simply drowned. In reality, Russian and order soldiers were protected approximately the same, and the weight of the armor was almost equal. Yes, and plate armor, in which Livonian knights are usually depicted in novels and films, appeared much later - in the XIV-XV centuries. Western knights of the 13th century, like Russian warriors, put on a steel helmet and chain mail before the battle. They could be reinforced with one-piece forged breastplates, shoulder pads - they protected the chest from blows from the front and the shoulders from chopping blows from above. The arms and legs of the warriors were covered with bracers and greaves. This protective equipment pulled 15-20 kilograms. And not everyone had such protective weapons, but only the most noble and rich, or the prince's combatants. Ordinary Novgorod and Chud militias did not have such protective weapons.
If you carefully study the scheme of the Battle on the Ice, it is clear that the warriors of the Order fell under the ice not at all where the battle was going on. This happened later: already retreating, some of the soldiers accidentally ran into a "sigovitsa". Cape Sigovets is located near the island of Raven, or Raven Stone, its coast - from the name of the whitefish. There, due to the peculiarities of the current, the ice is weak.
The main merit of Alexander Yaroslavich, in this battle, is that the Russian prince correctly chose the place of the battle and managed to break the order with a “pig” (wedge). The essence of the system is that the knights, having concentrated the infantry units in the center and covering it on the flanks with knightly cavalry, as usual attacked "head on", hoping to simply crush the main forces of the Russian army. Alexander placed his weakest units in the center - the Novgorod militia, the infantry. They tied up the wedge of the order with a fight, while he was losing time, the main forces of the Russian army entered from the flanks and rear. "Pig" lost its striking power and was doomed. According to Russian sources, the prince's soldiers drove the defeated forces of the order seven miles to the far shore of Lake Peipsi.
In the first edition of the Novgorod chronicle, there is no message about a failure under the ice, this fact was added a century after the battle. There is no such information in the Livonian Chronicle. So, it is very possible that the knights of the order drowning among the ice are also just a beautiful myth.
Battle of the Raven Stone. In reality, researchers do not know where the battle took place. This is just one of several places where the battle could have taken place. Novgorod sources, speaking of the place of the battle, point to the Raven stone. But only where this very Crow stone is located, researchers argue to this day. Some historians believe that this was the name of the island, which is now called Vorony, others say that the stone was once high sandstone, which was washed away by the current over the centuries. In the Livonian chronicle, it is reported that the defeated fighters fell on the grass, so that the battle could take place not on the ice of the lake, but on the shore, where dry reeds would have passed for grass. And the Russian soldiers pursued the already defeated, fleeing "Germans" on the ice of the lake.
Kostylev Dmitry, "Alexander Nevsky, Battle on the Ice", fragment, 2005
Many are confused by the fact that even with the help of the most modern equipment, no weapons and armor of the 13th century have yet been found in the lake, which is why some revisionist historians have generally put forward the hypothesis that there was no battle. Although in reality, if there was no failure under the ice, there is nothing surprising. Weapons and armor were valuable booty, even broken ones (the metal went to the forges), and the bodies were buried. As a result, not a single research expedition has ever established a reliable place for the Battle of the Ice.
Perhaps the only thing you can be sure of is that the battle of 1242 really took place. We once again took up over the Western invaders.
I would like to hope that when we make a new film about that battle, it will retain the spirit of the old film, but will be spared from historical inaccuracies.
http://ruspravda.info/Mifi-o-Ledovom-poboishche-227.html
Myths about the Ice Battle
Snow-covered landscapes, thousands of warriors, a frozen lake and crusaders falling through the ice under the weight of their own armor.
For many, the battle, according to the annals, which took place on April 5, 1242, is not much different from the shots from Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky".
But was it really so?
The myth of what we know about the Battle of the Ice
The battle on the ice really became one of the most resonant events of the 13th century, reflected not only in "domestic", but also in Western chronicles.
And at first glance it seems that we have enough documents in order to thoroughly study all the "components" of the battle.
