Editing 1238 (section)

==== Mongol Empire ====
* [[January 15]]&ndash;[[January 20|20]] &ndash; [[Siege of Moscow (1238)|Siege of Moscow]]: The Mongols under [[Batu Khan]] and [[Subutai]] campaign across the northern heartland of the [[Kievan Rus']], committing numerous atrocities across multiple settlements, including the sacking of an insignificant town known as [[Moscow]]. According to the [[Novgorod Chronicle|''Chronicle of Novgorod'']], Moscow is a fortified village, a trading post "on a crossroads of four rivers". The village is taken by the Mongols after 5 days of siege.
* [[March 4]] &ndash; [[Battle of the Sit River]]: The Mongols defeat a Kievan Rus' army (some 4,000 men) under Grand Prince [[Yuri II of Vladimir]] in an engagement at the [[Sit (river)|Sit River]] (located in the [[Sonkovsky District]]). With Yuri's death, so too dies the hope of any united Rus' resistance against the Mongols. Batu Khan splits his forces up into several contingents – ordering each to wreak havoc across the Rus' territories (modern-day [[Russia]] and [[Ukraine]]).
* March &ndash; [[Siege of Kozelsk]]: The 12-year-old Prince Vasily of [[Principality of Chernigov|Chernigov]] (grandson of [[Mstislav II Svyatoslavich]]), manages against all the odds, to hold out in his capital of [[Kozelsk]] for nearly two months with only citizen militia. He leads a successful sortie outside of the walls – where the garrison slaughters thousands of Mongols and destroys siege equipment. Finally, Kozelsk is conquered and Vasily is slaughtered alongside the inhabitants.
* [[Evpaty Kolovrat]], Kievan knight (''[[bogatyr]]''), returns to his hometown of [[Ryazan]], which was burnt to the ground by the Mongols in [[1237]]. He gathers some 1,700 survivors and pursues Batu Khan, attacking his rearguard, and annihilating thousands of Mongols. Finally, Kolovrat is slain from afar by siege-weaponry. Batu Khan shows admiration for his bravery and as a sign of respect, returns his body and allows his soldiers to return home. 
* Autumn &ndash; The Mongols under Batu Khan retire, leaving behind the ruined northern Rus' territories. He spends the rest of the year suppressing the last resistance of the [[Kipchaks]], while his cousin [[Möngke Khan|Möngke]] (son of [[Tolui|Tolui Khan]]) conquer the [[Alans]] and the northern [[Peoples of the Caucasus|Caucasian]] tribes. Later, Möngke makes a raid of reconnaissance as far as [[Principality of Kiev|Kiev]].<ref>[[Steven Runciman]] (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', p. 211. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref>