The Battle of the Ice and other great victories in Russian history. The Battle of the Ice briefly

Borders modern Russia historically associated with borders Russian Empire, which were influenced by certain events. And therefore, the significance of the Battle of the Ice is very great: thanks to it, the Teutonic Order forever abandoned serious claims to Russian lands. Although this did not protect our ancestors from the Golden Horde, it helped to defend, at least, the western borders, and showed people in difficult times that they were capable of winning victories.

However, before the Battle of the Ice occurred, it was preceded by other events that largely predetermined it. In particular, the Battle of the Neva, which clearly demonstrated the military leadership talent of the then young Prince Alexander. Therefore, it’s worth starting with it.

The Battle of the Neva itself is directly determined by the claims of both the Swedes and Novgorodians to the Karelian Isthmus and to the Finnish tribes. What was connected with the influence and with the advance of the crusaders to the west. Here historians differ in their assessments of what happened. Some believe that Alexander Nevsky stopped the expansion with his actions. Others disagree, believing that the significance of his victories was greatly exaggerated and that the crusaders actually had no real intention of advancing in earnest. So the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice still cause a lot of controversy. But it is worth returning to the first event.

So, the Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. It should be noted that the young Prince Alexander at that time was a very inexperienced commander; he participated in battles only with his father, Yaroslav. And this was, in fact, his first serious military test. Success was largely determined by the suddenness of the appearance of the prince along with his retinue. The Swedes, who landed at the mouth of the Neva, did not expect serious resistance. In addition, in the summer they experienced serious thirst, as a result, as many historians noted, they found themselves either drunk or hungover. A camp set up near the river meant the presence of tents, which turned out to be very easy to cut down, which is what the youth Savva did.

The timely warning of the Izhora elder Pelgusius, who monitored these lands and sent messengers to Alexander, thus came as a complete surprise to the Swedes. As a result, the Battle of the Neva ended in a real defeat for them. According to some reports, the Swedes loaded almost 3 ships with the bodies of the dead, while the Novgorodians killed about 20 people. It is worth noting that the battle began during the day and lasted until the evening; at night hostilities ceased, and in the morning the Swedes began to flee. No one pursued them: Alexander Nevsky did not see the need for this, in addition, he was afraid of increasing losses. Please note that he received his nickname precisely after this victory.

What happened between the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice?

After the battle on the Neva River took place, the Swedes abandoned their claims. But this did not mean that the crusaders stopped thinking about conquering Rus'. Do not forget in which year the described event took place: our ancestors already had problems with the Golden Horde. Which, together with feudal fragmentation, significantly weakened the Slavs. Understanding the date is so important here because it allows you to relate some events to others.

Therefore, the Teutonic Order was not impressed by the defeat of the Swedes. The Danes and Germans decisively moved forward, captured Pskov, Izborsk, founded Koporye, where they decided to strengthen themselves, making it their fortpost. Even summary The Laurentian Chronicle, which tells about those events, makes it clear that the successes of the Order were significant.

At the same time, the boyars, who had considerable power in Novgorod, became alarmed about Alexander’s victory. They were afraid of his increasing power. As a result, the prince left Novgorod after a major quarrel with them. But already in 1242, the boyars called him back with his squad because of the Teutonic threat, especially since the enemy was approaching the Novgorodians closely.

How did the battle take place?

So, the famous battle on Lake Peipsi The Battle of the Ice took place in 1242 on April 5th. Moreover, the battle was carefully prepared by the Russian prince. What makes it clear is the work of Konstantin Simonov dedicated to this event, which, although it cannot be called impeccable historical source In terms of authenticity, it's pretty well done.

In short, everything happened according to a certain pattern: the knights of the Order, in full heavy armor, acted as a typical wedge for themselves. Such a ramming attack was intended to demonstrate the full power of the enemy, sweep him away, sow panic and break resistance. Such tactics have repeatedly proven successful in the past. But Alexander Nevsky really prepared the Battle of the Ice in 1242 well. He studied the enemy’s weak points, so the archers were first waiting for the German “pig”; their main task was simply to lure out the knights. Which then came across heavily armed infantry with long pikes.

In fact, it was difficult to call what happened next anything other than a massacre. The knights could not stop, because otherwise the front ranks would be crushed by the back ones. It was not possible to break the wedge at all. Therefore, the horsemen could only move forward, hoping to break the infantry. But the central regiment was weak, but the strong ones were placed on the sides, contrary to the then established military tradition. In addition, another detachment was placed in an ambush. In addition, Alexander Nevsky perfectly studied the area where the Battle of the Ice took place, so his warriors were able to drive some of the knights to where the ice was very thin. As a result, many of them began to drown.

