In 1198, dramatic events took place on the territory of present-day Latvia. Local tribes rebelled against the expansion of their lands by the Roman-German emperor Otto IV. When the uprising was suppressed, in order to prevent such revolts in the future, by order of the German Bishop Albrecht, the spiritual and knightly Order of the Sword was created.
The order that conquered the pagans
One of the victims of the rebellious tribes was the local Bishop Berthold. Albrecht von Buxhoevden, appointed as his successor, began by calling on the Livonian knights for a crusade against the recalcitrant pagans. Hundreds of adventurers, wishing to get easy military booty, and at the same time absolution, landed in 1200, together with their warlike shepherd, at the mouth of the Western Dvina, where they soon laid the fortress of Riga.
However, as time passed, it became obvious that crusaders alone were not enough to control the entire territory, and on the initiative of the same Bishop Albrecht in 1200, a new military-religious order was founded, called the Sword-bearers. The order took upon itself, in addition to taking care of the conversion of local pagans totrue faith, and also purely military functions. Two years later, its creation was legalized by a special papal bull, which gave the order full legitimacy and a free hand in all future enterprises.
Cross and sword
It owes its name to the red swords depicted along with the M altese crosses on the white cloaks of the knights. Initially, when it was created, the order of the Templars, which flourished then, was taken as a basis. The combination of Christian dogma with military force was equally characteristic of them and of the Sword-bearers. The order, founded by Bishop Albrecht, was officially called the "Brothers of the Knighthood of Christ in Livonia", which also suggests similarities with the brothers Templar. However, everything was limited to this external similarity.
Establishment of Livonia
The foundation of the Order of the Sword was the most important step leading to the formation of a new state in the B altic States - Livonia. It has not been integral since its birth. It included two independent economic zones - the Riga bishopric and the new, just created, Order. The territorial formations of the new state were called Estland, Livonia and Courland. These words were derived from the names of the local tribes living there. The supreme power over the entire territory belonged to the bishop.
Conquest of new lands
From the first days of their stay in Livonia, the knights of the Order of the Sword carried out raids on territories that were still controlled by local tribes. Fortresses were built on the conquered lands,which later became strongholds of the military-administrative centers. But the Livonian invaders had to fight not only with the local tribes. Their main and most formidable opponent was the Russian princes, who rightfully considered the Livonian lands to be their specific possessions.
For many years this struggle has been with varying success. In historical documents covering the events of those years, there is a lot of evidence of both the victories of Russian squads and defeats. Often the next military operation ended with the death or capture of one or the other of its participants. In addition, the history of the Order of the Swordsmen is full of episodes of their ongoing struggle with the Estonians, a people who have inhabited these lands for a long time. The situation was complicated in many ways by the Livonian Order that existed here before, which also laid claim to the territory.
Search for a military ally
The situation was difficult. In order to conduct such large-scale actions, significant military forces were needed, and the sword-bearers clearly lacked them. The Order was forced to look for a powerful ally in Europe, uniting with whom it could continue the colonization of new lands. But not only a military advantage could give such an alliance. The fact is that the knightly Order of the Swordsmen waged an endless political struggle with Bishop Albrecht, the official ruler of Livonia. The purpose of the fight was to get out of his jurisdiction.
The Teutonic Order could be such a powerful ally. Founded during the third Crusade and to the described historicalperiod, having at its disposal a large army, staffed by well-armed and trained German knights, he could become the force that would provide the Sword-bearers with a decisive advantage in all military and political disputes.
Negotiations to unite the two orders
After their master Volkvin turned to the Teutons with a similar proposal, for a long time he had no answer from them. Their head, Hochmeister Hermann von Salza, was known as a cautious and prudent person, it was not in his rules to make hasty decisions. When, finally, he sent his envoys to the sword-bearing brothers for a detailed acquaintance with all the circumstances of their life and work, they were extremely dissatisfied with what they saw.
In their reports, they pointed out the unacceptable liberty of the whole way of life of the Livonian knights and the neglect with which they treat their own charter. It is possible that this was true, but, most likely, the main reason for their negative reviews was the desire of the Sword-bearers, noted by them, after the unification, to retain their independence and prevent their complete absorption by the Teutons.
The defeat of the swordsmen on the Saule River
It is not known how long the negotiations would have continued if it were not for the misfortune that befell the Order of the Sword in one of the regular military operations. They suffered a crushing defeat from the Lithuanian pagans in the battle on the Saula River. Relying on the support of the Latgalians and Estonians baptized by them, they werebetrayed by them and suffered heavy losses. Fifty noble Livonian knights remained on the battlefield. The forces of the Order were undermined and only the help of the Teutons could save him.
The decisive role in the unification of the two orders was played by Pope Gregory IX. He understood that after such an impressive defeat of the sword-bearers, Livonia threatens to be again in the power of the pagans.
Being a decisive man, he immediately signed a decree, according to which in 1237 the Teutonic Order was united with the Order of the Sword. From now on, the previously independent conquerors of Livonia became only a branch of the Teutonic Order, but they had no choice.
New owners of Livonia
The Teutonic Order immediately sent a whole army to Livonia, consisting of fifty-four knights, accompanied by a myriad of servants, squires and mercenaries. In a short time, the resistance of the pagans was suppressed, and the process of Christianization of the lands continued without any incidents. However, since then, the Brothers of the Sword have lost all independence. Even their head, the lanmeister, was not elected, as before, but was appointed by the supreme Hochmeister from Prussia.
Further historical development of the territories belonging to Livonia is characterized by extreme political instability. Unlike the sword-bearers, who were subordinate to the local bishop, their new owners were in full jurisdiction of the Pope, and in accordance with the law of those years, they were obliged to transfer to his possession a third of the Christianized by themlands. This provoked protest from the local episcopate and caused many subsequent conflicts.
The Order of the Sword, the Livonian Order, the Teutonic Order and the Russian princes who claimed these lands constantly kept the region in a semi-military state. The long-term confrontation between the episcopate and the order authorities, claiming the leading role in solving both religious and political issues, led to a constant decline in the living standards of the indigenous population and periodically provoked social explosions.
