Editing Battle of Legnica

{{Short description|13th-century battle during the Mongol invasion of Poland}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=July 2016}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=April 2011}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Legnica
| partof            = the [[First Mongol invasion of Poland]]
| image             = Battle of Legnica1241-From Legend of Saint Hedwig.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = Depiction of the ''Battle of Legnica'' in 1241
| date              = 9 April 1241
| place             = [[Legnica]], [[Kingdom of Poland (1025-1385)|Poland]]<br/>{{Coord|51|8|43|N|16|13|22|E|type:event_region:PL-02|display=title,inline}}
| result            = Mongol victory
| combatant1        = [[Mongol Empire]]
| combatant2        = {{plainlist|
* [[Kingdom of Poland (1025-1385)|Poland]]
* [[Margraviate of Moravia|Moravia]]
* [[Knights Templar]]}}
| commander1        = {{plainlist|
* [[Baidar]]
* [[Kadan]]
* [[Orda Khan]]}}
----
[[Subutai]] (strategic coordinator)
| commander2        = {{plainlist|
* [[Henry II the Pious|Henry II]]{{KIA}}
* [[Mieszko II the Fat|Mieszko II]]
* [[Sulisław of Cracow]]{{KIA}}
* [[Boleslaus Děpolt]]{{KIA}}}}
| strength1         = 3,000<ref name="John France 2010">John France. ''Journal of Medieval Military History'', Volume 8. Page 115. Article: "Numbers in Mongol Warfare", by Carl Sverdrup. Published 18 November 2010. {{ISBN|9781843835967}}</ref>–8,000 cavalry<ref name="Tartar Relation 1248. Page 80">''Tartar Relation'', Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, ~1248. Page 80.</ref>
| strength2         = 2,000-8,000<ref name="John France 2010"/><ref name="Maroń">Jerzy Maroń. ''Koczownicy i rycerze. Najazd Mongołów na Polskę w 1241 roku na tle sztuki wojennej Europy XII i XIII wieku''. Oficyna Wydawnicza Arboretum. Wrocław. 2001. {{ISBN|978-83-932793-2-6}}</ref><ref>Maroń's total includes 250 knights from Silesia, 36 Templar knights, 10 knights from Lesser and Greater Poland, 10 'guest' knights, and a handful heavy cavalry mercenaries</ref><ref name="Korta">Wacław Korta. ''Najazd Mongołów na Polskę i jego legnicki epilog''.  Śląski Instytut Naukowy. Katowice. 1983. {{ISBN|83-00-00646-X}}</ref><ref name="Burzyński, p. 24"/>
| casualties1       = Unknown
| casualties2       = Heavy<ref name="Burzyński, p. 24"/>
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Mongol invasions}} <br/> {{Campaignbox Mongol invasion of Poland}}<br/>{{Campaignbox Feudal fragmentation of Poland (1138–1320)}}
}}

The '''Battle of Legnica''' ({{langx|pl|bitwa pod Legnicą}}), also known as the '''Battle of Liegnitz''' ({{langx|de|Schlacht von Liegnitz}}) or '''Battle of Wahlstatt''' ({{langx|de|Schlacht bei Wahlstatt}}), was fought between the [[Mongol Empire]] and combined European forces at the village of [[Legnickie Pole]] (''Wahlstatt''), approximately {{convert|10|km|mi|0}} southeast of the city of [[Legnica]] in the [[Duchy of Silesia]] on 9 April 1241.<ref name="Chambers1979">{{Cite book|last=Chambers|first=James|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/4504684|title=The Devil's horsemen : the Mongol invasion of Europe|date=1979|publisher=Atheneum|isbn=0-689-10942-3|edition=1st|location=New York|oclc=4504684}}</ref>{{rp|97–99}}

A combined force of [[Polish people|Poles]] and [[Moravian people|Moravians]] under the command of [[Duke of Silesia|Duke]] [[Henry II the Pious]] of [[Silesia]], supported by feudal nobility and a few [[knights]] from [[Military order (society)|military orders]] sent by [[Pope Gregory IX]], attempted to halt the [[First Mongol invasion of Poland|Mongol invasion of Poland]].  The battle took place two days before the Mongol victory over the [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarians]] at the much larger [[Battle of Mohi]].

