Editing Livonian Brothers of the Sword (section)

=== Indiscipline ===
From its foundation, the indisciplined Order tended to ignore its supposed [[vassal]]age to the bishops.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}} The desires of the Swordbrothers to expand to the north of the Daugava river, along the [[Gauja|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 the [[Turaida|fortress of Treiden]]. In 1208, they founded the [[Sigulda|castle of Segewold]] in the Aa valley, and the [[Cēsis Castle|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.<ref name=":1" />

In 1219, King [[Valdemar II of Denmark]] conquered the [[Danish Estonia|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 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.<ref name=":1" />

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 [[Tallinn|Reval]]. However, the Order defeated him and took him as a prisoner.<ref name=":1" />

[[Pope Gregory IX]] asked the Brothers to defend [[Finland]] from the [[Finnish-Novgorodian Wars|Novgorodian attacks]] in his letter of November 24, 1232.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://193.184.161.234/DF/detail.php?id=80 |title=Letter by Pope Gregory IX |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814083933/http://193.184.161.234/DF/detail.php?id=80 |archive-date=2007-08-14 }}. (In Latin) Hosted by the [http://www.narc.fi National Archive of Finland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915000053/http://www.narc.fi/ |date=2010-09-15 }}. See [http://www.narc.fi/Arkistolaitos/sahkoiset/ ''Diplomatarium Fennicum''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608003759/http://www.narc.fi/Arkistolaitos/sahkoiset/ |date=2007-06-08 }}</ref> However, no known information regarding the knights' possible activities in Finland has survived. ([[Sweden]] eventually conquered Finland following the [[Second Swedish Crusade]] in 1249.){{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}