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75-726: In 1454, the leader of the Confederation, Johannes von Baysen (Jan Bażyński), formally asked King Casimir IV Jagiellon , to incorporate Prussia into the Kingdom of Poland . This marked the beginning of the Thirteen Years' War between the Order's State and Poland, with the cities co-financing the military costs of the latter. According to the 1411 First Peace of Thorn which followed the Teutonic Knights' defeat in

150-441: A levée en masse of Greater Poland , without the traditional approval of the provincial sejmik . Noblemen, angered by the disruption of the harvest and the unconventional form of the call, massed near the village of Duża Cerkwica (Cerekwica, Groß Zirkwitz) and demanded from the king several privileges, which were granted in the privilege of Cerekwica on September 14, 1454. Casimir divided his forces into seven large units and

225-529: A levée en masse to lay siege to Marienburg , but Polish forces were unable to take the castle even with Prussian reinforcements, which were relocated to Malbork after taking Stuhm on August 8, 1454. The Teutonic Knights defended themselves skillfully and were able to defeat forces from Danzig in a sudden attack on September 13. The degrading situation of the Polish crown worsened further when in September 1454

300-615: A compromise until his own death in 1449. The confederation lobbied for support against the Teutonic Order within the Holy Roman Empire . Ludwig von Erlichshausen , Grand Master from 1450 to 1467, took a more aggressive stance towards the confederation. He filed a lawsuit at the court of Emperor Frederick III . In response, the organization established a secret council to confer during the trial. The secret council held talks with Poland, and organized forces to revolt against

375-779: A few thousand armed peasant infantry. They also had more artillery than the Polish army. The Prussian cities were also able to raise a small navy, partially from armed trade ships, partially from hired privateers from other cities. The Teutonic Order in 1454 lost most of its arsenals, but later it was able to raise armies from loyal knights (free Prussians) and peasants. However, most of its forces were hired mercenaries, mainly from Germany and Bohemia. The first land operations from February to August 1454 were carried out by Prussian state conscripts, supported by Czech mercenaries from Moravia and soldiers from Lesser Poland . This force, commanded by Scibor von Baysen ( Polish : Scibor Bażyński ), brother of Johannes von Baysen, tried to besiege

450-435: A further march to Graudenz (Grudziądz) , the nobility refused and instead decided to pay a new tax, which would allow the king to hire more mercenaries. After that, the situation did not change much. The Teutonic Knights were able to recover another city, Memel (Klaipėda) , but their offensives in other directions were stopped by the burghers of Thorn and of Culmerland, and the leadership of Andrzej Tęczynski . In autumn 1455

525-561: A large army of mercenaries under the command of Rudolf, prince of Sagan (Żagań) , and a Moravian nobleman, the talented soldier Bernhard von Zinnenberg ( Polish : Bernard Szumborski ) arrived in Prussia from the Holy Roman Empire. The army had 9,000 cavalry and 6,000 infantry, plus artillery and many wagons in tabor formations. Rudolf's army slowly moved to Konitz to rescue it from the Polish siege. It forced Casimir to call

600-535: A pontoon bridge near Thorn in June. Again the army was supported by Tatar auxiliary forces from Lithuania and by the king's own army. The army was commanded by Piotr of Szamotuly , the castellan of Poznań . The Polish army marched directly to Marienburg, reaching the city on August 10. This time it was well equipped with artillery sent by Danzig and Elbing. The siege, however, was another fiasco, due partly to lengthy negotiations, and partly to Piotr's lack of aggression on

675-697: Is the 1454-1466 Polish-Teutonic War. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars . Supported by: Supported by: The Thirteen Years' War ( Polish : wojna trzynastoletnia ; German : Dreizehnjähriger Krieg ), also called the War of the Cities , was a conflict fought in 1454–1466 between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order . After the enormous defeat suffered by

750-565: The Battle of Grunwald , the Teutonic Order had to pay high reparations to the Kingdom of Poland. The monastic state imposed high taxes on the cities to raise the funds as well as to re-arm for another war against Poland. In the 1420s, Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf brought stability to the Order and its relations, but fighting with Poland resumed in 1431, when the Knights' invasion into Poland during