But upon closer examination, it turns out that the popularity of a historical plot is by no means a guarantee of its comprehensive study.
Thus, the most detailed (and most cited) description of the battle, recorded "in hot pursuit", is contained in the Novgorod First Chronicle of the senior version. And this description has just over 100 words. The rest of the references are even more concise.
Moreover, sometimes they include mutually exclusive information. For example, in the most authoritative Western source - the Senior Livonian rhymed chronicle - there is not a word that the battle took place on the lake.
The lives of Alexander Nevsky can be considered a kind of "synthesis" of the early annalistic references to the collision, but, according to experts, they are a literary work and therefore can be used as a source only with "great restrictions."
As for the historical works of the 19th century, it is believed that they did not bring anything fundamentally new to the study of the Battle on the Ice, mainly retelling what had already been stated in the annals.
The beginning of the 20th century is characterized by an ideological rethinking of the battle, when the symbolic meaning of the victory over the "German-knightly aggression" was brought to the fore. According to historian Igor Danilevsky, before the release of Sergei Eisenstein's film "Alexander Nevsky", the study of the Battle on the Ice was not even included in university lecture courses.
The myth of a united Russia
In the minds of many, the Battle on the Ice is the victory of the united Russian troops over the forces of the German crusaders. Such a "generalizing" idea of the battle was already formed in the 20th century, in the realities of the Great Patriotic War, when Germany was the main rival of the USSR.
However, 775 years ago, the Battle of the Ice was more of a "local" than a nationwide conflict. In the 13th century, Russia experienced a period of feudal fragmentation and consisted of approximately 20 independent principalities. Moreover, the policies of cities that formally belonged to the same territory could differ significantly.
So, de jure Pskov and Novgorod were located in the Novgorod land, one of the largest territorial units of Russia at that time. De facto, each of these cities was "autonomy", with its own political and economic interests. This also applied to relations with the closest neighbors in the Eastern Baltic.
One of these neighbors was the Catholic Order of the Sword, after the defeat in the battle of Saul (Shauliai) in 1236, attached to the Teutonic Order as the Livonian Landmaster. The latter became part of the so-called Livonian Confederation, which, in addition to the Order, included five Baltic bishoprics.
As the historian Igor Danilevsky notes, the main reason for the territorial conflicts between Novgorod and the Order was the lands of the Estonians who lived on the western shore of Lake Peipsi (the medieval population of modern Estonia, in most Russian-language chronicles, appeared under the name "chud"). At the same time, the campaigns organized by the Novgorodians practically did not affect the interests of other lands. The exception was the "border" Pskov, which was constantly subjected to retaliatory raids by the Livonians.
According to the historian Alexei Valerov, it was the need to simultaneously resist both the forces of the Order and the regular attempts of Novgorod to encroach on the independence of the city that could force Pskov in 1240 to “open the gates” to the Livonians. In addition, the city was seriously weakened after the defeat at Izborsk and, presumably, was not capable of long-term resistance to the crusaders.
At the same time, according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, in 1242, not a full-fledged "German army" was present in the city, but only two Vogt knights (presumably accompanied by small detachments), who, according to Valerov, performed judicial functions on controlled lands and monitored the activities of the "local Pskov administration".
Further, as we know from the annals, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich of Novgorod, together with his younger brother Andrei Yaroslavich (sent by their father, Vladimir Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich), "expelled" the Germans from Pskov, after which they continued their campaign, setting off "to the Chud" (i.e. e. to the lands of the Livonian Landmaster).
Where they were met by the combined forces of the Order and the Bishop of Dorpat.
The myth of the scale of the battle
Thanks to the Novgorod chronicle, we know that April 5, 1242 was a Saturday. Everything else is not so clear.
Difficulties begin already when trying to establish the number of participants in the battle. The only figures we have are those of German casualties. So, the Novgorod First Chronicle reports about 400 killed and 50 prisoners, the Livonian rhymed chronicle - that "twenty brothers were killed and six were captured."
The researchers believe that these data are not as contradictory as it seems at first glance.
