Interesting facts about the Battle of the Ice

Interesting facts about the Battle of the Ice will concern one of the most famous battles in the history of Russia. As you know, this battle took place on the ice of Lake Peipsi back in 1242. In it, the troops of Alexander Nevsky managed to defeat the soldiers of the Livonian Order.

So, here are the most interesting facts about the Battle on the Ice.

1. The Russian army, which participated in this battle, consisted of military squads of 2 cities - Veliky Novgorod and the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
2. The Day of the Battle on the Ice (April 5, according to the Julian calendar) in Russia is one of the Days of Military Glory.
3. Over the past centuries, the hydrography of Lake Peipsi has changed so much that scientists still cannot agree on the true site of the battle.
4. There is an assumption that the Battle of the Ice actually took place not on the ice of the lake, but next to it. A number of experts believe that it is unlikely that any military leader would have dared to take the soldiers onto thin ice. Obviously, the battle took place on the coast of Lake Peipsi, and the Germans were thrown into its coastal waters.
5. The opponents of the Russian squad were the knights of the Livonian Order, which was actually considered an "independent branch" of the Teutonic Order.
6. For all the greatness of the Battle on the Ice, relatively few soldiers died in it. The Novgorod Chronicle says that the losses of the Germans amounted to about 400 people, and how many fighters the Russian army lost is still unknown.
7. An interesting fact is that in the Livonian Chronicle this battle is described not on ice, but on the ground. It says that "the slain warriors fell on the grass."
8. In the same 1242 the Teutonic Order concluded a peace agreement with Novgorod.
9. Did you know that after the signing of the peace agreement, the Teutons abandoned all their recent conquests not only in Russia, but also in Letgola (now the territory of Latvia)?
10. Alexander Nevsky (see interesting facts about Alexander Nevsky), who led the Russian troops during the Battle of the Ice, was barely 21 years old.
11. At the end of the battle, the Teutons came up with an initiative to exchange prisoners, which was satisfied with Nevsky.
12. It is curious that after 10 years the knights again tried to capture Pskov.
13. Many historians call the Battle of the Ice one of the most "mythologized" battles in Russian history, since there are almost no reliable facts about the battle.
14. Neither authoritative Russian chronicles, nor the order "Chronicle of Grandmasters" and "The Elder Livonian Chronicle of Rhymes" mention that any of the parties fell through the ice.
15. The victory over the Livonian Order had a psychological significance, as it was won during the period of the weakening of Russia from the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols.
16. An interesting fact is that in total there were about 30 wars between Russia and the Teutons.
17. When attacking opponents, the Germans lined up their army in the so-called "pig" - a formation in the form of a blunt wedge. Such a formation made it possible to invade the enemy army, and then break it up in parts.
18. Soldiers from Denmark and the Estonian city of Tartu were on the side of the Livonian Order.

Watch the video: Top 10 STRANGE and Fascinating Facts About ICE (June 2025).