==Historical disputations==
As with many historical battles, the exact details of force composition, tactics, and the actual course of the battle are lacking and sometimes contradictory.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The general historical view is that it was a crushing defeat for the Polish and Moravian forces where they suffered heavy casualties.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

One of the Mongol leaders, [[Kadan]], was frequently confused with Ögedei's grandson [[Kaidu]] by medieval chroniclers, and thus Kaidu has often been mistakenly listed as leading the Mongol forces at Legnica.<ref name="Chambers1979"/>

==Background==
{{Main article|First Mongol invasion of Poland}}
The Mongols considered the [[Cumans]] to have submitted to their authority, but the Cumans fled westward and sought asylum within the [[Kingdom of Hungary]]. After King [[Béla IV of Hungary]] rejected [[Batu Khan]]'s ultimatum to surrender the Cumans, [[Subutai]] began planning the [[Mongol invasion of Europe]]. Batu and Subutai were to lead two armies to attack Hungary itself, while a third under [[Baidar]], [[Orda Khan]] and [[Kadan]] would attack Poland as a [[Feint|diversion]] to occupy northern European forces which might come to Hungary's aid.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Orda's forces devastated northern Poland and the southwestern border of [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} Baidar and Kadan ravaged the southern part of Poland: first they sacked [[Sandomierz]] in order to draw the Northern European armies away from Hungary;{{r|Chambers1979|p=96}} then on 3 March they defeated a Polish army in the [[battle of Tursko]]; then on 18 March they defeated another Polish army at [[Battle of Chmielnik|Chmielnik]]; on 24 March they seized and burned [[Kraków]], and a few days later they tried unsuccessfully to capture the Silesian capital of [[Wrocław]].<ref name=Hildinger/> While deciding whether or not to besiege Wrocław, Baidar and Kadan received reports that King [[Wenceslaus I, King of Bohemia|Wenceslaus I]] of [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]] was two days away with an army over twice{{r|Chambers1979|p=99}} the size of Henry's. The Mongols turned from Wrocław to intercept Henry's forces before the European armies could meet. The Mongols caught up with Henry near Legnica at [[Legnickie Pole]] (Polish for "Field of Legnica"), also known as Wahlstatt.{{r|Chambers1979|p=|pages=97-99}}

==Composition==
===Mongols===
[[File:Mongoltroops.jpg|thumb|right|The Mongol heavy cavalry in battle (13th or 14th century).]]

The Mongol diversionary force, a detachment (no less than one and no more than two ''[[Tumen (unit)|tumens]]'') from the army of [[Subutai]], demonstrated the advantages of the tactical mobility and speed of [[mounted archery]]. The Mongol tactics were essentially a long series of feigned attacks and faked withdrawals from widely dispersed groups, which were designed to inflict a constant slow drain by ranged fire, disrupt the enemy formation and draw larger numbers away from the main body into ambush and flank attacks.  These were standard Mongol tactics used in virtually all of their major battles; they were made possible by continual training and superb battlefield communication, which used a system of flags. The Mongol commander found the highest ground at the battle site, seized it and used it to communicate to his [[noyan]]s and lesser commanders their orders for troop movement. The Mongol system was a stark contrast to the European systems, in which [[knight]]s advanced with basically no communication with supporting forces.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The numbers involved are difficult to judge. European accounts vary as to Mongol numbers—some suggest more than 100,000 at Legnica alone.  These are gross overestimates, given that this number is far larger than the entire Mongol force in all of Europe at the time, as well as not taking into account the weaknesses of 13th-century Mongol logistical support in Western Eurasia. Current estimates suggest the Mongol force numbered, at most, 25,000 cavalry. The ''[[Historia Tatarorum]]'' by the [[Franciscan]] C. de Bridia Monachi suggests a Mongol force of 10,000 troops, which would have been reduced to around 8,000 after casualties suffered earlier in the campaign, at the [[Battle of Chmielnik]], [[Battle of Tursko]], and the [[Battle of Tarczek]]. A contemporary European account, the [[Ystoria Mongalorum]], supports these numbers, placing the Mongol force that invaded Poland at 10,000 horsemen.<ref name="Tartar Relation 1248. Page 80"/>

