On April 12, 1242, according to the new style, the Battle of the Ice took place - one of the most mythologized battles in Russian history. Even its date is the subject of myth-making, because the day of military glory is celebrated on April 18, while according to the proleptic Gregorian calendar, the battle took place on April 12.

We decided to look into the intricacies of historical truth and chronicle legends and find out how many soldiers actually fought that day, is it true that the Livonians fell into Lake Peipsi, and the light armor of the Russian squad allowed her to easily and naturally prance on the ice.

Myth one
Betrayal of Pskov

We all, one way or another, remember the film by S.M. Eisenstein's "Battle on the Ice", according to which the Pskov boyars committed a terrible betrayal in relation to Rus', going over to the side of the Germans. But, one must understand that the realities of the 20th century, when the famous film was shot, and the situation in the early Middle Ages are two completely different things.

That was a period of feudal fragmentation, and not only did the Novgorod veche republic not associate itself with Russia, they even called themselves “Slovene” in their birch bark letters, and other principalities - “Rus”.

Even less associated with the rest of the principalities of Pskov, which for quite a long time was an independent subject of feudal law, which was less and less dependent on Novgorod. He led an independent policy, during which he entered into an alliance with the Livonian Order in 1228, and in 1242, supporters of the adoption of Catholicism opened the gates to the knights.

The way the "invaders" behaved in Pskov speaks very eloquently about their relationship - the Germans left only two knights there, who monitored the execution of the contract.

Myth two
Tens of thousands who fought

The history textbooks, according to which we studied the battle on the ice at school, speak of 11-12 thousand Germans, and 15-17 thousand Russians. Even now, such a figure often flashes in articles and even on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. But, if we look at real sources of information, we get a slightly different picture. We must immediately make a reservation that we do not have exact data, and most likely will never be, and all subsequent calculations are approximate, and only speak of possible figures. There could not be more of them, but less is easy.

“And pada Chyudi was beschisla, and Nemets 400, and 50 with the hands of Yash and brought to Novgorod.”

That is, Estonians - Chud, they killed without a number, they didn’t even count, but the Germans - 400 and 50 were taken prisoner, which is very different from the information from the other side. True, in the later first Novgorod chronicle of the younger version - there are already five hundred killed Germans, so we can conclude that the chronicler is lying a little about the number of beaten enemies. Yes, and the Germans in their rhymed chronicle do not lag behind, declaring:

"The Russians had such an army that perhaps sixty people attacked each German."

... Which, as we see from the calculations, is also "slightly" more than the realistically possible numbers. So in the end it turns out that 200-400 Germans clashed against 400-800 Russians, and not eleven thousand against seventeen.

Myth three
Knights were heavier and better armored

The image of a knight clad in armor is quite common, and the myth that our warriors were lighter armed and protected is one of the main ones. And it is with his help that the next myth is explained - that the knights were lured onto the ice, and they failed. So, the trouble is that, according to archeology and historical reconstruction, the Russian soldiers had no less chances to fail, and maybe even more, than the Germans.

“And, chasing, bish them for 7 miles along the ice to the Subolichsky coast”

That is, they drove and beat them seven miles across the ice. So most likely, having already defeated the knights, they were driven onto the ice, and there they could just fall under the water, but the battle itself, judging by the Livonian chronicle, took place on the shore.

Myth five
Infantry presence

This is not the most hackneyed myth, but in the film, and in many descriptions of the battle, infantry was present on both sides. It is clear where she came from in Eisenstein's film - it was necessary to show that a simple peasant rose up against the enemy along with the feudal lords. But even pre-revolutionary historians described the presence of infantry.

The problem is that in all likelihood it could not be there. After all, the Russians went on a return trip to the lands of the order and took with them the princely squads (and they are always mounted) and city regiments, and this is the same squad, only maintained by rich cities.

So there was simply no place for infantry in the battle. Moreover, infantrymen are not mentioned anywhere in the sources. On the part of the Germans, there were knights and their bollards - also mounted. And in the military affairs of that era, foot soldiers were assigned an important role only during the siege and defense of fortresses, and during the raid (namely, Alexander Nevsky’s campaign was exactly that) there was simply no need for them. And against the heavy cavalry, the infantry of that time was practically useless. Only much later, first the Czechs with the Wagenburgs, and then the Landsknechts and the Swiss, would refute this well-established belief.