There is another important factor. He is also shown in “Alexander Nevsky,” a famous painting; maps and pictures also depict him. This is the stampede of the monster who was helping the Order when she realized that professional warriors were fighting against her. Speaking even briefly about the Battle of the Ice, one cannot help but note the excellent knowledge of the knights’ weapons and weak points. So, they were frankly helpless when they were pulled off their horses. And that is why the prince armed many of his soldiers with special hooks, which made it possible to throw the crusaders to the ground. At the same time, the battle that took place turned out to be very cruel to the horses. To deprive the horsemen of this advantage, many injured and killed the animals.

But what were the results of the Battle of the Ice for both sides? Alexander Nevsky managed to repel claims to Rus' from the west and strengthen the borders for centuries to come. Which was of particular importance given how much the Slavs suffered from invasions from the east. In addition, the first battle in history took place where infantrymen defeated heavily armed horsemen in full armor in battle, demonstrating to the whole world that this was quite possible. And although the Battle of the Ice is not on a very large scale, from this point of view Alexander Nevsky demonstrated good talent as a commander. As a prince, he acquired a certain weight, they began to reckon with him.

As for the Order itself, it cannot be said that the defeat in question was critical. But 400 knights died on Lake Peipus, and about 50 were captured. So for its age, the Battle of the Ice still caused quite serious damage to the German and Danish knighthood. And for that year, this was not the only problem of the Order, which also faced the Galicia-Volyn and Lithuanian principalities.

Reasons for winning the battle

Alexander Nevsky won a convincing victory in the Battle of the Ice. Moreover, he forced the Teutonic Order to sign a peace treaty on his own terms. In this agreement, he forever renounced any claims to Russian lands. Since we were talking about spiritual brotherhood, which was also subordinate to the Pope, the Order could not break such an agreement without problems for itself. That is, even speaking briefly about the results of the Battle of the Ice, including diplomatic ones, one cannot fail to note that they were impressive. But let's return to the analysis of the battle.

Reasons for victory:

1. Well chosen place. Alexander's soldiers were lighter armed. Therefore, thin ice did not pose such a danger for them as for knights clad in full armor, many of whom simply drowned. In addition, the Novgorodians knew these places better.
2. Successful tactics. Alexander Nevsky was in complete control of the situation. He not only correctly used the advantages of the place, but also studied the weak points in the usual style of fighting, which the Teutonic knights themselves repeatedly demonstrated, starting from the classic “pig” and ending with their dependence on horses and heavy weapons.
3. Underestimation of the Russians by the enemy. The Teutonic Order was accustomed to success. By this time, Pskov and other lands had already been captured, and the knights did not encounter any serious resistance. The largest of the conquered cities was taken thanks to betrayal.

The battle being discussed was of great cultural significance. In addition to Simonov's story, several films were made based on it, including documentaries. This event was covered in many books, both fiction and biographical, dedicated to the personality of Alexander Nevsky. Many consider it extremely important that the victory occurred during the onset of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

The Battle of the Ice occurred on April 5, 1242. The battle brought together the army of the Livonian Order and the army of North-Eastern Rus' - the Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal principalities.
The army of the Livonian Order was headed by the commander - the head of the administrative unit of the Order - Riga, Andreas von Velven, the former and future Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia (from 1240 to 1241 and from 1248 to 1253).
At the head of the Russian army was Prince Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky. Despite his youth, he was 21 years old at the time, he had already become famous as a successful commander and brave warrior. Two years earlier, in 1240, he defeated a Swedish army on the Neva River, for which he received his nickname.
This battle got its name, “Battle of the Ice,” from the location of this event – ​​the frozen Lake Peipsi. The ice at the beginning of April was strong enough to support a horse rider, so the two armies met on it.

Causes of the Battle of the Ice.

On the eve of the battle.

Progress of the Battle of the Ice.

Results of the Battle of the Ice.

In a fierce battle on Lake Peipsi on April 5, 1242, Novgorod warriors under the command of Prince Alexander Nevsky won a significant victory over the army of the Livonian Order. If we briefly say “Battle on the Ice,” then even a fourth grade student will understand what we are talking about. The battle under this name has a great historical meaning. That is why its date is one of the days of military glory.

