Defense of Kozelsk (1238) is one of the important events in the history of the Mongol campaigns and invasions of Russia. On March 25, the defense of the city from the troops of Batu began. It lasted 7 weeks. During this time, the inhabitants have shown themselves to be excellent experts in defense tactics and have become an example of the Russian unbending spirit.
Meaning of Kozelsk
Kozelsk has always had a special strategic importance, as soon as it was founded. He was called "looking to the east." Kozelsk in Russia bordered on the steppe and had the value of an outpost from the attacks of the Khazars, Pechenegs and Polovtsy.
Total bad luck
But throughout its history, the city has always been unlucky. Enemies of Russia often passed by him. First, Batu attacked with his army, then Khan Akhmat, enraged because of the forced parking on the Ugra, burned him. Even Napoleon attacked Kozelsk, and in 1941 the Germans captured the city.
Kozelsk's background
The defense of Kozelsk took place during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The inhabitants defended themselves from Batu's troops. Many reasons contributed to his attack on the city. One of the main ones is a long-standing hatred for Kozelsk. The fault was Prince Mstislav,who took part in the assassination of the Mongol ambassadors. This massacre took place in 1223 on the Kalka River. Despite the fact that Prince Mstislav was no longer alive in 1238, hatred for him remained.
The Mongols were burning with the desire for revenge for the past. And they believed that all subjects of Mstislav were obliged to share the responsibility for their deeds, since they were faithful to him. Therefore, during the massacre, the defense of the city of Kozelsk lasted 7 weeks. But other Russian princes did not come to the aid of the inhabitants. They had to defend their city on their own.
Advantages of Kozelsk during its siege
Workers built Kozelsk, taking into account the geography of the area. This was important for the defense of the city. The defenders of Kozelsk knew a lot about this. The city was located on a high hill. It was surrounded on all sides by water. From the east - r. Zhizdra, from the west - r. Drugusna. Due to the currents of the rivers, steep cliffs formed around the hill. Therefore, it was simply impossible to get close to the city from the west and east.
From the northern side of Kozelsk, its inhabitants dug an artificial canal. He was between the rivers and slowed down their flow. Because of this, the area around the canal became swampy. And thanks to this, it was very difficult to get close to Kozelsk. Especially when the snow started to melt. Then the city became an island, which is surrounded by water on all sides.
Therefore, the defense of Kozelsk continued for a very long time. Batu, besieging the city, found himself in a difficult situation. Nomadic Mongols are accustomed to fighting in the steppe. But the city was on a hill. And because of thisit was not possible to erect siege towers, the manufacturing technology of which was borrowed from the Chinese.
Besides the fact that Kozelsk was reliably protected by natural barriers, it was also surrounded by an artificial rampart. And around the walls from the outside, the city was surrounded by a dense wooden palisade and towers from which archers fired arrows.
Thanks to such good defenses, Kozelsk was able to withstand a long siege. The army of Batu and his fighting vehicles could not get close to the walls of the city for a long time. The inhabitants of Kozelsk used their advantages correctly and effectively defended the fortified part (detinets) from the Tatar hordes.
Reasons for a long defense
The defense of Kozelsk from the troops of Batu was long. And there were many reasons for that. One of them is spring thaw. She turned the city into an impregnable island. The army of Batu was cut off by the mudslide not only from Kozelsk, but also from the large detachments of Buri and Kadan. As a result, there was no need to wait for help from the necessary reserves.
In the spring, Batu did not have at his disposal the necessary number of soldiers to fight natural barriers to the coveted city. The Tatar-Mongols decided to wait for the flood to pass and attack Kozelsk with renewed vigor. Yes, and the army of Batu was badly battered by this time.
Loy alty of the defenders of Kozelsk
The residents of Kozelsk had no illusions about the Tatars and Mongols. The princely squad, together with the detachment of Mstislav Chernigov, had already foughtwith the enemy on Kalka. Prince Vasily during the siege of the city of Batu was only 12 years old. But he also knew the price of the enemy's promises.
