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38-792: Following their defeat by the Samogitians and Semigallians in the Battle of Saule in 1236, the surviving Brothers merged into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous branch and became known as the Livonian Order . The Baltic German Livonian Brothers had a set of rules adopted from the Knights Templar , requiring them to be of noble birth and to take vows of obedience, poverty, and celibacy. The order also included soldiers, artisans, and clerics as members. The Knights made up

76-455: A general assembly, which selected a grand master and other officials. The grandmaster served for life in the order. He chose a council and a military chief for each district castle, where the order's knights were living. Wenno von Rohrbach was the first master of the order (1204–1209), followed by Volkwin Schenk von Winterstein, who died in the Battle of Schaulen in 1236. In the beginning,

114-430: A large number of Christian Latvian and Livonian troops, returned with all its might to Tarbatu. The second siege of Tartu in 1224 lasted many days and nights. Vetseke and his 200 troops were again offered free passage through the crusader camp, but Vetseke, expecting a relief army from Novgorod, refused. When the fortress finally fell, all the survivors inside, including women, were killed in the final onslaught. According to

152-648: A short time. As rewards for secular knights in the Baltic area were not enough to ensure their long-term stance, Albert founded the Brotherhood in 1202 to aid the Bishopric of Livonia in the conversion of the pagan Livonians , Latgalians and Selonians living across the ancient trade routes from the Gulf of Riga eastwards. The Brotherhood had its headquarters at Fellin (Viljandi) in present-day Estonia , where

190-525: A siege, they took Fellin and negotiated a settlement with the condition that pagans accept baptism. The following year the order destroyed the Saccalian resistance in a battle where 2,000 Saccalians fell. Between 1211 and 1212, the Swordbrothers realised that winter was the best season for warfare due to frozen swamps, weak undergrowth, and difficulty of their enemies to cover their tracks. Also,

228-481: The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia Vetseke along with his Russian mercenaries tried to put up resistance in one of the fortifications, but were all dragged out and killed. Of all the people in the fortress, only one Russian was left alive. He was given a good horse and sent back to Novgorod. The relief troops from Novgorod had already reached Pskov when they received the news from Tartu whereupon they decided to cancel

266-888: The Duchy of Samogitia within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . In 1857, there were 418,824 people of Samogitian roots and 444,921 persons declared the Samogitian language as their mother tongue in 1897 in Kovno Governorate . Currently Lithuania does not allow for declaration of Samogitian nationality in passports as it is not a recognized ethnicity. In list of ethnic groups of Russia there is one person who declared himself with "Zhemaijty". Samogitians call themselves žemaitē , although exonyms are used in different languages. Vyachko Vyachko ( Russian : Вячко ; died 1224; also Vyacheslav ), also known as Vetseke ,

304-491: The Teutonic Knights from Prussia and Livonian Order from Livonia in the Battle of Durbe . Some 150 knights were killed, including Livonian Master Burchard von Hornhausen and Prussian Land Marshal Henrik Botel . Samogitians lived in western Lithuania and were closely related to Semigallians and Curonians . In 1413, they became the last group of Europeans to convert to Christianity. Samogitians lived in

342-686: The fortress of Treiden . In 1208, they founded the castle of Segewold in the Aa valley, and the castle of Wenden further upstream. The last one grew as a fortress and Master Wenno located the Headquarters of the Order there. Wickbert, a man loyal to Albert of Riga, was placed to manage the Wenden castle. Master Wenno removed him, but Wickbert fled to the protection of Albert of Riga and killed Wenno with an axe. In 1219, King Valdemar II of Denmark conquered

380-462: The north of Estonia with the help of Bishop Albert. In 1222, Estonia was partitioned between Valdemar II and Albert of Riga in an agreement unsatisfactory to the Swordbrothers. After that, they exploited the peasants until a revolt arose. The Pope rebuked the Order for the way they managed the conflict. Then, they tried to seize Danish land in Estonia until a papal legate made them give it back. When

418-469: The "Russian-Estonian cooperation" in the defense of Tartu "against common enemy – the German colonizers" – was a sign of "friendship between the two brotherly nations". By 1224, Tartu remained the last centre of anti-crusader resistance in south Estonia. In addition to the local Ugandi , many fighters from Sakala and other neighboring provinces had gathered there ( "vicinas omnes provincias" ). After Easter

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456-553: The Germans among themselves, set fire to the fort of Koknese and fled, each one on his own way". Vetseke, however, "since he had acted evilly, departed for Russia, never to return thenceforth to his kingdom". The crusaders, being deprived of the opportunity to gather loot in Koknese, took revenge on the local Latvian population by killing many Latgallians and Selonians who had fled to the woods. By 1209, Koknese had been taken over by

