1. Grunwald July 15, 1410 Strategic Context Founded in 1190 in Acre, the Teutonic Knights are unable to expand against the Saracens, and eventually accept territory in Prussia from Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in exchange for their services subduing and converting pagans in the region. For almost 200 years, the Teutons expand their territory under the guise of converting pagans to Christianity; even the conversion of Lithuania in 1386 does not halt the Teutons’ ambitions in Lithuania under Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. However, a strategic marriage by Wladyslaw Jagiello in 1386 unites Poland and Lithuania in alliance, confirmed by Jagiello’s recognition of Vytautas Didysis as Grand Prince of Lithuania in 1401. Jagiello then supports revolt in the Teutonic-occupied Lithuanian province of Samogitia, provoking Jungingen to declare war in 1409. Jungingen declares a year-long truce, perceiving that the greater his victory, the better in the long term. The Polish-Lithuanian union invades Prussia in June 1410 with their main force while a secondary force raids Pomerania to the west; this diversion forces Jungingen to detach 3,000 troops under Heinrich von Plauen while the main forces collide in the east. The Polish-Lithuanian intent is to defeat the Teutonic army, capture its fortress capital of Marienburg, and negotiate the surrender of Pomerania to Poland and Samogitia to Lithuania. Stakes + A Polish-Lithuanian victory would deplete the Teutons’ meager manpower and facilitate the capture of the Teutonic fortress capital of Marienburg. + A Teutonic victory would strain the Polish- Lithuanian alliance and make its territory more vulnerable, possibly inducing other powers such as Hungary and Livonia to attack. By Jonathan Webb, 2013 ©

2. Grunwald, 1410 Strength  Teutons  Well  Poles & Lithuanians  Well  Wladislaw II Jagiello  Ulrich von Jungingen By Jonathan Webb, 2013 ©  29,000 cavalry  10,000 infantry  21,000 cavalry  6,000 infantry  16 guns  100 guns  Vytautas Didysis

4. Poles & Lithuanians (Jagiello/Vytautas) Teutons (Jungingen) Jagiello Lichtenstein Vytautas Wallenrod Jungingen Jelal el Din Wallenrod Jungingen Vytautas Teutons (Ulrich von Jungingen) 21,000 cavalry 6,000 infantry 100 guns Poles & Lithuanians (Wladislaw Jagiello/ Vytautas Didysis) 29,000 cavalry 10,000 infantry 16 guns Jungingen deploys his knights in two lines with a large reserve far to the rear. In front of his two lines of knights, he places his infantry and guns behind ditches. Jungingen plans to induce the Poles-Lithuanians to attack his prepared position, exhaust their momentum, and then counterattack with his superior knights. The Poles-Lithuanians deploy their cavalry in two or three lines, with Jagiello’s Poles on the left, with the more lightly armoured Vytautas’ Lithuanians on the right, and Jelel el Din’s Tatars on the far right. Jagiello maintains a number of reserves: cavalry on the left and center, and mainly infantry in the woods to the rear. Following a provocative speech by Teutonic envoys, Jagiello decides to attack. Each commander possesses full view of the battle from each side of the valley between them. The first Polish-Lithuanian line charges with the Lithuanians surging ahead; the Teutonic guns can only fire off two salvoes before the infantry are overrun, routing back to camp. Wallenrod is quick to counterattack with his first line of knights; the rest of the Teutonic line follows suit, colliding violentlywith Polish-Lithuanian cavalry in the valley. Vytautas commits his second line to stabilize his wavering troops but Wallenrod also commits his second line. When the Tatar light cavalry feign retreat, Lithuanian forces mistake this for a rout and retreat as well, closely pursued by Teutonic knights. The Lithuanian rout almost carries over to the Polish forces, with the Czech mercenaries retreating before being rallied. Only the Smolensk banners on the left of the Lithuanian line maintain their position. Meanwhile, the Polish left slowly pushes back the Teutonic right. Jagiello’s Smolensk banners conduct a fighting retreat as the remaining knights on the Teutonic left attempt to crush the Polish right. Jagiello commits his center reserve to stabilize the position for now. Meanwhile, each sides’ second lines enter the fierce general melee in the valley. The Teutonic right continues to lose ground against the Polish left. With his right struggling, Jungingen seeks to decide the battle by moving his reserve in position to crush the Polish right with Jagiello as its target. Some of Wallenrod’s knights also rally from their pursuit and return to join the attack on the Polish right. Jagiello responds by shoring up his position with reserve cavalry from the woods. Not all of Wallenrod’s knights are able to join the attack though; some banners are ambushed and destroyed in the woods by Polish-Lithuanian infantry. Jagiello also sends his left reserve to speed up the Teutonic right’s collapse. Jungingen’s reserve finally joins the attack on the greatly strained Polish right. Just then, Vytautus returns to the battlefield with rallied Lithuanian cavalry and hits the Teutonic left from behind. Meanwhile, the Teutonic right begins to collapse. Jungingen attempts to conduct a fighting retreat back to the camp but is killed. Polish-Lithuanian forces also break through the Teutonic center and, combined with the envelopment of the wings, form two large pockets of Teutonic forces. They largely fight to the death and are annihilated.

5. Grunwald, 1410 Casualties & Aftermath Teutons:Poles & Lithuanians: 22,000 or 81% 13,000 or 33% By Jonathan Webb, 2013 © The Polish-Lithuanian army rested for two days before advancing on the Teutonic capital of Marienburg. By the time they arrived, Plauen and his 3,000 troops had occupied the great fortress. Unable to capture the fortress and annihilate the Teutonic Order right away, a siege dragged on, allowing Hungary and Livonia to make preparations to assist Plauen. In September 1410, the Polish- Lithuanian army withdrew from Prussia. The Teutonic Order survived under the leadership of Grand Master Plauen but was devastated; never able to fully recover, the Teutonic Order lost Marienburg to Poland in 1456, and all of Prussia by 1521.

6. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps http://www.theartofbattle.com By Jonathan Webb, 2013 ©