At the end of 1237, the Pope proclaimed the 2nd Crusade in Finland. Taking advantage of this plausible pretext, in 1240 the Livonian Order captured Izborsk, and then Pskov. When a threat loomed over Novgorod in 1241, at the request of the city's residents, Prince Alexander led the defense of Russian lands from invaders. He led an army to the Koporye fortress and took it by storm.

In March next year his younger brother, Prince Andrei Yaroslavich, came to his aid from Suzdal with his retinue. By joint actions the princes recaptured Pskov from the enemy.

After this, the Novgorod army moved to the Dorpat bishopric, which was located on the territory of modern Estonia. Dorpat (now Tartu) was ruled by Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden, brother of the military leader of the order. The main forces of the crusaders were concentrated in the vicinity of the city. The German knights met with the vanguard of the Novgorodians and defeated them. They were forced to retreat to the frozen lake.

Formation of troops

The combined army of the Livonian Order, Danish knights and Chuds (Baltic-Finnish tribes) was built in the shape of a wedge. This formation is sometimes called a boar's head or pig's head. The calculation is made to break the enemy's battle formations and break into them.

Alexander Nevsky, assuming a similar formation of the enemy, chose a scheme for placing his main forces on the flanks. The correctness of this decision was shown by the outcome of the battle on Lake Peipus. The date April 5, 1242 is of crucial historical significance.

Progress of the battle

At sunrise, the German army under the command of Master Andreas von Felfen and Bishop Hermann von Buxhoeveden moved towards the enemy.

As can be seen from the battle diagram, the archers were the first to enter the battle with the crusaders. They fired at the enemies, who were well protected by armor, so under the pressure of the enemy the archers had to retreat. The Germans began to press the middle of the Russian army.

At this time, a regiment of the left and right hands attacked the crusaders from both flanks. The attack was unexpected for the enemy, his battle formations lost order, and confusion ensued. At this moment, Prince Alexander’s squad attacked the Germans from the rear. The enemy was now surrounded and began a retreat, which soon turned into a rout. Russian soldiers pursued those who fled for seven miles.

Losses of the parties

As with any military action, both sides suffered heavy losses. Information about them is quite contradictory - depending on the source:

• The Livonian rhymed chronicle mentions 20 knights killed and 6 captured;
• The Novgorod First Chronicle reports about 400 Germans killed and 50 prisoners, as well as large quantities those killed among the Chudi “and the Pade Chudi were beschisla”;
• The Chronicle of Grandmasters provides data on the fallen seventy knights of the “70 Lords of the Order”, “seuentich Ordens Herenn”, but this total number killed in the battle on Lake Peipus and during the liberation of Pskov.

Most likely, the Novgorod chronicler, in addition to the knights, also counted their warriors, which is why such large differences are observed in the chronicle: we're talking about about different people killed.

Data on the losses of the Russian army are also very vague. “Many brave warriors fell,” our sources say. The Livonian Chronicle says that for every German killed, 60 Russians were killed.

As a result of two historical victories of Prince Alexander (on the Neva over the Swedes in 1240 and on Lake Peipsi), the crusaders managed to prevent the seizure of the Novgorod and Pskov lands. In the summer of 1242, ambassadors from the Livonian department of the Teutonic Order arrived in Novgorod and signed a peace treaty in which they renounced encroachment on Russian lands.

The feature film “Alexander Nevsky” was created about these events in 1938. The Battle of the Ice went down in history as an example of military art. Russian Orthodox Church the brave prince was numbered among the saints.

For Russia, this event plays a big role in the matter patriotic education youth. At school they begin to study the topic of this fight in the 4th grade. Children will find out what year the Battle of the Ice took place, who they fought with, and mark on the map the place where the Crusaders were defeated.

In 7th grade, students are already working on this in more detail. historical event: draw tables, diagrams of battles with symbols, give messages and reports on this topic, write abstracts and essays, read the encyclopedia.

The significance of the battle on the lake can be judged by the way it is presented in different types arts:

According to the old calendar, the battle took place on April 5, and according to the new calendar, on April 18. On this date, the day of victory of the Russian soldiers of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the crusaders was legally established. However, the discrepancy of 13 days is valid only in the interval from 1900 to 2100. In the 13th century the difference would have been only 7 days. Therefore, the actual anniversary of the event falls on April 12. But as you know, this date was “staken out” by the astronauts.

