On the fateful day of September 22, 1236, the Battle of Saule was engaged, pitting the Livonian Brothers of the Sword against the Semigallians in Samogitia. This encounter marked the earliest significant loss the orders had ever suffered in the Baltic region. The Livonian Brothers, under Master Volkwin, hesitated to initiate hostile actions towards Lithuanian lands, owing to disputes with the Riga bishopric and an unfamiliarity with the south. They ventured south into Samogitia instead.
The Semigallians had merely a few days to rally their troops in defense. As the northernbound knights approached, they encountered a resilient Semigallian force at a river crossing. The Holsteiners, refusing to fight on foot, compelled the knights to halt for the night. The following morning, on the feast of Saint Maurice, the main pagan forces joined the fray at the knights' camp. The Lithuanian light cavalry rained javelins upon the Livonian heavy cavalry at short range, proving thoroughly lethal.
Master Volkwin and numerous other members of the order perished in the battle. Only a tenth of the Crusaders managed to reach Riga.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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