On 9 April 1241, the Battle of Liegnitz was fought in Poland between the Mongols under Prince Kadan and Baidar and Poland under Duke Henry II during the Mongol Invasions.
Why did it happen?
After the Mongol victories in Russia between 1223 and 1238, tens of thousands of Cuman refugees fled to Hungary, where they sought the protection of Bela IV. The Mongols saw the Cumans as their subjects and subsequently planned an invasion of Europe. In 1241, General Subedei commanded three armies totalling 80,000 horsemen and invaded Hungary. At the same time, a force of 20,000 horsemen under Prince Kadan and Baidar invaded Poland to destroy any opposition before riding south to reunite with Subedei. After Kadan and Baidar burned the Polish capital, Cracaw, on 24 March, Duke Henry II the Pious raised an army of 30,000 to confront the Mongols at Liegnitz. Upon learning that a second army numbering 50,000 men under King Wenceslas of Bohemia was only two days away from joining Henry, the Mongols decided to give battle on 9 April.
Who was involved?
The Mongol army at Liegnitz numbered 20,000 cavalry. Most of the Mongol horsemen at Leignitz were heavy cavalry positioned on the wings and in the rear, while the remaining centre was light cavalry. The Mongol plan was to draw the Polish knights into a pursuit before disorienting them with a smokescreen and enveloping them with heavy cavalry on the wings. The Polish army at Liegnitz numbered 10,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry. The centre consisted of two lines of Hospitaller, Templar, and Teutonic knights flanked by peasant light infantry under Sulislaw of Cracow and Mieszko of Opole. The remaining cavalry in the rear was under the command of Duke Henry II.
What happened?
The battle opened with the Mongol vanguard advancing towards the Polish army before turning and feigning retreat, drawing the Polish knights into a pursuit. The Mongols then created a smokescreen, which obscured the movements of the Mongol vanguard and separated the Polish knights from their infantry. While the knights became disoriented by the smoke, Mongol horse archers poured hails of arrows into the bewildered mass of men and horses. Next, the Mongol wings attacked the Polish infantry from the flanks while the heavy cavalry finished off the Polish knights. Duke Henry attempted to flee but was captured and killed. His head was severed from his body and paraded on the end of a spear around the town of Liegnitz. In all, some 25,000 Poles were killed, their ears being cut off and collected in sacks by the Mongols.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Liegnitz was a Mongol victory. Upon hearing news of this catastrophic defeat, King Wenceslas retreated to Bohemia while the victorious Mongol army ravaged Poland. The defeat and death of Duke Henry II, combined with the defeat of Bela IV at the Battle of Mohi two days later, left Western Europe vulnerable to attack by the Mongol hordes. It was only with the death of the Great Khan Ogodei several weeks later and the subsequent withdrawal of the Mongol armies to decide upon the succession that Europe was saved from further conquest and devastation. The Mongols never returned to finish the conquest of Europe; instead, they focused on campaigning in the Middle East, where they enjoyed some success before being decisively halted at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Hildinger, Erik. “Mongol Invasions: Battle of Liegnitz.” History Net. Last revised 1997. https://www.historynet.com/mongol-invasions-battle-of-liegnitz.htm
Luca, Marco e. “Battle of Liegnitz.” Ars Bellica. Last revised 2015. http://www.arsbellica.it/pagine/medievale/Liegnitz/liegnitz_eng.html
Robinson, Tony. Battles That Changed History. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2018.
Snow, Peter. Battles Map by Map. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2021.
Swanston, Malcolm. Mapping History: Battles and Campaigns. Royston, Eagle Editions, 2007.
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