According to Doctor of Historical Sciences Igor Danilevsky, the significance of the Battle of Lake Peipus is greatly exaggerated. Here are his arguments:

The well-known expert on medieval Rus', the Englishman John Fennel, and the German historian specializing in Eastern Europe, Dietmar Dahlmann. The latter wrote that the significance of this ordinary battle was inflated in order to form a national myth, in which Prince Alexander was appointed the defender of Orthodoxy and Russian lands.

The famous Russian historian V. O. Klyuchevsky in his scientific works did not even mention this battle, probably due to the insignificance of the event.

Data on the number of participants in the fight are also contradictory. Soviet historians believed that about 10-12 thousand people fought on the side of the Livonian Order and their allies, and the Novgorod army was about 15-17 thousand warriors.

Currently, most historians are inclined to believe that there were no more than sixty Livonian and Danish knights on the side of the order. Taking into account their squires and servants, this is approximately 600 - 700 people plus the Chud, the number of which is not available in the chronicles. According to many historians, there were no more than a thousand miracles, and there were about 2,500 - 3,000 Russian soldiers. There is another curious circumstance. Some researchers reported that Alexander Nevsky was helped in the Battle of Lake Peipus by Tatar troops sent by Batu Khan.

In 1164, a military clash took place near Ladoga. At the end of May, the Swedes sailed to the city on 55 ships and besieged the fortress. Less than a week later, the Novgorod prince Svyatoslav Rostislavich arrived with his army to help the Ladoga residents. He committed a real Ladoga massacre on uninvited guests. According to the testimony of the First Novgorod Chronicle, the enemy was defeated and put to flight. It was a real rout. The winners captured 43 ships out of 55 and many prisoners.

For comparison: in famous battle On the Neva River in 1240, Prince Alexander took neither prisoners nor enemy ships. The Swedes buried the dead, grabbed the stolen goods and went home, but now this event is forever associated with the name of Alexander.

Some researchers question the fact that the battle took place on ice. It is also considered speculation that during the flight the crusaders fell through the ice. In the first edition of the Novgorod Chronicle and in the Livonian Chronicle, nothing is written about this. This version is also supported by the fact that at the bottom of the lake at the supposed site of the battle, nothing was found confirming the “under-ice” version.

In addition, it is unknown where exactly the Battle of the Ice took place. You can read about this briefly and in detail in various sources. According to the official point of view, the battle took place on the western shore of Cape Sigovets in the southeastern part of Lake Peipsi. This place was determined based on the results of a scientific expedition of 1958−59 led by G.N. Karaev. At the same time, it should be noted that no archaeological finds were found that clearly confirm the scientists’ conclusions.

There are other points of view about the location of the battle. In the eighties of the twentieth century, an expedition led by I.E. Koltsov also explored the supposed site of the battle using dowsing methods. The supposed burial places of fallen soldiers were marked on the map. Based on the results of the expedition, Koltsov put forward the version that the main battle took place between the villages of Kobylye Gorodishche, Samolva, Tabory and the Zhelcha River.

By the middle of the 13th century, with the active participation of Catholic Rome, an agreement was reached between the three feudal-Catholic forces of northeastern Europe - the German crusaders, Danes and Swedes - to jointly act against Novgorod Rus' in order to conquer the northwestern Russian lands and introduce Catholicism there . According to the papal curia, after the invasion of the troops of the Mongol Empire, bloodless and plundered Rus' could not offer any resistance. The German and Danish knights were supposed to strike Novgorod from land from the Livonian possessions, and the Swedes were going to support them from the sea through the Gulf of Finland.

In 1240, the Swedes were the first to invade Rus', intending to seize the Novgorod lands and capture Prince Alexander Yaroslavich. In July, the invaders who landed on the Neva River were defeated by the squad of the Novgorod prince and the Novgorod militia. Only a small part of the Swedes were able to escape on ships, leaving a large number of dead on the banks of the Neva. For the victory in the Battle of Neva, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname “Nevsky”.

At the end of August - beginning of September 1240, the Pskov land was invaded by the crusaders of the Livonian Order, which was formed as a result of the merger of the remnants of the Order of the Sword and part of the Teutonic Order in 1237 in the Eastern Baltic on the territory inhabited by the Livonian and Estonian tribes (on Latvian and Estonian lands) .

After a short siege, German knights captured the city of Izborsk. Then they besieged Pskov and, with the assistance of the traitor boyars, soon occupied it too. After this, the crusaders invaded Novgorod land, captured the coast of the Gulf of Finland and built their own on the site of the ancient Russian fortress of Koporye. Having not reached Novgorod 40 kilometers, the knights began plundering its surroundings.