825-620: The Clan of Ostoja , requested the protection of King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland, and the incorporation of the region to the Kingdom of Poland, to which the King agreed and signed an act of incorporation in Kraków in March 1454. They also asked for, and received, a guarantee of their continued city rights and privileges for the nobility. Delegates and officials of the Confederation pledged allegiance to

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900-612: The Duke of Burgundy , Philip the Good . In two weeks in August 1457, three ships from Danzig defeated a combined Danish–Livonian fleet of 16 ships near Bornholm . Earlier, in 1454, Jan Janski de Turze (pl:Jan z Jani) of the Clan of Ostoja had become the first Polish Voivode of Gdańsk and Pomerania . The Clan had been fighting the Teutonic side since the days of Stibor of Stiboricz ,

975-521: The Lithuanian Civil War sparked another Polish-Teutonic conflict . After about three decades of growing discontent, the burghers, nobility and landowners from the Teutonic state (see Prussian estates ) organized themselves to oppose the rule of the order more effectively. The decision to establish the organization was made at a convention held in Elbląg on February 21, 1440. The convention

1050-673: The Standard-bearer of Ostróda (Osterode) he took part in the founding of the Prussian Confederation, and was one of the signatories of the founding document of the Confederation on March 14, 1440, in Kwidzyn (Marienwerder). He was a member of the Secret Committee of the Confederation and took a public stance against attacks made against the organization by the papal legate and the new Grand Master of

1125-524: The Bohemian Ulrich Czerwonka (or Oldrzych) immediately started negotiations with Poland to discuss selling the castles. The international situation also became significantly worse. On March 25, Emperor Frederick III banned the Prussian Confederation, forbidding trade with its members. On September 24, 1455, Pope Callixtus III warned that he would excommunicate the Prussian Confederation and all its allies unless they made peace with

1200-548: The Bohemians, was an important tactic. The Poles had artillery, at first primitive cannons such as bombards . Pistols, or handguns , were used but were ineffective. More important were crossbows , which, when properly used, could cause large losses. The army of the Prussian estates consisted of conscripts and small units provided by cities (around 750 people per unit). In total they could provide about 16,000 soldiers, plus

1275-520: The Duke of Transylvania and one of the most loyal Lords of King Sigismund von Luksemburg . The strategy of the Clan of Ostoja was in the beginning of 15th century not only use of military forces but also to use diplomacy in order to make the Teutonic side weaker economically, so they could not pay the mercenaries they depended on. By the time Jan Janski de Turze become voivode of Pomerania, Szarlejski of Ostoja

1350-560: The German Order at the hand of Poland-Lithuania in 1410 and the ensuing political, military and economic problems, the state was rife with internal conflict between the ruling Order and the native Prussian warlords, who shared concerns with assimilated Prussian and German townsfolk. Eventually this tension led to an uprising by the Prussian Confederation representing the local Prussian nobility and cities, who sought

1425-627: The Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen in the city and castle of Marienburg, but without much success due to the professional command of Heinrich Reuß von Plauen the Elder, Komtur of Elbing. In the meantime there was some organised support for the Teutonic Order from the German principalities, mainly in Saxony . The reinforcements entered Prussia in the second half of March 1454, from

1500-582: The Grand Master avoided battle as too risky. The army started the siege of Lessen, whose defense was commanded by the Austrian mercenary Fritz Raweneck . However, the army was unprepared for taking castles, and the large preparations ended with another fiasco. The first negotiations between the two sides, conducted from January 9 to January 10, 1455, were unsuccessful. The situation became difficult for Casimir. To pay his mercenaries he had to borrow from

1575-644: The Grand Masters, Jan traveled on diplomatic missions to England , Denmark and Portugal in the years 1419–1422. According to legend he was knighted by the King of Portugal for his military service against the Moors during the Reconquista , which was reflected in a modification to his family's coat of arms . After Michael Küchmeister resigned as head of the order, Bażyński also terminated his service with

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1650-453: The Holy Roman Empire was Podolia , near the Tatars . Negotiations ended unsuccessfully on September 26, and the war continued. The new Polish army was larger than before, including soldiers from Red Ruthenia , small auxiliary forces of Lithuanian Tatars, and a few mercenaries from Silesia. It laid siege to Lessen, but Raweneck was able to defend the city. Additionally, when Casimir IV ordered