So, having disassembled the most common myths about the Battle of the Ice, it is important to note that, despite the obvious locality and small losses, the battle still turned out to be an important milestone in our history. It was thanks to him that it was possible to conclude peace with the Order for a whole ten years, which in that era of constant conflict was a significant respite. As a result, this seemingly small victory made it possible to prepare for the next round of endless wars.

Losses

Monument to the squads of A. Nevsky on Mount Sokolikh

The question of the losses of the parties in the battle is controversial. About Russian losses, it is said vaguely: "many brave warriors fell." Apparently, the losses of the Novgorodians were really heavy. The losses of the knights are indicated by specific numbers, which cause controversy. Russian chronicles, and after them domestic historians, say that about five hundred people were killed by the knights, and the Chudi were “pade beschisla”, as if fifty “brothers”, “deliberate governors” were taken prisoner. Four hundred or five hundred killed knights is a completely unrealistic figure, since there were not such a number in the entire Order.

According to the Livonian chronicle, for the campaign it was necessary to collect "many brave heroes, brave and excellent" led by the master, plus Danish vassals "with a significant detachment." The Rhymed Chronicle specifically says that twenty knights died and six were taken prisoner. Most likely, the "Chronicle" refers only to the "brothers" - knights, not taking into account their squads and the Chud recruited into the army. The Novgorod First Chronicle says that 400 "Germans" fell in the battle, 50 were taken prisoner, and the "chud" is also discounted: "beschisla". Apparently, they suffered really serious losses.

So, it is possible that 400 German cavalry soldiers really fell on the ice of Lake Peipsi (twenty of them were real "brothers" - knights), and 50 Germans (of which 6 were "brothers") were captured by the Russians. The Life of Alexander Nevsky claims that the prisoners then walked near their horses during the joyful entry of Prince Alexander into Pskov.

According to the conclusions of the expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences led by Karaev, the immediate place of the battle can be considered a section of the Warm Lake, located 400 meters west of the modern shore of Cape Sigovets, between its northern tip and the latitude of the village of Ostrov. It should be noted that the battle on a flat surface of ice was more beneficial for the heavy cavalry of the Order, however, it is traditionally believed that Alexander Yaroslavich chose the place to meet the enemy.

Consequences

According to the point of view traditional in Russian historiography, this battle, together with the victories of Prince Alexander over the Swedes (July 15, 1240 on the Neva) and over the Lithuanians (in 1245 near Toropets, near Lake Zhiztsa and near Usvyat), was of great importance for Pskov and Novgorod, holding back the pressure of three serious enemies from the west - at the very time when the rest of Russia was suffering from princely strife and the consequences of the Tatars conquest heavy losses. In Novgorod, the Battle of the Germans on the Ice was remembered for a long time: together with the Neva victory over the Swedes, it was remembered in litanies in all Novgorod churches as early as the 16th century.

The English researcher J. Fannel believes that the significance of the Battle of the Ice (and the Battle of the Neva) is greatly exaggerated: "Alexander did only what the numerous defenders of Novgorod and Pskov did before him and what many did after him - namely, they rushed to protect the extended and vulnerable borders from invaders." The Russian professor I. N. Danilevsky agrees with this opinion. He notes, in particular, that the battle was inferior in scale to the battles near Siauliai (city), in which the master of the order and 48 knights were killed by the Lithuanians (20 knights died on Lake Peipsi), and the battle near Rakovor in 1268; contemporary sources even describe the Battle of the Neva in more detail and attach more importance to it. However, even in the Rhymed Chronicle, the Battle of the Ice is unequivocally described as a defeat for the Germans, in contrast to Rakovor.

