Ice, Battle of the
1242 CE
The Battle of the Ice, also known as the Battle of Lake Peipus, is a battle between the Republic of Novgorod and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights (whose army consists mostly of Estonians) on April 5, 1242, at Lake Peipus.
The battle is notable for having been fought largely on the frozen lake.The battle is a significant defeat sustained by Roman Catholic crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which are directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land.
The crusaders' defeat in the battle marks the end of their campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Russian territories for the next century.
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Swedish crusaders first invade Russia along the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, but they are halted in 1240 on the banks of the Neva River by Prince Alexander of Novgorod, who thereby earns the name Alexander Nevsky ("of the Neva").
The second crusade, spearheaded by the Teutonic Knights, follows the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland and is defeated by Alexander Nevsky in 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipus.
Alexander Nevsky and his men defeat the Livonian heavy cavalry led by the master of the Order on the ice of the Lake Peipus during the Battle of the Ice on April 5, 1242.
Alexander’s victory is a significant event in the history of the Middle Ages.
Foot soldiers of Novgorod had surrounded and defeated an army of knights, mounted on horseback and clad in thick armor, long before Western Europeans will learn how foot soldiers can prevail over mounted knights.
Nevsky's great victory against the Livonian Brothers apparently involves only a few knights killed rather than hundreds claimed by the Russian chroniclers; decisive medieval and early modern battles are won and lost by smaller margins than are seen in contemporary conflicts.
Strategic considerations aside, Alexander's victory is an important milestone in the development of Muscovite Russia.