1725-574: The Knights near their castles. Kashubians , Poles , Germans , and Prussians were slowly melting into one nation, and as national differences disappeared, the common goals of all the ethnic and social groups of Prussia became more prominent, and the Prussian estates leaned increasingly towards Poland. In 1397 Prussian knights had founded a secret organisation called the Eidechsenbund (English translation: Lizard Union ), more or less against

1800-553: The Order. He was the head of the delegation which came from Toruń (Thorn) to Kraków in February 1454, which asked the King of Poland Casimir IV Jagiellon to reincorporate Prussian lands into the Polish kingdom. Consequently, he led the uprising of the Prussian Estates against the Knights. In 1454, during the Thirteen Years' War , in which the cities of the Prussian Confederation financed Polish military expenses, he

1875-477: The Order. In June 1455 the Teutonic Knights gained a new ally, King Christian I of Denmark , who declared war against Poland and the Prussian Confederation. This meant nothing more than a disturbance in trade, however, since Denmark was still busy fighting with Sweden. Shocked by the loss of Kneiphof, Casimir, in debt and unable to hire new mercenaries, called another levée en masse . The Polish army moved slowly to Thorn, but military actions were halted briefly when

1950-486: The Poles. They received support, especially from Greater Poland and from the party of Queen Sophia of Halshany , mother of King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland. The Bishop of Kraków, Zbigniew Oleśnicki , opposed this support and tried to prevent war. In January 1454, the year that Casimir IV was married to Elisabeth of Austria , the Prussian faction asked Casimir IV for protection by the Kingdom of Poland . Casimir asked

2025-572: The Polish King during the incorporation in Kraków, and also in the following months. The resulting Thirteen Years' War ended in the defeat of the Teutonic Order and the 1466 Second Peace of Thorn . The Order renounced any claims to the territories of Gdańsk/Eastern Pomerania and Chełmno Land , which were reintegrated with Poland, and the region of Elbląg and Malbork, and Warmia , which were also recognized as part of Poland. These regions formed

2100-438: The Polish King within 6 months of acquiring power. This was honored for approximately the next two centuries with tensions rising seldomly during this period. The Teutonic Order also returned Eastern Pomerania to Poland after nearly 150 years and ceded the bishopric of Warmia , which together formed the so-called Royal Prussia , as both lands fell under direct rule of the Polish King. Tension quickly flared up afterward, and this

2175-581: The Polish and Teutonic sides agreed to seek the confirmation of the Second Peace of Thorn from Emperor Frederick III and Pope Paul II , but they also agreed that this confirmation would not be needed for validation of the treaty. Soon after, however, a dispute about the status of the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia started a smaller conflict called the War of the Priests . Towns which founded

2250-553: The Prussian Confederation asked Emperor Frederick III for mediation in their conflict with the Teutonic Order. Disagreeing with the confederacy, Frederick banned it and ordered it to obey the Teutonic Order on 5 December 1453. Faced with that situation the Prussians sent envoys to Poland – although the Prussian Confederation, under the influence of Thorn and the Pomeranian and Culmerland nobility, had already sought contact with

2325-514: The Prussian Confederation for a more formal petition. On 4 February 1454, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sent a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master. Two days later the confederacy started its rebellion and soon almost all Prussia, except for Marienburg, Stuhm (Sztum) , and Konitz (Chojnice) , were free from Teutonic rule. Most of the captured Ordensburg castles were immediately destroyed. On 10 February 1454,

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2400-511: The Prussian Confederation in Marienwerder (Kwidzyn). More towns joined later on (see Participating towns below). In Danzig, the new members signed a document which was kept in the archives of Thorn. The official representatives of the Confederation were the city councils of Chełmno and Toruń, and the knights of Chełmno Land. After Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf died in 1441, his successor, Konrad von Erlichshausen , continued to negotiate

2475-485: The Prussian Confederation on 14 March 1440: Towns which joined the Prussian Confederation in 1440: Further towns joined in the following years, including Człuchów , Pasym , Nidzica , Działdowo , Dąbrówno , Olsztynek , Prabuty , Chełmża . Further nobles joined following the outbreak of the Thirteen Years' War, and the towns of Dzierzgoń , Łuczany (now Giżycko ) and Nowy Staw also sided with Poland in