The memory of the battle

Movies

Music

The Eisenstein film score, composed by Sergei Prokofiev, is a symphonic suite commemorating the events of the battle.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky and Poklonny Cross

The bronze worship cross was cast in St. Petersburg at the expense of patrons of the Baltic Steel Group (A. V. Ostapenko). The prototype was the Novgorod Alekseevsky cross. The author of the project is A. A. Seleznev. A bronze sign was cast under the direction of D. Gochiyaev by the foundry workers of ZAO NTTsKT, architects B. Kostygov and S. Kryukov. During the implementation of the project, fragments from the lost wooden cross by sculptor V. Reshchikov were used.

Cultural and sports educational raid expedition

Since 1997, an annual raid expedition has been conducted to the places of feats of arms of Alexander Nevsky's squads. During these trips, the participants of the race help to improve the territories related to the monuments of cultural and historical heritage. Thanks to them, in many places in the North-West, memorial signs were erected in memory of the exploits of Russian soldiers, and the village of Kobylye Gorodishche became known throughout the country.

Notes

Literature

Links

• On the issue of writing the concept of the Museum-Reserve "Battle on the Ice", Gdov, November 19-20, 2007
• The place of the victory of Russian troops over the German knights in 1242 // Monuments of history and culture of Pskov and the Pskov region, which are under state protection

29.12.2014 0 16767

Many books and articles have been written about the famous battle on the ice of Lake Peipsi in April 1242, but it itself has not been fully studied - and our information about it is replete with blank spots...

“And there was an evil slash, and a crack from breaking spears, and a sound from a sword cut, and the frozen lake moved. And there was no ice to be seen: all covered with blood ... "

At the beginning of 1242, the German Teutonic Knights captured Pskov and advanced towards Novgorod. On Saturday, April 5, at dawn, the Russian squad, led by the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, met the crusaders on the ice of Lake Peipus, at the Raven Stone.

Alexander skillfully flanked the knights, built in a wedge, and with the blow of an ambush regiment took him into the ring. The Battle on the Ice, famous in Russian history, began. “And there was an evil slash, and a crack from breaking spears, and a sound from a sword cut, and the frozen lake moved. And no ice was visible: it was all covered in blood...” The chronicle reports that the ice cover could not withstand the retreating heavily armed knights and collapsed. Under the weight of their armor, the enemy warriors quickly went to the bottom, choking in the icy water.

Some circumstances of the battle remained a real "blank spot" for researchers. Where does truth end and fiction begin? Why did the ice collapse under the feet of the knights and withstand the weight of the Russian army? How could the knights fall through the ice, if its thickness near the shores of Lake Peipsi in early April reaches a meter? Where did the legendary battle take place?

In domestic chronicles (Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal, Rostov, Lavrentiev, etc.) and the "Senior Livonian Rhymed Chronicle" both the events that preceded the battle and the battle itself are described in detail. Its landmarks are indicated: “On Lake Peipsi, near the Uzmen tract, near the Raven Stone.” Local legends specify that the warriors fought right outside the village of Samolva.

The annalistic miniature depicts the confrontation of the parties before the battle, and defensive ramparts, stone and other structures are shown in the background. In ancient chronicles, there is no mention of Voronii Island (or any other island) near the place of the battle. They talk about the battle on the ground, and the ice is mentioned only in the final part of the battle.

In search of answers to the numerous questions of researchers, in the late 50s of the 20th century, Leningrad archaeologists, led by military historian Georgy Karaev, were the first to go to the shores of Lake Peipus. Scientists were going to recreate the events of more than seven hundred years ago.

In the beginning, chance helped. Once, while talking with fishermen, Karaev asked why they called the section of the lake near Cape Sigovets "a cursed place." The fishermen explained: in this place, until the most severe frosts, there remains a polynya, “cigovica”, because whitefish have been caught in it for a long time. In frost, of course, the ice will seize the "sigovitsa", only it is fragile: a person will go there - and he is gone ...

It means that it is no coincidence that the locals call the southern part of the lake the Warm Lake. Perhaps this is where the crusaders drowned? Here is the answer: the bottom of the lake in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bSigovits is replete with groundwater outlets that prevent the formation of a solid ice cover.

Archaeologists have found that the waters of Lake Peipsi are gradually advancing on the shores, this is the result of a slow tectonic process. Many ancient villages were flooded, and their inhabitants moved to other, higher shores. The lake level is rising at a rate of 4 millimeters per year. Consequently, since the time of the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky, the water in the lake has risen by a good three meters!