===Polish states and allies===
According to [[James Chambers (historian)|James Chambers]], Henry's force numbered at most 25,000 troops, most likely less, and had a large number of untrained and poorly equipped men, sometimes with no weapons other than the tools of their trade.<ref>Chambers, p. 97</ref> Lesser trained forces included an army from [[Opole]] under Duke [[Mieszko II the Fat]]; [[Moravians (ethnic group)|Moravians]] led by Boleslav, son of the [[Margrave of Moravia]] [[Děpolt III]]; conscripts from [[Greater Poland]]; and volunteer [[Bavaria]]n miners from not long before established town of Goldberg ([[Złotoryja]]). Henry's better trained troops were his own gathered in his [[Duchy of Silesia|Silesian realm]], mercenaries, and very small contingents of French [[Knights Templar]] and other foreign volunteers.{{r|Chambers1979|pp=97-99}}

Historian [[Marek Cetwiński]] estimates the allied force to have been 2,000 strong, while [[Gerard Labuda]] estimates 7,000–8,000 soldiers in the Christian army.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

A contingent of [[Teutonic Knights]] of indeterminate number is traditionally believed to have joined the allied army. However, recent analysis of the 15th-century ''Annals of Jan Długosz'' by Labuda suggests that the German crusaders may have been added to the text after chronicler [[Jan Długosz|Długosz]] had completed the work. A legend that the [[Grand Master of the Teutonic Order]], [[Poppo von Osterna]], was killed during the battle is false, as he died at Legnica years later while visiting his wife's nunnery.<ref>{{cite book |last=Urban |first=William |author-link=William Urban |date=2003 |title=The Teutonic Knights: A Military History |location=London |publisher=Greenhill Books |page={{page needed|date=October 2023}} |isbn=1-85367-535-0}}</ref> The [[Knights Hospitaller|Hospitallers]] have also been said to have participated in this battle, but this too seems to be a fabrication added in later accounts; neither Jan Długosz's accounts nor the letter sent to the King of France from the Templar Master of France, [[Ponce d'Aubon]], mention them.<ref>Burzyński, p. 22</ref> Peter Jackson further points out that the only military order that fought at Legnica was the Templars.<ref>Jackson, p. 205</ref> The Templar contribution was very small, estimated around 68–88 well-trained, well-armed soldiers;<ref name="Burzyński, p. 24">Burzyński, p. 24</ref> their letter to the king of France gives their losses as three brother knights, two sergeants and 500 'men'—according to their use of the term, probably peasants working their estates and thus neither better armed or trained than the rest of the army's infantry.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==The battle==
[[File:HedwigManuscriptLiegnitz a.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Henry II the Pious]] of Poland was killed in the Battle of Legnica.]]
Henry divided his forces into four sections: the Bavarian miners led by Boleslav of Moravia; the conscripts from Greater Poland along with some Cracovians led by Sulisław, the brother of the killed [[Count palatine|palatine]] of Kraków; the army of Opole under Mieszko; and, under Henry's personal command, the Silesians, Moravians, and Templars.<ref name="Chambers1979"/>

According to Chambers' description of the battle, the Silesian [[cavalry]] initiated combat with the vanguard ([[Mangudai#Military unit of the Mongols|mangudai]]) of the Mongol army. After the Silesians were repelled, the cavalry of Greater Poland, led by Sulisław, and the cavalry of Opole then attacked the Mongols. The Mongol vanguard retreated, inducing the allied cavalry to pursue, thereby separating them from the Polish infantry. Although the mangudai fled, Mongol light cavalry flanked the Polish forces. A [[smoke screen|smokescreen]] was used to hide the Mongol movements and confuse the Europeans. While the Mongol light cavalry attacked from the flanks and the heavy cavalry attacked from the front, Mongol archers peppered the Polish forces with arrows.<ref name="Chambers1979"/>