2550-628: The Teutonic Knights first pawned, then sold the Neumark back to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the Treaties of Cölln and Mewe . At the end of April 1454, the Prussian army started the siege of Konitz; the defence of the city was commanded by Heinrich Reuß von Plauen from Greitz . However, Szarlejski lacked any significant commanding skill, his army had not enough artillery, and the Prussian estates were unable to pay their mercenaries, so Konitz

2625-522: The Teutonic Knights, but that organization had failed as it was not supported by the urban population. After the victory by the Polish and Lithuanian forces at Grunwald during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War (1409–1411), the Prussian estates eagerly pledged allegiance to King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila) of Poland. But they quickly returned to the order's rule after the Poles were unable to conquer Marienburg (Malbork) . A clause in

2700-463: The Teutonic Knights. The verdict of the Imperial court of 1453 declared the confederation illegal, however, the verdict was not recognized by the organization nor by Poland. In February 1454, the Prussian Confederation rose against the Teutonic Order's rule. Gabriel von Baysen and Johannes von Baysen , now leading the confederation with the support of Jan de Jani and Mikołaj Szarlejski , both of

2775-500: The Teutonic Order. This event resulted in a series of Polish–Teutonic Wars throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 15th century, the towns of Prussia rapidly grew economically. However, this was not followed by an increase in their political influence. The rule of the Teutonic Knights was seen as more and more anachronistic – taxes (customs) and the system of grain licenses (every trader had to pay large fees for

2850-404: The army marched to Konitz, where it was joined by Prussians. On September 18, 1454 the Teutonic Knights defeated the Polish army in the resulting Battle of Konitz . The defeat was a near disaster. The Polish army quickly withdrew from Marienburg, and Stuhm was recovered by the Teutonic Order. They were also able to take other large towns, such as Mewe (Gniew) and Dirschau (Tczew) . Impressed by

2925-405: The battlefield. His inept leadership allowed Fritz Raweneck to take yet another castle. The nobles demanded the storming of the castle, and when this did not happen, they started deserting and returning to Poland. In Lower Prussia , there was a peasant rebellion against Polish rule. The peasants captured a few castles and gave them to the Teutonic Knights, declaring that they were ready to fight on

3000-474: The castle, and also received three other counties. The king again granted broad privileges to the Prussian cities. It was generally expected that now, with the fall of the Teutonic Order's capital, the war would end quickly. Optimism faded, however, when the Polish army commanded by Prandota Lubieszowski was unable to take Mewe, which was again defended by Raweneck. Casimir had to return to Poland to seek money to pay his debts and mercenaries. The mood worsened when

3075-417: The cities with help from the king's army. The Polish and Prussian estates were able to gather 190,000 Hungarian gold pieces, most of which had been borrowed from Danzig. On June 6, 1457, the castles of Marienburg, Dirschau, and Eylau were transferred to the Polish army. Two days later Casimir entered the castle of Marienburg, and its burghers paid homage to him. Ulrich Czerwonka became the first Polish sheriff of

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3150-516: The cities, caused by new large war taxes. The last East Prussian town loyal to the Polish king, Kneiphof , was taken on June 14, 1455 after a long siege by the Teutonic Knights commanded by Heinrich Reuss von Plauen the Elder . The Poles suffered defeat after defeat, and they later also lost Warmia (Ermeland). However, the Grand Master was unable to pay his mercenaries and they took Marienburg, Dirschau, and Eylau (Iława) in May 1455. Mercenaries under

3225-513: The clergy. He decided to give two cities as a fief to Eric II of Pomerania from Stolp (Słupsk) , hoping it would secure northern Pomerania. To calm opposition, Casimir later went to Lithuania, where he was forced to stay until the summer of 1455. In that situation the Teutonic Knights were able to recover the eastern part of Prussia, including the Königsberg towns of Altstadt and Löbenicht on April 17, 1455. They were aided by rebellions in

3300-454: The confederacy sent an official delegation to Poland, headed by Johannes von Baysen . By 20 February, the delegates were in Kraków and asked Casimir to bring Prussia into the Polish kingdom. After negotiating the exact conditions of incorporation, the king agreed and delegates of the Prussian Confederation pledged allegiance to Casimir on 6 March 1454. Poland sent the Grand Master a declaration of war, predated to 22 February. Both sides expected