The Tatars tried to put moral pressure on the inhabitants of the city, saying that under the leadership of the young prince they would not be able to survive. But the opinion of the townspeople was unanimous. They decided that even though their prince is still small, they would rather die for him and keep a good reputation about themselves than surrender to the Tatars.
Defense of the city of Kozelsk was truly heroic. While the Tatar-Mongolian troops were waiting for the approach of the Buri and Kadan detachments, camped near the city from the south, the inhabitants of Kozelsk did not wait resignedly for new attacks. The townspeople constantly made night sorties and attacked the Tatar-Mongolian camp unexpectedly.
Seven weeks Batu was enraged by the sabotage of the inhabitants of Kozelsk. But to surrender positions meant losing the respect and authority of the commander in chief. They were already badly shaken after Batu retreated from Novgorod.
Kozelsk's betrayal
It is believed that the defense of Kozelsk from the Mongol-Tatars could last longer. But ended because of betrayal. There is evidence for this, albeit indirectly. Near Kozelsk there is a small village called Deshovki. It got its name among the people due to the fact that the inhabitants turned out to be traitors. She was handed over to the Horde. It is likely that the inhabitants, intimidated by the Mongols, pointed to the weak points of the city, which was almost impregnable due to natural protection.
Defenders of Kozelsk
The defense of Kozelsk lasted almost two months,the inhabitants fought desperately, constantly repulsing the attacks of the Tatar-Mongols. But Batu came to the aid of new Mongol troops led by Buri and Kadan. These commanders were descendants of Genghis Khan. Thanks to fresh forces and the betrayal of the inhabitants of the village of Deshovki, Kozelsk was taken in three days.
The Tatar-Mongols climbed the shaft and destroyed part of the wall of the citadel. At this time, the main gate opened, and 300 residents came out to repel the attack. But they were only armed with swords. All died, but, according to legend, they managed to kill about 4,000 invaders. Among them were three commanders from Genghisides. But then their bodies were never found among the corpses. Little Prince Vasily was also killed.
Feats of the inhabitants of Kozelsk
The defense of Kozelsk ended in three days, when the troops of Burya and Kadan came to the rescue against the city. They brought new siege weapons. First, the moat at the southern wall was filled up. Then the Tatars were able to install vice machines next to the outer fortifications. And some walls were destroyed. A bloody battle began. But the besieged were able to fight off the Tatars.
Immediately after that, the vigilantes undertook another sortie. They attacked the attackers from the flank, bypassing them from the rear. As a result, many siege weapons were destroyed and many Tatars were killed. But reinforcements arrived in time, and the Kozeltsy were killed.
The Capture of Kozelsk
When he learned about the dead, Batu went into an indescribable rage. Among the killed military leaders were his relatives and friends. Batugave the order not to spare anyone after the capture of Kozelsk, even women and children.
As soon as the troops of Buri and Kadan approached, they began to bombard the city systematically. The continuous assault lasted two days. Then the Tatar-Mongols used their favorite trick - a false retreat. The Kozeltsy decided that they had won, and the Tatars were retreating. They went beyond the walls of the city to pursue the enemy. But the Mongols suddenly went on the attack and killed almost everyone.
Kozelsk was left without protection. The last battle took place in the princely court. Prince Vasily was hidden in a narrow pit. But he could not get out of there after the battle. Because a lot of dead bodies were piled on top. When the prince was found, he was already dead. Maybe he suffocated from lack of air, or maybe he choked on the blood from the corpses flowing into the pit.
Disappointment after victory
The defense of Kozelsk was a nightmare for the inhabitants, but Batu also suffered huge losses. Because of this, the enraged Tatar-Mongols turned the city into ruins. Batu renamed Kozelsk into the "Evil City" and forbade even mentioning the former name. And he gave a new one for the stamina and perseverance of the inhabitants who were able to resist for so long.
After the capture of Kozelsk Batu suffered a strong disappointment. There was nothing left in the ruined city that could be seized. According to the chroniclers, not even the goat's hoof was left. The troops lingered near Kozelsk for a month and began to rapidly lose their combat capability. To regain his popularity and raise the morale of the fighters, Batu announced the main goal,instead of Russian principalities, the Polovtsian steppes.