Erik Hildinger indicates that the levies of Boleslav led the attack, instead of the Silesians. He adds that after the Polish cavalry began their pursuit during the Mongols' feigned retreat, a rider shouted "Run! Run!" (in Polish) to the Polish forces, confusing Mieszko, who ordered his Opole contingent to retreat from the battle. This withdrawal led Henry to order his own reserves and cavalry into the fight.<ref name=Hildinger>Erik Hildinger. "[http://www.historynet.com/mongol-invasions-battle-of-liegnitz.htm Mongol Invasions: Battle of Liegnitz]". ''TheHistoryNet.com'', originally published ''Military History'' magazine, June 1997. Accessed 2 September 2008.</ref>

The Mongols had much success in the battle by feigning their retreat. After the Polish knights detached from the main body of allied forces in pursuit of the fleeing Mongols, the invaders were able to separate the knights from the infantry and defeat them one by one.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The ''Annals of Jan Długosz'' also describes the battle, although it was written in the 15th century, not when it actually occurred. The army of Henry II was almost destroyed—Henry and Boleslav of Moravia were killed and estimates of casualties range from 2,000 to 40,000, essentially the entire army. Ponce d'Aubon reported to King [[Louis IX of France]] that the military order lost 500 people, both in Legnica and subsequent raids on three Templar villages and two "towers"<ref>John Man – Genghis Khan, p. 298</ref> among them nine brothers, three knights, and two sergeants.<ref name="Chambers1979"/> This number likely included civilians of the villages.<ref name="Burzyński, p. 24"/> Mongol casualties are unknown; a perfect execution of their standard tactics would have minimized losses, but the Mongols endured sufficient casualties to dissuade them from attacking the Bohemian army.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

The Mongols cut the right ear off each fallen European in order to count the dead; supposedly they filled nine sackfuls, though this has as much validity as European accounts of the numbers of Mongols.<ref>[[Norman Davies|Davies, Norman]]. ''[[Europe: A History]]''. HarperCollins. New York. 1998. {{ISBN|0-06-097468-0}}</ref> Henry was struck down and [[decapitation|beheaded]] while attempting to flee the battlefield with three bodyguards, and the Mongols paraded his head on a spear before the town of Legnica.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==Conclusion==
[[File:HedwigAltarVII.jpg|thumb|upright|A scene from an altar of St. Hedwig of Silesia: Mongol warriors display the head of Henry II the Pious of Poland on a long lance in an attempt to weaken the morale of the defenders. Painting of 1430.]]

[[Wenceslaus I of Bohemia]], who had been a day's march away, fell back to gather reinforcements from [[Thuringia]] and [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]] upon learning of the defeat. He was overtaken by the Mongol vanguard at [[Kłodzko]]. However, his force was far larger and more powerful than the host at Legnica, and the Mongol detachment was routed by the Bohemian cavalry. As Baidar and Kadan's orders had been to serve as a diversion, they stayed to keep the Bohemian forces tied up, avoiding confrontation with the larger army while splitting up into bands and sacking minor towns and villages. Eventually, they turned away from Bohemia and Poland and headed southward to join Batu and Subutai, who had defeated the [[Magyars|Hungarians]] at the [[Battle of Mohi]].

Larger invasions of Poland, devoted primarily to looting, would be launched later. Led by [[Burundai]], the Mongols [[Second Mongol invasion of Poland|successfully raided Poland in 1259–1260]]. They raided again under the leadership of [[Tulabuga]] and [[Nogai Khan]], accompanied by vassal troops from [[Ruthenia]], but were [[Third Mongol invasion of Poland|unsuccessful in 1287]]. Although the Mongols repeatedly expressed a desire to conquer central Europe in ultimatums up to the 1270s, Poland and Hungary stayed outside of the [[Golden Horde]]'s sphere of influence. The Russian lands to their east remained under the rule of the Golden Horde for the next two centuries.
The Battle of Legnica is commemorated on the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]] in [[Warsaw]], with the inscription "LEGNICA 9 IV 1241".

