The legendary Russian commander Alexander Nevsky earned himself military glory in several battles, which will be discussed in this article. A whole literary story was written about his life and deeds, and he was also honored to be canonized by the church after his death. The name of this man inspired many generations that lived several centuries later. It can be assumed that the talent of the commander was also transferred to Prince Dmitry Donskoy, whose great-grandfather was Alexander Nevsky. The Battle of Kulikovo, where his great-grandson won a brilliant victory, was the first serious defeat of the Tatar-Mongolian troops and the complete defeat of the hordes of Mamai.

background

The exact date of birth of Alexander Yaroslavich, whom the people later called Nevsky, is still unknown. According to one version, he was born in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky in May, and according to another, in November 1220. He was the second son of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, who was the great-grandson of Monomakh. Almost all of Alexander's childhood and youth were spent in Novgorod.

In 1225, Prince Yaroslav performed a rite of princely tonsure, or initiation into soldiers, over his sons. After that, Alexander and his older brother were left by their father in Veliky Novgorod, while he himself left for Pereyaslavl-Zalessky on urgent business. His children were placed in a great reign, which took place under the supervision of trusted boyars, headed by Fyodor Danilovich.

In 1233, an unforeseen event occurred. The eldest son of Prince Yaroslav, Fedor, died. Soon, Alexander's first military campaign against Derpt, which at that time was in the hands of the Livonians, took place. The march, led by his father, ended with the victory of Russian arms on the Omovzha River.

3 years after the death of his eldest son, Yaroslav left to rule in Kyiv, the capital of all Russia. It was from this moment that Alexander became a full-fledged Novgorod prince. At the beginning of his reign, he was exclusively engaged in strengthening his city. In 1239, his father married him to the daughter of Bryachislav, the prince of Polotsk, and the very next year, Alexander had his first child, who was named Vasily.

Reasons for the attack

It must be said that the Pskov and Novgorod lands were practically free from the Tatar-Mongol rule. Therefore, they were famous for their wealth: fur-bearing animals were found in abundance in the forests, merchants were extremely enterprising, and artisans were known as great craftsmen. It is not surprising that greedy neighbors encroached on these territories all the time: Lithuania, Swedish feudal lords and German crusader knights. The latter constantly went on military campaigns either to the Promised Land or to Palestine.

Gregory IX, the then Pope, blessed the European knights for the war against the pagans, which, in their opinion, included the inhabitants of Novgorod and Pskov lands. He in advance released to the soldiers all the sins they committed during the campaigns.

Enemy Plans

The first battle of Alexander Nevsky as a commander took place in 1240. Then he was only 20 years old. It should be noted that the Swedes began to prepare for the war 2 years before it began. They were the first to attempt to conquer Russian lands. To do this, in 1238, the King of Sweden, Erich Burr, enlisted the support and blessing of the Pope to start a Crusade against the Novgorod Principality. And according to the established tradition, those who take part in hostilities were guaranteed the remission of all sins.

A year later, the Germans and the Swedes were conducting intensive negotiations regarding the offensive plan. It was decided that the first would go to Novgorod through Pskov and Izborsk, and the second, who had already captured Finland, would pull up from the north, from the side of the Neva River. The Swedish soldiers were commanded by the king's son-in-law Jarl (prince) Birger, who later founded Stockholm, and Ulf Fasi. In addition, the crusaders were also going to convert the Novgorodians to the Catholic faith, and this was considered more terrible than the Mongol yoke. Alexander Nevsky also knew about these plans. The Battle of the Neva was thus a foregone conclusion.

Offensive

Summer 1240. Birger's ships appeared on the Neva and stopped at the mouth of the Izhora River. His army consisted not only of the Swedes. It also included Norwegians and representatives of Finnish tribes. In addition, the conquerors took with them Catholic bishops, who carried a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Birger intended to get to Ladoga, and from there to go down to Novgorod.

The Swedes with their allies landed on the shore and set up camp in the area where the Izhora flows into the Neva. After that, Birger sent a message to the Novgorod prince that he was declaring war on him. It so happened that Alexander Yaroslavich found out about the arrival of the Swedes before this message was delivered to him. He decides to suddenly attack the enemy. There was no time to gather a large army, so the prince set out against the enemy with his army, replenishing it a little with Novgorod volunteers. But before going on a campaign, he, according to an old custom, visited St. Sophia Cathedral, where he received a blessing from Vladyka Spiridon.

Birger was completely confident in his military superiority and did not even suspect that he might be subjected to a surprise attack, so the Swedes' camp was not guarded. On the morning of July 15, he was attacked by the Russian army. It was commanded by Alexander Nevsky himself. The battle on the Neva, which began so suddenly, took Birger by surprise. He did not even have time to line up his army for battle and put up organized resistance.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes

Immediately, the Russian troops, using the element of surprise, began to push the enemy back to the river. Meanwhile, the foot militias cut the bridges that connected the Swedish ships to the shore. They even managed to capture and destroy several enemy ships.

