Battle of Otepää
Encyclopedia
In February 1217, a large Russian
army arrived outside the stronghold of Otepää
with the objective to capture it. Oeselians
, Revalians and baptised Sackalians
joined the Russian army on the attack. The number of the besiegers reached 20,000 men. The stronghold was well fortified and the siege lasted for 17 days.
Reinforcements from Riga
(3000 men), led by the master of the order, was sent to Otepää to relieve the Germans
trapped inside the stronghold. A large battle took place near the stronghold with the besieging Estonians
and Russians. The relief army managed to reach the stronghold, albeit with heavy losses. The situation had become very difficult inside. The food of both people and animals had declined to minimum and the horses were said to have eaten each others' tails. Negotiations started three days after the arrival of the German relief army. According to the peace treaty, the Germans had to leave not only Otepää but the entire of Estonia. It was the largest defeat to that point for the Crusaders in the Livonian Crusade
.
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
army arrived outside the stronghold of Otepää
Otepää
Otepää is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it's the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Town has a population of 2,189 . Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia...
with the objective to capture it. Oeselians
Oeselians
The Oeselians were a historical Finnic people inhabiting Saaremaa , an Estonian island in the Baltic Sea. They are first thought to be mentioned as early as the 2nd century BC in Ptolemy's Geography III. The Oeselians along with Curonians were known in the Old Norse Icelandic Sagas and in...
, Revalians and baptised Sackalians
Sakala
Sakala may refer to:* Sagala, a city of ancient India* Sakala County, an ancient county in Estonia * Sakala , an Estonian academic corporation* Sakala , an Estonian newspaper...
joined the Russian army on the attack. The number of the besiegers reached 20,000 men. The stronghold was well fortified and the siege lasted for 17 days.
Reinforcements from Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
(3000 men), led by the master of the order, was sent to Otepää to relieve the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
trapped inside the stronghold. A large battle took place near the stronghold with the besieging Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
and Russians. The relief army managed to reach the stronghold, albeit with heavy losses. The situation had become very difficult inside. The food of both people and animals had declined to minimum and the horses were said to have eaten each others' tails. Negotiations started three days after the arrival of the German relief army. According to the peace treaty, the Germans had to leave not only Otepää but the entire of Estonia. It was the largest defeat to that point for the Crusaders in the Livonian Crusade
Livonian Crusade
The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia and Estonia, during the Northern Crusades...
.