G.N. Karaev removed depths of less than three meters from the map of the lake, and the map "rejuvenated" by seven hundred years. This map prompted: the narrowest place of the lake in ancient times was just next door to the “sigovitsy”. This is how the annalistic “Uzmen”, a name that does not exist on the modern map of the lake, received an exact reference.

The most difficult thing was to determine the location of the "Raven Stone", because on the map of the lake of the Raven Stones, rocks and islands, there are more than a dozen. Karaev's divers explored Voroniy Island near Uzmen and found that it was nothing more than the top of a huge sheer underwater cliff. A stone rampart was unexpectedly discovered next to it. Scientists decided that the name "Raven Stone" in ancient times referred not only to the rock, but also to a rather strong border fortification. It became clear: the battle began here on that distant April morning.

The expedition members came to the conclusion that several centuries ago the Raven Stone was a high fifteen-meter hill with steep slopes, it was visible from afar and served as a good guide. But time and waves have done their job: the once high hill with steep slopes disappeared under the water.

The researchers also tried to explain why the fleeing knights fell through the ice and drowned. In fact, at the beginning of April, when the battle took place, the ice on the lake is still quite thick and strong. But the secret was that not far from the Raven Stone, warm springs form “sigovits” from the bottom of the lake, so the ice here is less strong than in other places. Previously, when the water level was lower, underwater springs undoubtedly hit right on the ice sheet. The Russians, of course, knew about this and bypassed dangerous places, and the enemy ran straight ahead.

So here is the solution to the riddle! But if it is true that in this place the icy abyss swallowed up an entire knightly army, then somewhere here his trace must be hidden. Archaeologists set themselves the task of finding this last proof, but the circumstances prevented the achievement of the ultimate goal. It was not possible to find the burial places of the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Ice. This is clearly stated in the report of the complex expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences. And soon there were allegations that in ancient times the dead were taken with them for burial in their homeland, therefore, they say, their remains cannot be found.

A few years ago, a new generation of search engines - a group of Moscow enthusiasts, lovers of the ancient history of Rus', again tried to solve a centuries-old mystery. She had to find burial places hidden in the ground related to the Battle of the Ice on a large territory of the Gdovsky district of the Pskov region.

Studies have shown that in those distant times, in the area south of the village of Kozlovo, which exists today, there was some kind of fortified outpost of the Novgorodians. It was here that Prince Alexander Nevsky went to join the detachment of Andrei Yaroslavich, hidden in an ambush. At a critical moment in the battle, an ambush regiment could go behind the knights, surround them and ensure victory. The place is relatively flat. The troops of Nevsky from the north-western side were protected by the “sigovits” of Lake Peipus, and from the eastern side - by the wooded part, where the Novgorodians settled in the fortified town.

The knights advanced from the south side (from the village of Tabory). Not knowing about the Novgorod reinforcements and feeling their military superiority in strength, they, without hesitation, rushed into battle, falling into the "nets" placed. From here it can be seen that the battle itself was on land, not far from the shore of the lake. By the end of the battle, the knightly army was driven back to the spring ice of Zhelchinskaya Bay, where many of them died. Their remains and weapons are still at the bottom of this bay.

Alexander Nevsky - Defender of Rus'

We won

Alexander Nevsky enters Pskov

"Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword"

On April 5, 1242, the Russian army, led by Prince Alexander Nevsky, defeated the Livonian knights in the Battle of the Ice on the ice of Lake Peipsi. In the XIII century Novgorod was the richest city in Rus'. From 1236, the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich reigned in Novgorod.

In 1240, when the Swedish aggression against Novgorod began, he was not yet 20 years old.

Nevertheless, by that time he already had some experience of participating in his father’s campaigns, was fairly well-read and had an excellent command of military art, which helped him win the first of his great victories: on July 21, 1240, with the help of his small squad and the Ladoga militia, he defeated the Swedish army with a sudden and swift attack, which landed at the mouth of the Izhora River (at its confluence with the Neva). For the victory in the battle, named later, in which the young prince showed himself to be a skilled military leader, showed personal valor and heroism, Alexander Yaroslavich received the nickname Nevsky. But soon, due to the intrigues of the Novgorod nobility, Prince Alexander left Novgorod and went to reign in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.