I must say that the Russian troops fought selflessly. According to the chronicle, Prince Alexander himself laid down countless Swedes. The Battle of the Neva showed that the Russian warriors were strong and very brave warriors. Numerous facts testify to this. For example, Novgorodian Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only one ax in his hands, boldly rushed into the midst of enemies, while mowing them left and right. Another of his compatriots - Gavrilo Oleksich - drove Birger himself to the ship, but he was thrown into the water. He again rushed into battle. This time he managed to kill the bishop, as well as one of the noble Swedes.

Results of the battle

During the battle, Novgorod volunteers sank Swedish ships. The surviving remnants of the troops, led by Birger, fled on the surviving ships. The losses of the Russians were very insignificant - only 20 people. The Swedes, after this battle, loaded three ships with the bodies of only one of the nobles, and left the rest on the shore.

The victory won during the battle showed everyone that the Russian army had not lost its former prowess and would be able to adequately defend its land from the attacks of an external enemy. Success in this battle also contributed to the increase in military authority, which Alexander Nevsky earned himself. The Battle of the Neva was also of great political importance. The plans of the German and Swedish conquerors at this stage were thwarted.

Battle of Alexander Nevsky - Battle on the Ice

The knights of the Livonian Order invaded Russian lands in the summer of that year. They approached the walls of Izborsk and stormed the city. After that, they crossed the Velikaya River and set up camp right under the walls of the Pskov Kremlin. For a whole week they besieged the city, but it did not come to an assault: the inhabitants themselves surrendered it. After that, the knights took hostages and left their garrison there. But the appetites of the Germans grew, and they were not going to stop there. The crusaders gradually approached Novgorod.

Prince Alexander gathered an army and in March 1242 again went on a campaign. Soon he was already near Pskov, along with his brother Andrei Yaroslavich and his Suzdal squad. They surrounded the city and captured the knight's garrison. The prince of Novgorod decided to transfer military operations to the territory of the enemy. In response to this, the Order gathered a large army, which included almost all of its knights and bishops, as well as Swedish soldiers.

The two warring parties met on April 5 of the same year near Lake Peipus. The Germans chose an unfortunate position for the attack. In addition, they expected that the Russian troops would be deployed in the usual manner, but for the first time Alexander Nevsky decided to break such a stereotype. The battle on the lake ended with the complete victory of the Russians and the encirclement of the Germans. Those who managed to break out of the ring ran across the ice, and on the opposite shore they fell under it, as the soldiers were wearing heavy knightly armor.

Effects

The result of this battle is the conclusion of a peace treaty between the Order and the Novgorod principality. The Germans were forced to return all previously conquered territories. In addition, the battle of Alexander Nevsky with the troops of the crusaders on Lake Peipsi was unique in its own way. For the first time in the history of military art, troops, consisting by and large of one infantry, managed to defeat the heavy knightly cavalry.

Canonization and veneration

In November 1283, returning from the Golden Horde, Prince Alexander suddenly fell ill and soon died within the walls of the Gorodetsky Monastery. But before that, he managed to accept the monastic schema under the name of Alexy. His remains were to be transported to Vladimir. The journey from the monastery to the city lasted 9 days, during which the body remained incorrupt.

The merits of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich were appreciated. The Russian Orthodox Church canonized him in 1547. And under Catherine I, they established the Order of Alexander Nevsky - one of the highest awards in Russia.

The battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedish conquerors, and then with the knights of the Livonian Order, made it possible to preserve not only the cultural heritage of Russia, but also the Orthodox faith, preventing the Catholic Church, headed by the Pope, from being planted on this land.

Battle of the Neva (July 15, 1240) - a battle on the Neva River between the Novgorod army under the command of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich and the Swedish detachment. Alexander Yaroslavich received the honorary nickname "Nevsky" for his victory and personal courage in battle.

On December 9, 1237, Pope Gregory IX announced a crusade against pagan Finns and Russians. In the name of the Almighty, the Pope promised forgiveness of sins to all participants in the campaign, and eternal bliss to those who fell in battle. Preparations continued for more than two years.

The Swedish feudal lords sought to capture Novgorod, cut Russia off from the sea, take possession of the river routes that connected the Baltic Sea with the Russian land. The most important such water artery was the route along the Neva and Volkhov rivers. With the capture of the river routes, all trade between Eastern Europe and the West would have passed into the hands of Sweden. Near the mouth of the Volkhov, along which the waterway from Novgorod to the Baltic Sea passed, the oldest Russian city, Ladoga, was located. It was an important trading and storage point. Novgorodians built a fortress here. It was, as it were, a castle to Novgorod, covering it from the side of the Swedes.

For a campaign against Russia, very significant forces were assembled, the entire "flower" of the chivalry of Sweden. Since the campaign was considered a "crusade", in addition to large feudal lords and their troops, bishops and their knights also took part in it. To fully ensure success, the Swedes also recruited numerous detachments from the Finnish tribes subordinate to them and Norwegian knights. The crusade against Orthodoxy was led by Sweden's most powerful feudal lord, Jarl (Duke) Birger. Having gathered a lot of troops, as if against the Turks in the Holy Land, with the singing of sacred psalms, with a cross in front, the militia boarded the ships. The passage across the Baltic Sea to the mouth of the Neva was completed quite successfully, and the enemy fleet proudly entered its waters.

crusaders

Hoping for a large army, the Swedish Jarl Birger hoped first of all to attack Ladoga and, standing here with a firm foot, hit Novgorod. The conquest of the Novgorod land and the conversion of Russians to Latinism was the end goal of the trip. The performance of the Swedish crusaders, no doubt, was coordinated with the actions of the Livonian knights, when in 1240, contrary to their usual practice, not in winter, but in summer, they launched an attack on Izborsk and Pskov. As a result, in the summer of 1240, Novgorod was attacked from two directions: the German knights invaded from the southwest, and the Swedes pressed in from the north.