Historians Igor Danilevsky and Klim Zhukov agree that several hundred people participated in the battle.
So, on the part of the Germans, these are 35–40 knight brothers, about 160 knechts (on average, four servants per knight) and Estonian mercenaries (“chud without number”), who could “expand” the detachment by another 100–200 soldiers . At the same time, by the standards of the 13th century, such an army was considered a fairly serious force (presumably, during the heyday, the maximum number of the former Order of the Sword-bearers, in principle, did not exceed 100-120 knights). The author of the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle also complained that there were almost 60 times more Russians, which, according to Danilevsky, although an exaggeration, still suggests that Alexander's army significantly outnumbered the Crusaders.
Thus, the maximum number of the Novgorod city regiment, the princely squad of Alexander, the Suzdal detachment of his brother Andrei and the Pskovites who joined the campaign was unlikely to exceed 800 people.
From chronicles we also know that the German detachment was lined up by a "pig".
According to Klim Zhukov, this is most likely not about the "trapezoid" pig, which we are used to seeing on diagrams in textbooks, but about the "rectangular" one (since the first description of the "trapezium" in written sources appeared only in the 15th century). Also, according to historians, the estimated size of the Livonian army gives grounds to talk about the traditional construction of the "hound banner": 35 knights that make up the "wedge of the banner", plus their detachments (up to 400 people in total).
As for the tactics of the Russian army, the Rhymed Chronicle only mentions that "the Russians had many shooters" (who, apparently, made up the first line), and that "the brothers' army was surrounded."
We don't know anything more about this.
The myth that the Livonian warrior is heavier than the Novgorod one
There is also a stereotype according to which the combat attire of Russian soldiers was many times lighter than the Livonian one.
According to historians, if there was a difference in weight, it was extremely insignificant.
Indeed, on both sides, exclusively heavily armed horsemen participated in the battle (it is believed that all assumptions about infantrymen are a transfer of the military realities of subsequent centuries to the realities of the XIII century).
Logically, even the weight of a war horse, without taking into account the rider, would be enough to break through the fragile April ice.
So did it make sense in such conditions to withdraw troops to it?
The myth of the battle on ice and drowned knights
Let's disappoint right away: there are no descriptions of how the German knights fall through the ice in any of the early chronicles.
Moreover, in the Livonian Chronicle there is a rather strange phrase: "On both sides, the dead fell on the grass." Some commentators believe that this is an idiom meaning "fall on the battlefield" (version of the medievalist historian Igor Kleinenberg), others - that we are talking about thickets of reeds that made their way from under the ice in shallow water, where the battle took place (version of the Soviet military historian Georgy Karaev, displayed on the map).
As for the chronicles mentioning that the Germans were driven "on the ice", modern researchers agree that the Battle on the Ice could "borrow" this detail from the description of the later Battle of Rakovor (1268). According to Igor Danilevsky, reports that the Russian troops drove the enemy seven miles ("to the Subolichi coast") are quite justified for the scale of the Rakovor battle, but they look strange in the context of the battle on Lake Peipsi, where the distance from coast to coast in the supposed location battle is no more than 2 km.
Speaking of the "Raven Stone" (a geographical landmark mentioned in part of the annals), historians emphasize that any map indicating a specific battle site is nothing more than a version. Where exactly the massacre took place, no one knows: the sources contain too little information to draw any conclusions.
In particular, Klim Zhukov is based on the fact that during the archaeological expeditions in the area of Lake Peipus not a single "confirming" burial was found. The researcher connects the lack of evidence not with the mythical nature of the battle, but with looting: in the 13th century, iron was highly valued, and it is unlikely that the weapons and armor of the dead soldiers could have been preserved to this day.
The myth of the geopolitical significance of the battle
In the view of many, the Battle on the Ice "stands apart" and is perhaps the only "action-packed" battle of its time. And it really became one of the most significant battles of the Middle Ages, "suspending" the conflict between Russia and the Livonian Order for almost 10 years.
Nevertheless, the XIII century is rich in other events.
