Battle of Legnica

The Bataille of Legnica (or Battle of Liegnitz ) was held in 1241 near the town of Legnica (in Low-Silesia) and opposed the Mongolian invaders (Tatars) to the Polish ordered by Henri II the Piles, reinforced by many knight S Européen S (including the Teutoniques) run to defend the Europe against the infidels, and by peasants and minors.

Traditionally, it is considered that the battle would have taken place the April 9th 1241, although no historical source confirms this date. As for much of great battles medieval are, the exact details on the composition of the involved forces, on the tactics used or the course of the battle are not known and information which came from to us is sometimes contradictory.

The final exit of the battle was sometimes interpreted in a very different way. Thus, certain historians speak about the battle of Legnica as of the battle which allowed Henri II the Piles to stop the Mongolian invasion. The majority of the contemporary historians consider rather than Henri II was outclassed by the skill of its enemies and than it underwent one shingling demolished. The Mongolian force, formed of a division of the army of Subedei ordered by Kaidu, gained the tactical battle, thanks to its mobility higher and than the speed of the archer-riders, on an opposition very heavily armed but too not very mobile. Their tactic consisted in undertaking many small attacks and pretending of many folds, attracting the enemy forces in ambushes where more important groups attacked them on the sides.

The full number of combatants is difficult to estimate. Europeans were undoubtedly inclined to exaggerate the number of the enemies, speaking sometimes of more than 100.000 Mongols having taken part in the battle. Taking account of their logistic weakness with the XIII^e century, it is thought today that they were not to exceed 20.000 men (riding equipped with arcs). Henri II the Piles ordered an army made up of Poles and German, although certain current historians think of being able to affirm that the Germanic presence was very reduced, to see non-existent. According to their estimates, and by supposing a substantial participation of German, the army of Henri II would have counted approximately 28.000 men (10 000 men composing the heavy Infanterie, 8.000 archers and 10.000 men composing the heavy Cavalerie).

The course of the battle is badly known. The army of Henri II was completely destroyed and this one died in the combat. Practically all the combatants of its army were killed or wounded. One of the key moments of the battle is the load of the Mongolian heavy cavalry ordered by Baïtar Khan. One is unaware of the losses undergone by the army of Subedei, but they were undoubtedly very high.

In spite of their victory, the Mongolian stopped their progression towards the west. Following the advertisement of died of Ogodei Khan, they were folded up towards their capital for the election of its successor.

See too

Battle of Sajo

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