In the face of the impending danger, the Novgorodians began to prepare to fight back. At the request of the veche, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky again arrived in Novgorod, having left him in the winter of 1240 after a quarrel with part of the Novgorod boyars.

In 1241, he gathered an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Izhora and Karelians and, secretly making a quick transition to Koporye, took this strong fortress by storm. As a result, trade routes were freed and the danger of joint actions between the Germans and the Swedes was eliminated. By capturing Koporye, Alexander Nevsky secured the northwestern borders of the Novgorod lands, secured his rear and northern flank for further struggle against the German crusaders.

At the call of Alexander Nevsky, troops from Vladimir and Suzdal under the command of his brother Prince Andrei arrived to help the Novgorodians. The united Novgorod-Vladimir army in the winter of 1241-1242 undertook a campaign in the Pskov land and, cutting off all roads from Livonia to Pskov, took this city, as well as Izborsk, by storm.

After this, both warring parties began to prepare for the decisive battle and announced a new gathering of troops. The Russian army gathered in liberated Pskov, and the Teutonic and Livonian knighthood - in Dorpat (now Tartu).

In the spring of 1242, the army of the Crusaders, consisting of knightly cavalry and infantry from the Livs, conquered by the Order of the Chuds and other peoples (12 thousand people), moved to Rus'. Near the village of Hammast, a Russian patrol discovered a large Teutonic army. The patrol was defeated in the battle, and the survivors reported the approach of the crusaders. The Russian army retreated to the east. Alexander Nevsky occupied with his regiments the narrow strait between Lakes Peipus and Pskov and forced a battle on the enemy in the place he had chosen, which covered the routes to Veliky Novgorod and Pskov.

The ice battle took place near Voronie Island, adjacent to the eastern shore of the narrow southern part of Lake Peipsi. The chosen position took into account to the maximum extent all the favorable geographical features of the area and placed them at the service of the Russian army. Behind the back of the Novgorod army there was a bank overgrown with dense forest with steep slopes, which excluded the possibility of maneuver.

The right flank was protected by a zone of water called Sigovica. Here, due to some features of the flow and large number keys, the ice was very fragile. The left flank was protected by a high coastal cape, from where a wide panorama opened up to the opposite shore.

Alexander Nevsky, skillfully using the terrain and the numerical advantage of his troops (15-17 thousand people), taking into account the nature of the enemy’s actions (an offensive with an armored “wedge”, called a “pig” in Russia), concentrated 2/3 of his forces on the flanks (regiments of the right and left hands) in order to envelop the enemy from both sides and inflict a decisive defeat on him. At the same time, he increased the depth of the battle formation.

Ahead of the main forces was placed an advanced regiment, reinforced with archers. The third line consisted of cavalry, part of which was in reserve (princely squad).

At dawn on April 5, 1242, the crusaders approached the Russian position at a slow trot on the ice of the lake. They advanced in a “wedge”, at the tip of which was the main group of knights, some of them covered the flanks and rear of the “wedge”, in the center of which the infantry was located. The Germans' plan was to crush and defeat a large Russian regiment and then the flanking regiments with the blow of a powerful armored "wedge".

Having fired arrows at the crusaders, the archers retreated behind the flanks of the leading regiment. The knights immediately attacked the leading Russian regiment and, after a fierce battle, crushed it. Developing their success, they broke through the center of the Russian army, came out to the steep shore of the lake and huddled in front of an obstacle that suddenly appeared in front of them. At this moment, the regiments of the left and right arm of the Russians, reinforced by cavalry, struck the enemy’s flanks, overturned them and squeezed the “wedge” that had lost its striking power, not giving it the opportunity to turn around.

Under the onslaught of Russian regiments, the knights mixed their ranks and, having lost freedom of maneuver, were forced to defend themselves. A brutal battle ensued. Russian infantrymen pulled the knights off their horses with hooks and chopped them down with axes. Hemmed in on all sides in a limited space, the crusaders fought desperately. But their resistance gradually weakened, it became disorganized, and the battle broke up into separate centers. Where they accumulated large groups knights, the ice could not withstand their weight and broke. Many knights drowned.

The Russian cavalry pursued the defeated enemy for over seven kilometers, to the opposite shore of Lake Peipsi.

The army of the Livonian Order suffered complete defeat and suffered huge losses for those times: up to 450 knights died and 50 were captured. Several thousand infantrymen were killed.