494-782: The Knights’ nor the Lithuanians’ pressure. According to the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, it was indeed in return for protection against the Lithuanians that Vetseke offered half of his land and the fort to Albert in 1205 ( ...offerens sibi terre et castri sui medietatem ). Albert accepted the offer and promised to send Vetseke weapons and men. In 1208, Koknese was captured by the Livonians of Lielvārde in retaliation of Vetseke’s raids. Vetseke and all his wealth were captured and

532-576: The Lithuanian census of 2011, of whom 53.9% live in Telšiai County . The political recognition and cultural understanding of the Samogitian ethnicity has, however, changed drastically throughout the last few centuries as 448,022 people declared themselves Samogitians, not Lithuanians, in the 1897 Russian Empire census . On 13 July 1260, the Samogitians decisively defeated the joint forces of

570-587: The Livonian crusade. Most of the confrontations consisted of raids. The Order built a fortified line along the Daugava that created a peaceful time in the region. Livonian people began to consider the Swordbrothers as efficient protectors. Despite that, some native leaders felt that the Order represented a challenge to their authority, as the case of King Vetseke , the original owner of the fortress of Koknese . King Vetseke massacred German workers who were rebuilding

608-529: The Order and the formal sovereignty of Polotsk was finally revoked in 1215. In 1223, there was a general anti-crusader uprising in all of mainland Estonia. After the German garrisons had been killed the Estonians took over all the fortresses. In order to secure their initial military success, mercenary troops were invited from Novgorod and Pskov and stationed in several key fortresses such as Viljandi and Tartu . Vetseke, who had lost his earlier dominions to

646-736: The Order defeated him and took him as a prisoner. Pope Gregory IX asked the Brothers to defend Finland from the Novgorodian attacks in his letter of November 24, 1232. However, no known information regarding the knights' possible activities in Finland has survived. ( Sweden eventually conquered Finland following the Second Swedish Crusade in 1249.) The Order was decimated in the Battle of Schaulen (Saule) in 1236 against Lithuanians and Semigallians . This disaster led

684-524: The Swordbrothers to expand to the north of the Daugava river, along the Livonian Aa stream , brought the Order into a confrontation with Bishop Albert. Albert wanted to extend to the south of the river and did not have an interest in Estonia , previously promised to King Valdemar II of Denmark. Master Wenno advanced to the north without the permission of Bishop Albert. First, the Order took and occupied

722-528: The beginning of the 13th century, when during the Northern Crusades the crusading Teutonic knights led by bishop Albert of Buxhoeveden began to establish themselves on the shores of the Gulf of Riga , Vetseke ruled the fortress of Koknese some 100 km upstream of the Daugava . Although his principality is believed to have been subject to Polotsk, this did nothing to help him withstand either

760-453: The best German horses, ballistas, coats of mail, and similar things" to Grand Prince Vladimir of Polotsk, "with an urgent request that he call together an army and come as quickly as possible to take Riga, in which he said few men remained, the best having been killed by him and the others having gone away with the bishop". Vladimir, whom the chronicler describes as an "excessively credulous king", responded by gathering an army in anticipation of

798-520: The built castles to maintain control along the Daugava . However, garrison duties did not imply ownership. Albert of Riga established that one-third of any new territory could be retained by the order. Meanwhile, the rest of the territory was handed over to the bishop. Albert , Bishop of Riga (also called Prince-Bishop of Livonia ) (or possibly Theoderich von Treyden) realised that a standing army in Livonia would be more useful than crusaders staying

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836-524: The crusaders and Livonians, was given money and two hundred men by the Novgorod Republic so that he could establish himself in Tarbatu (present-day Tartu) or any other place "that he could conquer for himself" . In Russian historiography this payment for military help has been interpreted as the Estonians subjugating themselves to Vetseke and paying him tax. Soviet historiography claimed that

874-487: The crusaders laid siege to Tartu but were forced to leave after only five days of fighting. The bishops sent a delegation to Vetseke and asked him to give up the "heathen rebels" in the fortress and leave, but he chose to stay because "the Novgorodians and Russian princes had promised him the fortress and the surrounding lands" if he could conquer them for himself. On August 15, 1224, the crusader army, reinforced with

912-584: The expedition. Meanwhile the leaving crusader army had been detained in Dünamünde by a contrary wind. After receiving word of Vetseke's treachery and the massacre at Koknese from the few survivors who had reached Riga, the flotilla turned back and returned to the city. Upon hearing that a grand army of crusaders and native Livonians has gathered in Riga, the Russians became afraid, "divided the arms and horses of

950-427: The fort and hold it against the Lithuanians", just as he had promised three years earlier. After sending Vetseke back to Koknese bishop Albert prepared to leave on a customary annual trip to Germany in order to recruit new crusaders to replace the ones whose pilgrimage was completed. Knowing that only a few defenders had remained in Riga, Vetseke had the support troops and artisans sent by Albert murdered and then "sent

