Battle of Wiłkomierz
Part of the Lithuanian Civil War (1432?38)
Monument at the field of the Battle of Wiłkomierz
Date September 1, 1435 Location Ukmerg? near the ?ventoji River 55°9′57″N 24°46′17″E  /  55.16583°N 24.77139°E  / 55.16583; 24.77139 Result Decisive victory of Sigismund K?stutaitis
Belligerents
Eastern Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( Polotsk , Vitebsk , Smolensk , Kiev , Volhynia ) Livonian Order Golden Horde	Western Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( Samogitia , Podlaskie , Hrodna , Minsk ) Kingdom of Poland
Commanders and leaders
?vitrigaila Franco Kerskorff   † Sigismund Korybut   †	Sigismund K?stutaitis Michael ?ygimantaitis Jakub Kobyla?ski
Strength
11,000 (contemporary exaggeration: 30,000) [1]	9,500 (contemporary exaggeration: 30,000) [1]

The Battle of Wiłkomierz (see other names ) took place on September 1, 1435, near Ukmerg? in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . With the help of military units from the Kingdom of Poland , the forces of Grand Duke Sigismund K?stutaitis soundly defeated ?vitrigaila and his Livonian allies. The battle was a decisive engagement of the Lithuanian Civil War (1432?1438) . ?vitrigaila lost most of his supporters and withdrew to southern Grand Duchy; he was slowly pushed out and eventually made peace. The damage inflicted upon the Livonian Order has been compared to the damage of Battle of Grunwald upon the Teutonic Order . ^[2] It was fundamentally weakened and ceased to play a major role in Lithuanian affairs. The battle can be seen as the final engagement of the Lithuanian Crusade . ^[1]

Names [ edit ]

The battle is also known as the Battle of Vilkomir or Ukmerg? after Ukmerg? /Vilkmerg?, the nearest large settlement. It is also known as Battle of ?wi?ta/?ventoji ^[3] after the ?ventoji River that flows near the battle site. In Lithuanian, the battle is known as the Battle of Pabaiskas. The word "pabaiskas" is derived from Polish "pobojowisko" literally meaning "battle site" or "place where a battle was fought". It came into use as a name for the town of Pabaiskas which grew around the Church of the Holy Trinity built at the site in 1436?40 by Sigismund K?stutaitis. ^[1]

Background [ edit ]

In October 1430, Vytautas the Great died without an heir. The Lithuanian nobles elected ?vitrigaila, Jogaila 's brother and Vytautas' cousin, as the new Grand Duke without first consulting with Poland. ^[4] This violated the Union of Horodło of 1413, and outraged the Polish nobles. ?vitrigaila prepared for war and enlisted the Teutonic Knights , Moldavia , and the Golden Horde as his allies. ^[4] Sigismund K?stutaitis assumed power in Lithuania when he deposed ?vitrigaila in a coup on August 31, 1432. ?vitrigaila escaped, established himself in Polotsk , and rallied his supporters from Slavic lands of the Grand Duchy against Sigismund.

The Teutonic Knights secretly supported ?vitrigaila chiefly through its branch in Livonia. ^[5] ?vitrigaila and Sigismund were now engaged in a destructive civil war. In December 1432, their armies fought in the Battle of Ashmyany ; ?vitrigaila was defeated, but the victory was not decisive. ^[6] In 1433, together with the Livonian knights, ?vitrigaila raided Lida , Kreva , Ei?i?k?s and devastated the surrounding areas near Vilnius , Trakai , and Kaunas . ^[6] After Jogaila's death in 1434, the Teutonic Knights resumed their war against Poland. ^[5] In total, ?vitrigaila and Livonia organized six raids into Lithuania, the last of which resulted in the Battle of Wiłkomierz. ^[7]

Battle [ edit ]

?vitrigaila commanded a force of about 11,000 men: Lithuanians and Orthodox Ruthenians from Polotsk , Vitebsk , Smolensk , Kiev , Volhynia , Livonian Knights and their mercenaries, at least 500 Tatars from the Golden Horde, and a few Teutonic Knights. ^[1] There might have been some Hussites on his side as he enlisted his nephew Sigismund Korybut , a distinguished military leader during the Hussite Wars . ^[8] Forces of Sigismund K?stutaitis were probably smaller. His son Michael commanded Lithuanian troops from Samogitia , Podlaskie , Hrodna , Minsk , and Jakub Kobyla?ski was in charge of Polish forces (4,000 troops). ^[7]

?vitrigaila gathered his forces in Vitebsk and marched towards Braslaw where he joined with the Livonian forces on August 20. ^[7] The plan was to march Trakai and Vilnius. The opponents met about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) south of Vilkmerg? . ^[9] At first, the armies were separated by Lake ?irnajai and a marshy creek (?irnaja or Vintara). ^{[9] [1]} The armies did not engage each other. After two days, ?vitrigaila and Livonian Grand Master Franco Kerskorff decided to change their position and move north towards Vilkmerg?. ^[9] As the army regrouped and was separated by a rivulet, it was attacked by Sigismund K?stutaitis. ?vitrigaila's army was split in half; the first to fall was the flag of Livonian marshal Werner von Nesselrode. ^[7] In the ensuing panic, ?vitrigaila's army was soundly defeated.

?vitrigaila managed to escape to Polotsk with about 30 followers. ^[5] Kerskorff was killed in the battle along with his marshal and several komturs . Korybut was severely wounded and captured. He died a few days later; historians speculate whether he died of the wounds, was drowned, or poisoned. ^[8] Many others, including Duke Yaroslav, son of Lengvenis , and imperial envoy Sigismund de Rota, were killed. ^[7] Many knights, including a reserve unit that was late to battle, were taken captive. ^[1] Others drowned in the ?ventoji River . The victors hunted down the survivors for 15 days. ^[1]

Aftermath [ edit ]

The battle reduced the power of the Livonian Order as its army was defeated, its Grand Master killed and of its many senior officers killed or taken prisoner. ^[10] The damage to the Livonian Order caused by the battle is often compared to the consequences that the Battle of Grunwald (1410) had on the Teutonic Knights . ^[5] The peace treaty was signed on December 31, 1435 in Brze?? Kujawski . The Teutonic and Livonian Orders promised not to interfere in internal matters of Lithuania or Poland. According to the treaty, even the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor could not force the Orders to violate the accords. ^[2] That provision was meant particularly against Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , and his attempts in playing Poland and Teutonic Order against each other. ^[7]

The peace did not alter borders established by the Treaty of Melno (1422). ^[10] The Livonian Order's defeat in the battle brought it closer to its neighbors in Livonia . The Livonian Confederation agreement was signed on December 4, 1435, by the Livonian Order, Livonian Bishops, vassals and city representatives. ^[11] The Order lost its crusading character and became a confederate state. ^[1]

?vitrigaila escaped and continued to resist, but he was losing his power in the eastern provinces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1437, he proposed a compromise to continue to rule Kiev and Volhynia , territories that still remained loyal to him, until his death, when they would pass to the King of Poland. ^[6] A strong protest from Sigismund K?stutaitis caused the Polish Senate not to ratify the agreement. The following year, ?vitrigaila retreated to Moldavia. ^[6] Sigismund became the undisputed Grand Duke of Lithuania. However, his reign was short as he was assassinated in 1440.

A church was built in the battlefield by Sigismund K?stutaitis to commemorate his victory. The town of Pabaiskas later grew around the church. ^[12]

References [ edit ]