According to the peace treaty concluded a few months later, the order renounced all claims to Russian lands and returned the territories captured earlier. The victory in the Battle of the Ice thwarted the advance of the Livonian knights to the east and secured the western borders of Rus'.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

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The Russian army is rightfully considered one of the strongest and most combat-ready in history. Evidence of this is the many brilliant victories won by Russian soldiers in battles with opponents that were superior to them.

1. Defeat of the Khazar Kaganate (965)

The fall of Khazaria was the inevitable result of the weakening of its political and military power in the confrontation with Russia. However, by the time of the eastern campaign Prince of Kyiv Svyatoslav's Khazar Khaganate still remained a strong rival.
The Russian chronicler reports:

“In the summer of 6473 (965) Svyatoslav went against the Khazars. Having heard it, the Khazars came out to meet him with their prince Kagan and agreed to fight, and in the battle Svyatoslav defeated the Khazars.”

According to one version, Svyatoslav first took the capital of the Kaganate Itil, and then captured Sarkel, which predetermined the final victory.

2. Battle of the Neva (1240)

In the summer of 1240, the Swedes and their allies landed at the place where Izhora flows into the Neva. A small detachment of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich advanced towards them. According to legend, the prince inspired the squad with a phrase that later became “winged”: “Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!”

Historians believe that in the balance of forces the advantage was on the side of the Swedes - 5 thousand versus 1.4 thousand. However, unable to withstand the powerful and selfless onslaught of the Russian army, the Swedes fled. For his victory and courage, Alexander received the nickname “Nevsky”.

3. Battle of the Ice (1242)

The second famous victory of Alexander Nevsky was won over the knights of the Livonian Order in April 1242 on the ice of Lake Peipsi. This time, together with the Novgorodians, Vladimir squads also took part in the battle.
The outcome of the battle was determined by the competent tactics of the Russian troops. They surrounded the German formations on the flanks and forced them to retreat. Historians estimate the number of sides at 15-17 thousand Russians and 10-12 thousand Livonians with mercenaries. In this battle, the knights lost 400 killed and 50 captured.

4. Battle of Kulikovo (1380)

The battle on the Kulikovo Field summed up the long-term confrontation between Rus' and the Horde. The day before, Mamai entered into a confrontation with the Moscow Grand Duke Dmitry, who refused to increase the tribute paid to the Horde. This prompted the khan to take military action.
Dmitry managed to assemble an impressive army, consisting of Moscow, Serpukhov, Belozersk, Yaroslavl and Rostov regiments. According to various estimates, on September 8, 1380, from 40 to 70 thousand Russians and from 90 to 150 thousand Horde troops fought in the decisive battle. The victory of Dmitry Donskoy significantly weakened Golden Horde, which predetermined its further collapse.

5. Battle of Molodi (1572)

In 1571, the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, during a raid on Moscow, burned the Russian capital, but was unable to enter it. A year later, having received the support of the Ottoman Empire, he organized a new campaign against Moscow. However, this time the Crimean-Turkish army was forced to stop 40 kilometers south of the capital, near the village of Molodi.
According to the chronicles, Devlet Giray brought with him an army of 120 thousand. However, historians insist on the figure of 60 thousand. One way or another, the Crimean-Turkish forces significantly outnumbered the Russian army, whose number did not exceed 20 thousand people. Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky managed to lure the enemy into a trap and defeat him with a sudden strike from the reserve.

6. Battle of Moscow (1612)

The decisive episode of the Time of Troubles was the battle between the forces of the Second Militia, led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, with the army of Hetman Khodkiewicz, who was trying to release the Polish-Lithuanian garrison locked in the Kremlin.
During the first hours of the battle that unfolded in the Zamoskvorechye area, the Polish-Lithuanian detachments, which outnumbered the Russians (12 thousand versus 8 thousand), intensively pressed them. But, as the chronicles write, the Russian commanders took advantage of the short respite and managed to restore the morale of the troops.
The counter-offensive of the militia eventually brought chaos to the camp of Jan Chodkiewicz and put the enemy to flight.

“The hope of taking possession of the entire Moscow state collapsed irrevocably,” notes the Polish chronicler.