3375-489: The crusaders' victory, some Prussian lands also capitulated. This was a great victory for the Teutonic Knights, although they lacked enough money to pay the victorious mercenaries. On October 9, the Grand Master promised them that if he could not pay them by February 19, 1455, they would receive all cities, castles, and lands of Prussia, with the rights to sell them. Mercenaries later captured two other cities, Marienwerder (Kwidzyn) and Lessen (Łasin) , near Marienburg. None of

3450-572: The direction of the Neumark . They were able to take the highly important strategic city of Konitz, which was situated on the important route from Poland to the mouth of the Vistula . Johannes von Baysen moved conscript and mercenary forces there, and they were soon followed by Mikołaj Szarlejski of the Clan of Ostoja , who was the representative of the Polish kingdom and received the title of "Supreme Commander of Forces in Prussia". In 1454 and 1455,

3525-402: The grand master organised a new offensive. The Teutonic Knights received significant aid from the burghers of Königsberg, free Prussian knights, and others. Although they were unable to take Wehlau (Znamensk) and Schippenbeil (Sępopol) , the two Polish-controlled castles that were the initial target of the offensive, they again defeated the Polish army in September 1457. With the assistance of

3600-446: The king finally agreed to mediation by Frederick II, Margrave of Brandenburg ; all earlier propositions of mediation from different sides had been rejected. The elector, however, failed to negotiate a peace, because the Teutonic Knights, after recent successes, were unwilling to compromise. The Poles suggested that the Teutonic Order should leave Prussia and go elsewhere to fight with pagans; a location suggested earlier by Polish envoys to

3675-526: The king. The total army could amount to 30,000 cavalry. From the beginning of the 15th century, the Polish Crown started to hire mercenaries, who usually fought under the flag of St. George (especially Bohemian ( Czech ) mercenaries). The flag was either a red cross on white, or a white cross on red; the latter was used only when two Bohemian units met on opposite sides of a battlefield and had to be differentiated. The concept of tabor , learned from

3750-483: The knights. He was also one of the ambassadors of Grandmaster Paul von Rusdorf, who appointed him to a member of a secret council. He was a leader of the gathering of Prussian nobility in 1435 which was dissastified with the rule of the Teutonic Knights. He was also a member of the Lizard Union , an organization of Prussian nobles and knights who sought the incorporation of Prussia into the Kingdom of Poland. As

3825-449: The largest and most important cities of Prussia, such as Königsberg , surrendered, and they were determined to continue the war. As a result, the Teutonic Order was totally dependent on help from the Holy Roman Empire. To save the situation for Poland, Casimir started hiring more Bohemian and Silesian soldiers and sending them to the cities of Pomerania, Pomesania , and Culmerland. He also decided to call for another levée en masse from

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3900-646: The main stronghold of Teutonic Knights, Malbork (Marieburg), and in return asked them to leave the stronghold. In this way, the Polish side succeeded to overtake Malbork without force, in 1457. Later, in 1466 Stibor de Poniec sealed the Second Peace of Thorn , which also finally broke the power of the Teutonic Knights. After long negotiations, Teutonic mercenaries agreed to sell three castles in Prussia, including Marienburg, to Poland. Heavy new taxes caused rebellions in Danzig and Thorn that were bloodily suppressed by

3975-519: The new ( Hussite ) king of Bohemia, and Matthias Corvinus as king of Hungary . In spring 1458 Casimir IV again called for a levée en masse , which included the Masovians . Ignoring the mediation of John Giskra (Jan Jiskra), a Czech mercenary who hoped for an end to war with Prussia and the start of a new conflict with Hungary, the Polish army slowly marched into Prussia, crossing the Vistula via

4050-481: The new Polish province of Royal Prussia , with some local rights of autonomy. Stibor of Poniec of the Clan of Ostoja become Lord of tregality of Malbork . Much of the eastern territories, in historic Prussia , remained with the Teutonic Order, although as a fief and protectorate of Poland, also considered an integral part of "one and indivisible" Kingdom of Poland. The Prussian Confederation, with its members now practically divided, ceased to exist as such. Both