==See also==
* [[Battle of the Kalka River]]
* [[Battle of Mohi]]
* [[Golden Horde]]
* [[Mongol Empire]]
* [[Mongols]]
* [[Ögedei Khan]]
* [[Subutai]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Amitai-Preiss |first=Reuven |title=Mongols and Mamluks: The Mamluk-Ilkhanid War, 1260–1281 |year=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-521-46226-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/mongolsmamluksma0000amit }}
* {{Cite book |last=Busk |first=William |title=Medieval Popes, Emperors, Kings, and Crusaders |year=1856 |publisher=Hookham and Sons, Old Bond Street |location=London |isbn=978-1-330-89877-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Grant |first=Reg |title=1001 Battles That Changed the Course of World History |year=2011 |publisher=Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7893-2233-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hildinger |first=Erik |title=Warriors of the Steppe: A Military History of Central Asia, 500 BC to 1700 AD |year= 1997 |publisher=Sarpedon |location=New York |isbn=1-885119-43-7 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=Peter |title=The Mongols and the West, 1221–1410 |year=2005 |publisher=Longman |isbn=0-582-36896-0 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Korta |first=Wacław |title=Najazd Mongołów na Polskę i jego legnicki epilog |year=1983 |publisher=Śląski Instytut Naukowy |location=Katowice |isbn=83-00-00646-X }}
* {{Cite book |last=Maroń |first=Jerzy |title=Koczownicy i rycerze. Najazd Mongołów na Polskę w 1241 roku na tle sztuki wojennej Europy XII i XIII wieku |year=2001 |publisher=Oficyna Wydawnicza Arboretum |location=Wrocław |isbn=978-83-932793-2-6 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Morgan |first=David |title=The Mongols |year=1986 |publisher=Blackwell |location=Oxford |isbn=0-631-17563-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/mongolspeoplesof00davi }}
* {{Cite book |last=Nicolle |first=David |title=The Mongol Warlords: Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulagu, Tamerlane |year=1990 |publisher=Firebird |location=Poole |isbn=1-85314-104-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/mongolwarlordsge00nico }}
* {{Cite book |last=Reagan |first=Geoffry |title=The Guinness Book of Decisive Battles |year=1992 |publisher=Canopy Books |location=New York }}
* {{Cite book |last=Saunders |first=John J. |title=The History of the Mongol Conquests |year=2001 |orig-year=1971 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia |isbn=0-8122-1766-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Soucek |first=Svatopluk |title=A History of Inner Asia |year=2000 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-521-65169-7 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102559/http://bluedragon.mordy.pl/pliki/publikacje/dlugosz.pdf ''The Annals of Jan Dlugosz'' – Sample Text] Written by Jan Dlugosz between 1455 and 1480.
* [http://www.historynet.com/mongol-invasions-battle-of-liegnitz.htm Mongol Invasion of Europe in 1241]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140402182611/http://ssh.apsl.edu.pl/baza/wydawn/ssh018/burzynski.pdf TEMPLARIUSZE W WALCE Z NAJAZDEM MONGOLSKIM NA POLSKĘ W 1241 ROKU]- Edmund Burzyński's article on the Templar participation (see pages 22–24 for an English summary)
* [http://www.arsbellica.it/pagine/medievale/Liegnitz/liegnitz_eng.html Battle of Liegnitz 9 april 1241] Marco E Luca website
* [http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=4721&CategoryID=5358 Video: Mongol invasion of Europe]
* [http://ssh.apsl.edu.pl/baza/wydawn/ssh018/burzynski.pdf TEMPLARIUSZE W WALCE Z NAJAZDEM MONGOLSKIM NA POLSKĘ W 1241 ROKU] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402182611/http://ssh.apsl.edu.pl/baza/wydawn/ssh018/burzynski.pdf |date=2 April 2014 }}- Edmund Burzyński's article on the Templar participation (see pages 22–24 for an English summary)

{{Polish wars and conflicts}}
{{Mongol Empire}}
{{Silesia topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Legnica}}
[[Category:Battles involving Mongolia]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Mongol Empire|Legnica]]
[[Category:1241 in Europe]]
[[Category:History of Silesia]]
[[Category:Battles involving Bohemia|Legnica 1241]]
[[Category:Legnica]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1241]]
[[Category:1240s in the Mongol Empire]]
[[Category:1241 in Asia]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Knights Templar|Legnica]]
[[Category:History of Lower Silesian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Battles during the first Mongol invasion of Poland]]