7. Battle of Poltava (1709)

In the autumn of 1708, instead of marching on Moscow, the Swedish king Charles XII turned south to wait out the winter and move towards the capital with renewed vigor. However, without waiting for reinforcements from Stanislav Leszczynski. Having been refused help from the Turkish Sultan, he decided to give a general battle to the Russian army near Poltava.
Not all assembled forces took part in the battle. By various reasons On the Swedish side, out of 37 thousand, no more than 17 thousand people entered the battle, on the Russian side, out of 60 thousand, about 34 thousand fought. The victory achieved by Russian troops on June 27, 1709 under the command of Peter I, brought a turning point in Northern War. Soon the end of Swedish domination in the Baltic was put to an end.

8. Battle of Chesma (1770)

The naval battle in Chesme Bay took place at the height of the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. The Russian fleet under the command of Alexei Orlov, having discovered Turkish ships in the roadstead, was the first to decide to attack the enemy.

Despite the fact that the Russian fleet was significantly inferior to the Turkish one (ratio of ships: 30/73), it quickly secured a strategic advantage.
First, they managed to set fire to the flagship of the Turkish squadron, Burj u Zafer, and this was followed by a general fire of the enemy fleet. From 3 a.m. to 9 a.m., more than fifty Turkish ships burned. The victory allowed Russia to seriously disrupt Turkish communications in the Aegean Sea and ensure a blockade of the Dardanelles.

9. Battle of Kozludzhi (1774)

Battle of Kozludzhi

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Russia achieved another important victory. The Russian army under the command of Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky near the city of Kozludzha (now Suvorovo in Bulgaria), being in a disadvantageous position and inferior in numbers to Turkish troops (24 thousand versus 40 thousand), was able to achieve a positive result.
The action of the Russian troops was seriously hampered by the wooded area, which hid the Turkish forces and made it difficult to use artillery. However, during an 8-hour battle in intense heat, Suvorov managed to knock the Turks off the hill and put them to flight without even resorting to a bayonet attack. This victory largely predetermined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war and forced Ottoman Empire sign a peace treaty.

10. Capture of Ishmael (1790)

The capture of the stronghold - the Turkish fortress of Izmail - fully revealed the military genius of Suvorov. Previously, Ishmael did not submit to either Nikolai Repnin, Ivan Gudovich, or Grigory Potemkin. All hopes were now pinned on Alexander Suvorov.

The commander spent six days preparing for the siege of Izmail, working with his troops to take a wooden model of the high fortress walls. On the eve of the assault, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to Aidozle-Mehmet Pasha:

“I arrived here with the troops. Twenty-four hours to think - and will. My first shot is already captivity. Assault is death."

“It’s more likely that the Danube will flow backwards and the sky will fall to the ground than Ishmael will surrender,” answered the pasha.

The Danube did not change its course, but in less than 12 hours the defenders were thrown off the fortress tops, and the city was taken. Thanks to a skillful siege, out of 31 thousand soldiers, the Russians lost a little more than 2 thousand, the Turks lost 26 thousand out of 35 thousand.

11. Battle of Cape Tendra (1790).

The commander of the Turkish squadron, Hasan Pasha, managed to convince the Sultan of the imminent defeat of the Russian navy, and at the end of August 1790 he moved the main forces to Cape Tendra (not far from modern Odessa). However, for the anchored Turkish fleet, the rapid approach of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov was an unpleasant surprise.
Despite the superiority in the number of ships (45 versus 37), the Turkish fleet tried to flee. However, by that time, Russian ships had already attacked the front line of the Turks. Ushakov managed to remove all the flagship ships of the Turkish fleet from the battle and thereby demoralize the rest of the enemy squadron.

The Russian fleet did not lose a single ship.

12. Battle of Borodino (1812)

Painting by Louis Lejeune "Battle of Borodino"

On August 26, 1812, significant forces of the French and Russian armies clashed in the battle near the village of Borodino, 125 kilometers west of Moscow. The regular troops under the command of Napoleon numbered about 137 thousand people, the army of Mikhail Kutuzov with the Cossacks and militia that joined it reached 120 thousand.
The outcome of the Battle of Borodino is debatable. However, most historians agree that neither side achieved a decisive advantage. The Battle of Borodino became the bloodiest in the history of one-day battles. The Russians, according to various estimates, lost from 40 to 46 thousand people, the French - from 30 to 40 thousand. Napoleon’s army, which left about 25% of its strength on the Borodino field, largely lost its combat effectiveness.