4125-470: The nobility of Culmerland (Chełmno Land) , Thorn, Culm (Chełmno) , and from the Hanseatic cities of Elbing (Elbląg) and Danzig. Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf was seen to approve the existence of the confederacy, but his successor, Konrad von Erlichshausen , opposed it. His non-compromising policy was followed and intensified by Ludwig von Erlichshausen who took that office in 1449 or 1450. In 1452,

4200-518: The peace treaty stated that it was guaranteed by the Prussian states, which would gain the right to defy the Teutonic Order if it broke the treaty. In the succeeding wars the Prussian estates opposed any conflict, and pushed the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights to make peace. On February 21, 1440, a group made up of individuals from the Prussian cities, nobility, and clergy, formed the Prussian Confederation . The main contributors were from

4275-473: The peasants of eastern Masuria , tired of the war, revolted against the Teutonic Knights but were defeated at Rhein (Ryn) on January 1, 1456. Land-based military actions were limited to raids and local skirmishes. In the maritime arena, Casimir urged Danzig to build a fleet that would be able to break sea connections between the Teutonic Order and its allies. In May 1456 privateers hired by Danzig captured Dutch ships , which caused conflict with Amsterdam and

4350-527: The privilege of trading grain) were hindering economic development in the province. At the same time the nobility wanted a larger say in the running of the country and were looking enviously at neighbouring Poland, where the Polish nobility enjoyed wider privileges. The Knights were also accused of violating the few existing privileges of the nobility and the cities. Craftsmen were discontented because of competition from so-called partacze , or artisans settled by

4425-544: The protection of the Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon . This essentially amounted to a switching of sides which the German Order immediately took as a mortal threat, and a war broke out between Poland and the Teutons. The Thirteen Years' War ended in the victory of Poland and in the Second Peace of Toruń . The Teutonic Order became a Polish fief and its Grand Masters had to commit to homage to

4500-476: The town's burghers, Teutonic forces under the command of Bernard von Zinnenberg, who had been released from service with the Poles, took Marienburg by surprise on September 28, 1457; only the castle commanded by Czerwonka remained in Polish control. Lubieszowski was able to stop some further advances of the Teutonic army. However, they recaptured Eylau, which again pledged allegiance to the Teutonic Order, Culm, and Preußisch Stargard (Starogard Gdański) . The situation

4575-484: The war to end quickly. In 1454 Poland was in conflict with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , which meant that although Casimir IV was Grand Duke of Lithuania as well as King of Poland, Lithuania sent no aid during the war to Poland and, aside from a few ineffective raids, did not participate during the conflict. There was also the threat of attack by the Grand Duchy of Moscow . Elsewhere, the international situation

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4650-419: The war, and several more also recognized Polish rule and pledged allegiance to Poland, including Czarne , Debrzno , Golub , Kowalewo , Lidzbark , Łasin , Wąbrzeźno . Johannes von Baysen Hans von Baysen or Jan Bażyński ( c. 1394 – 1459) was a Prussian knight and statesman , leader of the Prussian Confederation and the first Polish governor of Royal Prussia . The Baysen family

4725-576: The whole Polish kingdom. The levée en masse in Opoka , this time dominated by nobility from Lesser Poland , demanded privileges similar to those given in Cerekwica; the king quickly approved them. Later on from November 11 to November 16, 1454, while under the influence of the aristocracy from Lesser Poland, Casimir changed some of the promises given earlier both in Opoka and Cerekwica through privileges for

4800-460: The whole country given in Nieszawa (the privilege of Nieszawa ). This time the Polish army counted almost 3,000 cavalry, plus 3,000 mercenaries. The mercenaries had a few capable commanders, such as Jan Kolda from Zampach and Jan Skalski from the northern Bohemian city of Malá Skála (literally, "little rock") and a member of the family of Valdsztejn, Waldstein, or Wallenstein . This time

4875-497: Was Voivode of Kujawy and used the help of his Clan brother to raise funds to hire mercenaries fighting on Polish side. Stibor de Poniec of Ostoja, the Lord General of Greater Poland , joined the cause in 1457. Together with his Clan brothers Jan Janski and Szarlejski, Stibor de Poniec raised new funds to hire more mercenaries to fight on the Polish side. However, Stibor decided to use those funds to pay mercenaries that defended