From the point of view of the clash with the crusaders, these include the battle with the Swedes on the Neva in 1240, and the already mentioned battle of Rakovor, during which the combined army of the seven northern Russian principalities opposed the Livonian Landmaster and Danish Estland.
Also, the XIII century is the time of the Horde invasion.
Despite the fact that the key battles of this era (the Battle of the Kalka and the capture of Ryazan) did not directly affect the North-West, they significantly influenced the further political structure of medieval Russia and all its components.
In addition, if we compare the scale of the Teutonic and Horde threats, then the difference is calculated in tens of thousands of soldiers. Thus, the maximum number of crusaders who ever participated in campaigns against Russia rarely exceeded 1000 people, while the alleged maximum number of participants in the Russian campaign from the Horde was up to 40 thousand (version of the historian Klim Zhukov).
TASS expresses gratitude for the help in preparing the material to the historian and specialist in Ancient Russia Igor Nikolaevich Danilevsky and the military medieval historian Klim Alexandrovich Zhukov.
© TASS INFOGRAPHICS, 2017
Materials worked on:
Was there really a Battle on the Ice?
Sergey Shargunov
One can argue about a huge number of historical events, but, nevertheless, the fact remains: Alexander Nevsky once rebuffed the Livonian Order. One can argue about the details, but the fact is that Russia was greatly weakened by the Mongol invasion.
Igor Kurukin
One can argue about the scale of the battle itself, but the fact that it was, from my point of view, is not a scientific problem. The issue of archaeological evidence is quite complex. Recall that at the site of the Kulikovo battle they have long been looking for such evidence, but only either in the past, or the year before last, they localized the place where everything happened. The battlefield is a battlefield, they met here, fought and fled. And no one threw weapons on the battlefield, everyone collected them. In addition, if you remember that the massacre took place on the lake, then, in fact, what do you want to find?
With whom did the Russian troops fight then?
Sergey Shargunov
In fact, there were several battles, this must be understood, for example, the Swedes were defeated on the Neva, and in the Battle of the Ice there were combined forces, and the Danish king and the master of the united order agreed on the division of Estonia, and this happened again with the participation of the Swedes . And later they could unite with some other forces. By the way, no one can argue with the fact that it was the Germans who besieged the city of Izborsk.
Igor Kurukin
Fought, of course, with the German order.
Could the Livonian warriors even theoretically fall through the ice?
Sergey Shargunov
Did the enemies really break through the ice and go to the bottom during the battle ... Directly over the fact that this happened just then, a big discussion erupted, and one can argue that it all happened during the battle with the Lithuanians or the Swedes, and on Lake Peipsi the Livonian the army did not break through the ice. Well, it means that another army was breaking through.
Igor Kurukin
Just the other day there was a message that the fishermen were stuck on an ice floe. Fishermen, of course, are not knights, but April or March on the ice is always a problem. And it happens every year! So why couldn't it happen in the 13th century if it happens in the 21st.
Why do the Livonian and Russian chroniclers differ in the data on the number of soldiers in the Battle of the Ice?
Sergey Shargunov
Of course, the data varies, but according to historians, approximately the same number of people participated. Data on recent battles vary, what can we say about such ancient times. In any case, I would recall that the Livonian massacre and the Neva victory were remembered in all Russian churches. This fact already indicates that the battle was not fiction, it was a reality that had just happened.
Igor Kurukin
In war and hunting, people always exaggerate, that's understandable. They exaggerate if they win and downplay if they lose.
Do you consider this battle historically and politically important?
Sergey Shargunov
The victory of Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipsi is part of a huge national historical canon. This battle was one in a chain of huge battles, and one can also recall the victory of Nevsky over the Swedes on the Neva and over the Lithuanians near Torovets, these battles were of great importance for Russia, because a huge pressure of enemies from the West was delayed. The battle took place, it became a big part of an important historical myth, the story of the resistance. You can talk a lot about how this battle was interpreted at various times, you can recall Konstantin Simonov's poem "Battle on the Ice", but, no matter how ironically it is now, then everything really smelled like a war with the Germans.
