- published: 09 Aug 2013
- views: 218759
The Battle of the Ice (Russian: Ледовое побоище, Ledovoye poboish'ye; German: Schlacht auf dem Eise; Estonian: Jäälahing; Latvian: Ledus kauja), also known as the Battle of Lake Peipus (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee; Russian: битва на Чудском озере, bitva na Chudskom ozere), was a battle between the Republic of Novgorod and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights (whose army consisted 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 was a significant defeat sustained by Roman Catholic crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which were directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land. The crusaders' defeat in the battle marked the end of their campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Russian territories for the next century.
Hoping to exploit the Russians' weakness in the wake of the Mongol and Swedish invasions, the Teutonic Knights attacked the neighboring Novgorod Republic and occupied Pskov, Izborsk, and Koporye in the autumn of 1240. When they approached Novgorod itself, the local citizens recalled to the city 20-year-old Prince Alexander Nevsky, whom they had banished to Pereslavl earlier that year. During the campaign of 1241, Alexander managed to retake Pskov and Koporye from the crusaders.
"ÕìåëüÃà äëÿ Ãèõ ñëà âÿÃîâ êðîâü, Ãî òÿæêî áóäåò èõ ïîõìåëüå"
Bonfires glow in the darkness of the rival hosts,
The shadows of soldiers waved like ghosts
The breath of spring, the weather's kindness
Light crunch of melted ice broke the silence
Both banks had a foretaste of morning battle
Em's, Liv's, Chud's camps was also on the Germans side
By force they were baptized from hands of crusaders
Enemy coast like a burning ant hill in the night
The shine of the northern star which flashes like the eye of the devil
Becomes a sign to start the fight with the force of evil.
At that time a group of fishermen came to Alexander
With glistening axes and near by walked a gray-eyed
Foreigner with big moustache. Fishermen said they found
Him half-frozen, brought him to their camp and warmed him up.
He ran away from the knights.
"Why did you run from the Germans?" - asks king stranger.
"Wolves are they, not humans" - said the man with a big moustache.
"Let me fight with you against knights" - asked the stranger -
"To pay for my insults".
Alexander nods assent.
"Cross yourself". Moustache-man crossed himself three times from left
Shoulder to right.
"He crosses himself not by our way" - noticed the fisherman.
"Never mind. If only he fights by our way, but God is one and the truth is one!"
"Great, you stay and fight with us", said Alexander
"Thanks, I'll do my best to get a good name" - answers the stranger
Look, what is that twinkle on the other side of the lake, it's a signal, isn't it?
That's right, the ice is floating!