13. Battle of Elisavetpol (1826)

One of the key episodes of the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828 was the battle near Elisavetpol (now the Azerbaijani city of Ganja). The victory then achieved by Russian troops under the command of Ivan Paskevich over the Persian army of Abbas Mirza became an example of military leadership.
Paskevich managed to use the confusion of the Persians who had fallen into the ravine to launch a counterattack. Despite the superior enemy forces (35 thousand against 10 thousand), the Russian regiments began to push back Abbas Mirza’s army along the entire front of the attack. The losses of the Russian side amounted to 46 killed, the Persians were missing 2,000 people.

14. Capture of Erivan (1827)

"The Capture of the Erivan Fortress by Russian Troops", F. Roubaud

The fall of the fortified city of Erivan was the culmination of numerous Russian attempts to establish control over the Transcaucasus. Built in the middle of the 16th century, the fortress was considered impregnable and more than once became a stumbling block for the Russian army.
Ivan Paskevich managed to competently besiege the city from three sides, placing cannons along the entire perimeter. “The Russian artillery acted wonderfully,” recalled the Armenians remaining in the fortress. Paskevich knew exactly where the Persian positions were located. On the eighth day of the siege, Russian soldiers burst into the city and dealt with the fortress garrison with bayonets.

15. Battle of Sarykamysh (1914)

By December 1914, during the First World War, Russia occupied a 350 km front from the Black Sea to Lake Van, while a significant part of the Caucasian Army was pushed forward - deep into Turkish territory. Turkey came up with a tempting plan to outflank the Russian forces, thereby cutting off railway Sarykamysh-Kars.

On December 12, Turkish troops performing a flanking maneuver occupied Bardus and advanced to Sarykamysh. The unusually frosty weather helped the Russian defenders of the city, led by General Nikolai Przhevalsky, withstand the onslaught of superior enemy forces, push back the Turkish units with the approach of the reserve and encircle them. The Turkish army near Sarykamysh lost 60 thousand people.

16. Brusilovsky breakthrough (1916)

The offensive operation of the Southwestern Front under the command of General Alexei Brusilov, carried out from May to September 1916, became, according to military historian Anton Kersnovsky, “a victory like world war We haven’t won yet.” The number of forces that were involved on both sides is also impressive - 1,732,000 Russian soldiers and 1,061,000 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian and German armies.
The Brusilov breakthrough, thanks to which Bukovina and Eastern Galicia were occupied, became a turning point in the First World War. Germany and Austria-Hungary, having lost a significant part of the army, repelling the Russian offensive operation, eventually gave up the strategic initiative to the Entente.

17. Battle for Moscow (1941-1942)

The long and bloody defense of Moscow, which began in September 1941, moved into the offensive phase on December 5, ending on April 20, 1942. Near Moscow, Soviet troops inflicted the first painful defeat on Germany, thereby thwarting the plans of the German command to capture the capital before the onset of cold weather.
The length of the front of the Moscow operation, which unfolded from Kalyazin in the north to Ryazhsk in the south, exceeded 2 thousand km. More than 2.8 million military personnel, 21 thousand mortars and guns, 2 thousand tanks and 1.6 thousand aircraft took part in the operation on both sides.
German General Gunther Blumentritt recalled:

“Now it was important for German political leaders to understand that the days of the blitzkrieg were a thing of the past. We were confronted by an army whose fighting qualities were far superior to all other armies we had ever encountered.”

18. Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)

Battle of Stalingrad considered the largest land battle in human history. The total losses of both sides, according to rough estimates, exceed 2 million people, about 100 thousand German soldiers were captured. For the Axis countries, the defeat at Stalingrad turned out to be decisive, after which Germany was no longer able to restore its strength.
The French writer Jean-Richard Bloch rejoiced in those victorious days: “Listen, Parisians! The first three divisions that invaded Paris in June 1940, the three divisions that, at the invitation of the French General Denz, desecrated our capital, these three divisions - the hundredth, one hundred and thirteenth and two hundred and ninety-fifth - no longer exist! They were destroyed at Stalingrad: the Russians avenged Paris!”

20. Capture of Berlin (1945)

Soviet artillery on the approaches to Berlin, April 1945.

The storming of Berlin became the final part of the Berlin War offensive operation lasting 23 days. Soviet troops were forced to capture the German capital alone due to the Allies’ refusal to participate in this operation. Stubborn and bloody battles claimed the lives of at least 100 thousand Soviet soldiers.

“It is unthinkable that such a huge fortified city could be taken so quickly. We know of no other such examples in the history of World War II,” wrote historian Alexander Orlov.

The result of the capture of Berlin was the exit Soviet troops to the Elbe River, where their famous meeting with the allies took place.