However, the defeat of the Swedes on the Neva did not completely eliminate the danger looming over Russia: the threat from the north, from the Swedes, was replaced by a threat from the west, from the Germans.

In pursuit of new lands and free labor, under the guise of the intention to convert the pagans to Christianity, crowds of German nobles, knights and monks marched east. With fire and sword, they suppressed the resistance of the local population, sitting comfortably on its lands, built castles and monasteries here and imposed unbearable extortions and tribute on the Russian people. By the beginning of the 13th century, the entire Baltic was in the hands of the Germans. The population of the Baltics groaned under the whip and yoke of warlike newcomers.

And already in the early autumn of 1240, the Livonian knights invaded the Novgorod possessions and occupied the city of Izborsk. Soon Pskov also shared his fate - the betrayal of the Pskov mayor Tverdila Ivankovich, who went over to the side of the Germans, helped the Germans take it.

Having subjugated the Pskov volost, the Germans built a fortress in Koporye. It was an important foothold that allowed control of the Novgorod trade routes along the Neva, to plan further advance to the East. After that, the Livonian aggressors invaded the very center of the Novgorod possessions, captured Luga and the Novgorod suburb of Tesovo. In their raids, they approached Novgorod for 30 kilometers.

Neglecting past grievances, Alexander Nevsky, at the request of the Novgorodians, returned to Novgorod at the end of 1240 and continued the fight against the invaders. The following year, he recaptured Koporye and Pskov from the knights, returning most of their western possessions to the Novgorodians. But the enemy was still strong, and the decisive battle was yet to come.

In the spring of 1242, reconnaissance of the Livonian Order was sent from Dorpat (former Russian Yuryev, now the Estonian city of Tartu) in order to "probe" the strength of the Russian troops. 18 versts south of Derpt, the order reconnaissance detachment managed to defeat the Russian "dispersal" under the command of Domash Tverdislavich and Kerebet. It was a reconnaissance detachment moving ahead of the troops of Alexander Yaroslavich in the direction of Dorpat. The surviving part of the detachment returned to the prince and informed him of what had happened. The victory over a small detachment of Russians inspired the order command. He developed a tendency to underestimate the Russian forces, a conviction was born in the possibility of their easy defeat. The Livonians decided to give the Russians a battle and for this they set out from Derpt to the south with their main forces, as well as their allies, led by the master of the order himself. The main part of the troops consisted of armored knights.

The battle on Lake Peipsi, which went down in history as the Battle of the Ice, began on the morning of April 5, 1242. At sunrise, noticing a small detachment of Russian shooters, the knightly "pig" rushed at him. Alexander countered the German wedge with the Russian heel - a system in the form of the Roman numeral "V", that is, the angle facing the enemy with a hole. This very hole was covered by a "brow", which consisted of archers, who took the brunt of the "iron regiment" and, with courageous resistance, noticeably upset its advance. Still, the knights managed to break through the defensive orders of the Russian "chela".

A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. And at its very height, when the "pig" was completely involved in the battle, at the signal of Alexander Nevsky, the regiments of the left and right hands hit its flanks with all their might. Not expecting the appearance of such Russian reinforcements, the knights were confused and, under their powerful blows, began to gradually retreat. And soon this retreat took on the character of a disorderly flight. Then suddenly, from behind a shelter, a cavalry ambush regiment rushed into battle. The Livonian troops suffered a crushing defeat.

The Russians drove them across the ice for another seven versts to the western shore of Lake Peipus. 400 knights were destroyed and 50 were taken prisoner. Part of the Livonians drowned in the lake. Those who escaped from the encirclement were pursued by the Russian cavalry, completing their rout. Only those who were in the tail of the "pig" and were on horseback managed to escape: the master of the order, commanders and bishops.