4950-510: Was attended by representatives of the cities of Chełmno ( Culm ), Elbląg ( Elbing ), Toruń ( Thorn ), Gdańsk ( Danzig ), Braniewo ( Braunsberg ), Królewiec ( Königsberg ), and Knipawa ( Kneiphof ) as well as nobles from various areas. On 14 March 1440, a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities, under the leadership of the Hanseatic cities of Danzig (Gdańsk), Elbing (Elbląg), Thorn ( Toruń ) and Königsberg (Królewiec), founded

5025-642: Was buried at Elbląg. He was succeeded as governor of Royal Prussia by his brother Ścibor Bażyński (Tiburcius/Stibor von Baysen). In honour of Jan Bażyński the authorities of Ostróda named him in 1966 as the patron of the First General Lyceum in the town, thus making it The First General Lyceum of Jan Bażyński. Besides the Lyceum there is also Bażyński Oak – a 700-year-old oak located in Kadyny . Thirteen Years%27 War (1454%E2%80%9366) This

5100-609: Was dealing with the Ottoman Turks . The main part of the Polish army of that period was conscripted. All noblemen, when called by the king, had to appear accompanied by their village-mayors and village-administrators. Cities gave wagons with horses, food, and service to them (including escorts). Units were divided into choragwie ( standards ) of two kinds: family , which were made by very large clans, and land which were from nobles from particular territory. Peasants also participated as infantrymen. The highest command belonged to

5175-544: Was made governor of Royal Prussia by the King of Poland, which after the war became a part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . As the governor his residence was in Elbląg . In 1457 and 1459 he commanded the defense of Malbork against attacks by the Teutonic Knights, who also unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him. In 1454 he was made the starosta of Sztum (Shtum) and in 1456 of Tolkmicko (Tolkemikt). He died at Marienburg Castle (Malbork Castle) and

5250-462: Was not seriously endangered. After the arrival of Casimir IV, when he received the official oath of allegiance from his new subjects in Elbing and Thorn, he directed to Konitz a pospolite ruszenie ( levée en masse ) of Polish nobles from Kuyavia , which replaced the unpaid mercenaries. Cavalry forces such as the nobles, however, were ill-suited to the taking of castles, so the situation in Konitz did not change. The king also sent his own units and

5325-434: Was part of a larger Flemish family which came in the 13th century from Lübeck or its vicinity. They named themselves after their possession, Basien (Bażyny) near Wormditt (Orneta) in Ermland (Warmia). Initially, he was employed by the Teutonic Knights and their Grand Masters , among them Konrad von Erlichshausen and Ludwig von Erlichshausen . He was one of the order's native lay associates. In service of

5400-607: Was quite good for Poland, as no outside states were likely to intervene. The southern border of Poland was more or less secure because of the weakness of the Bohemian lands, which resulted from the Hussite Wars . Although the Hanseatic League sympathized with the Prussian cities, the league backed the Teutonic Knights because the order granted them extra privileges. The Livonian Order had problems with Denmark and

5475-458: Was saved for the Poles by a new army sent from Greater Poland. The international situation became increasingly complicated. The new Prince-Bishop of Ermeland was Cardinal Eneas Silvio Piccolomini, known for his pro-Teutonic sympathies. In 1458, Piccolomini was elected Pope Pius II . Another complication was the death of Ladislaus the Posthumous and the election of George of Poděbrady as

5550-470: Was soon followed by the War of the Priests (1467–1479), a drawn-out dispute over the independence of Warmia, in which the Knights sought revision of the Peace. They yet again lost to Poland, which held onto its gains. A dispute between Poland and the Teutonic Order over control of Eastern Pomerania had lasted since the 1308 Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk) , when the territory was contested and annexed by

5625-716: Was unable to help the Teutonic Knights in Prussia. Because of conflict between Sweden and Denmark, both sides stayed more or less neutral in the upcoming conflict. France and England were too weakened after the Hundred Years' War , and England was also embroiled in civil war, the Wars of the Roses . The Duke of Burgundy , Flanders , and the Netherlands , Philip the Good , was more interested in creating an independent Kingdom of Burgundy. Pope Nicholas V 's primary concern

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