988-400: The fortress. He was punished after that. In 1211, several threats around Livonian prompted Albert of Riga to reinforce the defences. For safeguarding the northern flank, Albert organised an invasion of southern Estonia. The Swordbrothers were the core of the crusader army, allied with Russians, loyal Livs and Letts, and led by Engelbert von Thisenhusen , brother-in-law of Albert of Riga. After

1026-548: The help of the Swordbrothers after a local Semigallian tribe was devastated by the Lithuanians . The brotherhood was reluctant to go to war due to the absence of bishop Albert. However, Viesthard successfully persuaded the Swordbrothers. They prepared an ambush against the Lithuanians that were returning with the booty, where the Lithuanian leader was beheaded. In 1206, the Duke Vladimir of Polozk demanded tribute from

1064-658: The inhabitants of Samogitia , an ethnographic region of Lithuania . Many speak the Samogitian language , which in Lithuania is mostly considered a dialect of the Lithuanian language together with the Aukštaitian dialect . The Samogitian language differs the most from the standard Lithuanian language. Whether Samogitians are considered to be a distinct ethnic group or merely a subset of Lithuanians varies. However, 2,169 people declared their ethnicity as Samogitian during

1102-471: The inhabitants of the Daugava when the terms of service of the crusaders expired. The Swordbrothers, with the help of the remaining crusaders, beat the Russian troops that arrived suddenly to Daugava. In 1207, the Swordbrothers faced an attack from Lithuania launched during the winter. The Swordbrothers and allies stayed at the castle of Lennewarden on the north of the Daugava. The Lithuanian army challenged

1140-530: The king himself cast in chains. However, Daniel, the knight of Lielvārde ( Danielus de Lenewarde ), upon hearing the news of Vetseke’s capture immediately notified bishop Albert who then "ordered the fort to be restored to the king and all his wealth to be given back to him". He then summoned Vetseke to Riga where he honored him with gifts of many horses and suits of precious garments. The bishop then sent Vetseke back along with "twenty strong men with arms, knights with their mounts, ballistarii, and masons to strengthen

1178-409: The knights could use frozen rivers as high-speed paths. The Order used these advantages in their campaigns until 1218, when they conquered southern Estonia, meanwhile they beat off counter-attacks from Russians and Lithuanians. In 1230, Kurland was conquered and converted by the order. From its foundation, the indisciplined Order tended to ignore its supposed vassalage to the bishops. The desires of

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1216-522: The main duty of the Livonian Brothers was to protect priests and missionaries. The characteristics of the territory brought a moral challenge for the crusaders because the land of the Livs and Letts had not previously been Christian. Therefore, they did not have any justification to attack them. The division of conquered territory also was a problem faced by the order. Swordbrothers were to garrison

1254-406: The order to battle and was defeated by the Order. This victory served to show the value of the castle line along the river. The chain of castles allowed successful communication. Meanwhile, the local militia could assemble at the nearest fort to the raiders' return route and attack them. The Swordbrothers had superiority in heavy cavalry. For that reason, natives tried to avoid pitched battles during

1292-536: The papal legate left, the Swordbrothers took the Danish land again. They also invaded the territory of Bishop Albert and levied tolls on traffic on the Daugava. After the death of Albert of Riga in 1229, ecclesiastical authorities considered that the Order was no longer useful. The papal legate Bernard of Aulne decided that they should be suppressed, and he tried to recapture the Danish Castle at Reval . However,

1330-464: The possibility that he came from a local élite, perhaps a Livonian , who converted to Orthodox Christianity and became a vassal of the Principality of Polotsk . Despite this, he was still perceived as a Russian prince. The Chronicle says that the population of Koknese (Kokenhusen) included Balts ( Latgallians and Selonians ) and a Germanic colony, as well as some Slavic peoples. At

1368-571: The surviving Brothers to become incorporated into the Order of Teutonic Knights in the following year, and from that point on they became known as the Livonian Order . They continued to function in all respects ( rule , clothing and policy) as an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, headed by their own Master (himself de jure subject to the Teutonic Order's Grand Master ). Samogitians Samogitians ( Samogitian : žemaitē , Lithuanian : žemaičiai , Latvian : žemaiši ) are

1406-513: The walls of the Master's castle still stand. Other strongholds included Wenden (Cēsis) , Segewold (Sigulda) and Ascheraden (Aizkraukle) . The commanders of Fellin, Goldingen (Kuldīga) , Marienburg (Alūksne) , Reval (Tallinn) , and the bailiff of Weißenstein (Paide) belonged to the five-member entourage of the Order's Master. In 1205, the first battle of the Livonian brothers occurred. The Semigallian duke Viesthard visited Riga to request

1444-677: Was the prince of Koknese (Kuikenos). He later became the prince of Yuryev (now Tartu ) while in the service of Novgorod , which was the last Russian stronghold in Estonia. He died during the defense of the city against the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1224. Vetseke may have been the equivalent to the Russian Vyachko (a shortened form of Vyacheslav ). Evidence from the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia indicates

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