The victory of the Russian troops under the leadership of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German "dog-knights" is of great historical importance. The Order asked for peace. Peace was concluded on terms dictated by the Russians. Order ambassadors solemnly renounced all encroachments on Russian lands, which were temporarily captured by the order. The movement of Western invaders to Rus' was stopped.

The western borders of Rus', established after the Battle of the Ice, held out for centuries. The battle on the ice also went down in history as a remarkable example of military tactics and strategy. Skillful formation of a battle order, a clear organization of the interaction of its individual parts, especially infantry and cavalry, constant reconnaissance and taking into account the weaknesses of the enemy in organizing battles, the correct choice of place and time, good organization of tactical pursuit, the destruction of most of the superior enemy - all this determined Russian military art as the best in the world.

The borders of modern Russia are historically connected with the borders of the Russian Empire, which were influenced by certain events. And therefore, the significance of the Battle of the Ice is very great: thanks to him, the Teutonic Order forever abandoned serious claims to Russian lands. Although this did not protect our ancestors from the Golden Horde, it helped to defend at least the western borders, showed people in difficult times that they are capable of winning victories.

However, before the Battle of the Ice happened, it was preceded by other events that largely predetermined it. In particular, the Battle of the Neva, which clearly demonstrated the military talent of the then young Prince Alexander. Therefore, it is worth starting with it.

The battle on the Neva itself is directly conditioned by the claims of both the Swedes and the Novgorodians to the Karelian Isthmus and to the Finnish tribes. What was connected with the influence and with the advance of the crusaders to the west. Here historians differ in their assessments of what happened. Some believe that Alexander Nevsky stopped the expansion by his actions. Others disagree, believing that the significance of his victories is greatly exaggerated, and that the crusaders actually had no real intention of moving in earnest. So the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice still cause a lot of controversy. But it is worth returning to the first event.

So, the Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. It should be noted that the young prince Alexander at that time was a very inexperienced commander, he participated in battles only with his father, Yaroslav. And this was, in fact, his first serious military test. Success was largely determined by the sudden appearance of the prince along with his squad. The Swedes, who landed at the mouth of the Neva, did not expect a serious rebuff. In addition, in the summer they experienced serious thirst, as a result of which, as many historians have noted, they were either drunk or hungover. The camp set up near the river implied the presence of tents, which turned out to be very easy to cut down, which the youth Savva did.

The timely warning of the Izhorian elder Pelgusius, who was watching these lands and sending messengers to Alexander, thus came as a complete surprise to the Swedes. As a result, the Battle of the Neva ended for them in a real rout. According to some reports, the Swedes loaded almost 3 ships with the bodies of those killed, while about 20 people died on the Novgorodians. It is worth noting that the battle began in the afternoon and lasted until the evening, at night hostilities ceased, and in the morning the Swedes began to flee. Nobody pursued them: Alexander Nevsky did not see the need for this, in addition, he was afraid to increase losses. Please note that he received his nickname precisely after this victory.

What happened between the Battle of Nevsky and the Battle of the Ice?

After the battle on the Neva River took place, the Swedes abandoned their claims. But this did not mean that the Crusaders stopped thinking about the conquest of Rus'. Do not forget in what year the described event took place: our ancestors already then had problems with the Golden Horde. Which, together with feudal fragmentation, significantly weakened the Slavs. Understanding the date is so important here because it allows you to relate one event to another.

Therefore, the defeat of the Swedes did not impress the Teutonic Order. The Danes and Germans resolutely moved forward, captured Pskov, Izborsk, founded Koporye, where they decided to fortify themselves, making it their outpost. Even the summary of the Laurentian Chronicle, which tells about those events, makes it clear that the successes of the Order were significant.

At the same time, the boyars, who had considerable power in Novgorod, were alarmed about the victory of Alexander that had taken place. They were afraid of increasing his power. As a result, the prince left Novgorod after a major quarrel with them. But already in 1242, the boyars called him back with a retinue because of the Teutonic threat, especially since the enemy was coming close to the Novgorodians.

How did the battle take place?

So, the famous battle on Lake Peipus, the Battle of the Ice, took place in 1242 on April 5. At the same time, the battle was carefully prepared by the Russian prince. What makes clear the work of Konstantin Simonov dedicated to this event, which, although it cannot be called an impeccable historical source in terms of reliability, is quite well worked out.

In short, everything happened according to a certain pattern: the knights of the Order in full heavy weapons acted as a typical wedge for themselves. Such a ramming blow was intended to demonstrate all power to the enemy, sweep him away, sow panic and break resistance. This tactic has proved itself repeatedly in the past. But the Battle of the Ice in 1242, Alexander Nevsky really prepared well. He studied the weaknesses of the enemy, so the German "pig" was first waited for by archers, their main task was simply to lure the knights out. Which then stumbled upon heavily armed infantry with long pikes.

In fact, what happened next could hardly be called anything other than a massacre. The knights could not stop, because otherwise the front ranks would be crushed by the back. It was not possible to break the wedge at all. Therefore, the horsemen could only move forward, hoping to break the infantry. But the central regiment was weak, but the strong ones were placed on the sides, contrary to the then established military tradition. In addition, another detachment was placed in an ambush. In addition, Alexander Nevsky perfectly studied the area where the Battle of the Ice took place, so some of the knights were able to drive his warriors to where the ice was very thin. As a result, many of them began to sink.

There is another important factor. He is also shown in "Alexander Nevsky", a famous painting, maps, pictures also depict him. This is the stampede of a freak who helped the Order when she realized that professional warriors were fighting against her. Speaking even briefly about the Battle on the Ice, one cannot fail to note the excellent knowledge of the weapons of the knights and weaknesses. So, they were frankly helpless when they were pulled off their horses. And that is why the prince armed many of his soldiers with special hooks, which made it possible to throw the crusaders to the ground. At the same time, the battle that took place turned out to be very cruel in relation to the horses. To deprive the riders of this advantage, many wounded and killed animals.

But what were the results of the Battle of the Ice for both sides? Alexander Nevsky managed to repel claims to Rus' from the west, to strengthen the borders for centuries to come. Which was of particular importance, given how much the Slavs suffered from invasions from the east. In addition, the first battle in history took place, where infantrymen defeated heavily armed riders in full dress in battle, demonstrating to the whole world that this is quite real. And although the Battle on the Ice is not a very large scale, but from this point of view, Alexander Nevsky demonstrated a good talent as a commander. As a prince, he acquired a certain weight, they began to reckon with him.

As for the Order itself, it cannot be said that the defeat in question was critical. But on Lake Peipsi, 400 knights died, about 50 were captured. So for its age, the Battle of the Ice still caused quite serious damage to the German and Danish chivalry. And for that year, this was not the only problem of the Order, which also faced the Galicia-Volyn and Lithuanian principalities.

Reasons for winning the battle

Alexander Nevsky won a convincing victory in the Battle of the Ice. Moreover, he forced the Teutonic Order to sign a peace treaty on his own terms. In this agreement, he forever renounced any claims to Russian lands. Since it was a matter of spiritual brotherhood, which was also subordinate to the Pope of Rome, the Order could not violate such an agreement without problems for itself. That is, speaking even briefly about the results of the Battle of the Ice, including diplomatic ones, it should be noted that they were impressive. But back to the analysis of the battle.

Reasons for winning:

1. Well chosen place. Alexander's soldiers were lighter armed. Therefore, thin ice for them did not pose such a danger as for knights clad in full armor, many of whom simply drowned. In addition, Novgorodians knew these places better.
2. Good tactic. Alexander Nevsky was in complete control of the situation. He not only correctly disposed of the advantages of the place, but also studied the weaknesses in the usual style of fighting, which the Teutonic Knights themselves repeatedly demonstrated, ranging from the classic "pig" to their dependence on horses, heavy weapons.
3. Underestimation by the enemy of the Russians. The Teutonic Order is accustomed to success. By this time, Pskov and other lands had already been captured, and the knights did not meet serious resistance. The largest of the conquered cities was taken thanks to betrayal.

The battle in question was of great cultural significance. In addition to Simonov's story, several films were made based on it, including documentaries. This event was covered in many books, both fiction and biographical, dedicated to the personality of Alexander Nevsky. Many consider it extremely important that the victory took place during the onset of the period of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.