At that time, a young, 19-year-old prince Alexander Yaroslavich ruled in Novgorod ...

Sharabarov A.V. Alexander Nevskiy. Road to the future

The moment for the invasion was chosen well for the invaders: Russia lay in ruins after the terrible invasion of the Mongol-Tatars and experienced difficult times. Russia was fragmented into a number of principalities. On a vast stretch from Kyiv to Vladimir, many cities and villages were destroyed, a significant part of the population was exterminated or taken prisoner. The remaining inhabitants hid in the forests. Only the northwestern outskirts of Russia - the Novgorod land, to which the hordes of Batu did not reach - escaped general ruin. If, following the defeat of the northeastern and southern Russian principalities by the Mongols, Pskov and Novgorod fell under the blows of the Swedes and Germans, this would mean the end of the existence of the Russian land.

But Alexander Yaroslavich did not waste time either. From the very beginning of his reign, he built defensive lines. For three years, a line of fortifications was built along the Shelon River, which covered Novgorod from the invasion of the troops of the Teutonic Order.

In the north, things were much worse: there was only one powerful fortress - Ladoga. But this was not enough - the enemy could simply bypass this fortress. But the prince had neither the strength nor the time to build new fortifications, so he sharply increased the sentinel service in the lower reaches of the Neva, imputing the elders of the Izhora tribe to constantly watch the sea. A system for transmitting important messages to Novgorod was also established. However, the beginning of the Swedish invasion was an unpleasant surprise for the prince.

In the first half of July 1240, patrols noticed a fleet moving along the bay. Approaching the mouth of the Neva, he lined up in an endless succession and began to be drawn into the Neva fairway.

Swedish Navy

At the same time, the patrol sent a messenger to Novgorod. The journey from the Neva to Novgorod took the rider a whole day, but by nightfall in Novgorod they knew about the invasion. Young and impulsive Alexander began to act immediately.

Having landed at the mouth of the Neva, Jarl Birger sent a letter to the young prince: "Resist if you can, but I'm already here and I'll take your land captive."

The Russian detachment was far inferior to the Swedes not only in numbers, but also in armament. The warriors still had horses, swords, shields and armor, but most of the volunteers were armed only with axes and horns. 19-year-old Alexander Yaroslavich did not long grieve over the small number of his squad. According to the accepted custom, the soldiers gathered at the Hagia Sophia in Novgorod and received a blessing from Archbishop Spiridon. After that, Alexander turned to his squad with words that became winged: "Brothers! God is not in power, but in truth!" The holy inspiration of the prince was transferred to the people and the army, everyone had confidence in the triumph of a just cause.

Coming out of Novgorod, the army moved to Izhora. We walked along the Volkhov and Ladoga. A detachment of Ladoga joined here, then the Izhorians joined. By the morning of July 15, the entire army, having overcome 150 km of the path, approached the landing site of the Swedes.

Alexander needed a sudden blow, a double blow along the Neva and Izhora, according to the prince's plan, was to corner the most important part of the enemy army formed by these rivers and at the same time cut off the knights' retreat and deprive them of their ships.

The battle began at eleven o'clock in the morning, having lined up from marching to battle formation, the Russian army suddenly attacked the enemy from the riverine forest. The entry of regiments into battle was not a chaotic attack. Knowing in detail the location of the Swedish camp, Alexander developed a clear battle plan. His main idea was to combine the main attack on the knightly part of the Swedish army located on the shore with cutting off the rest of the forces remaining on the ships. Following this plan, the main forces of the Russians - the squad cavalry - hit the center of the Swedish camp, where his command and the best part of the crusading chivalry were located.

Soon the prince of Novgorod found himself in the very heart of the battle, not far from the golden-domed tent, in which the earl and the prince rested that night. Here, surrounded by several dense rings of bodyguards, they retreated, fighting off the Novgorodians, towards the royal ship. During the battle, foot and horse ratis, having united, must throw the enemy into the water. It was then that the famous duel between Prince Alexander and Jarl Birger took place.

The jarl rushed with a sword raised, the prince with a spear put forward. Birger was sure that the spear would either break against his armor or slide to the side. But the sword - he will not give out. But Alexander, at full gallop, hit the Swede in the bridge under the visor of the helmet, the visor fell back and the spear sank deep into the jarl's cheek. The slain knight fell into the arms of his squires.

Sbyslav Yakunovich from Novgorod also fought not far from Alexander. His strength and courage amazed many in Novgorod. And in this battle he proved himself a fearless fighter. Sbyslav did not have a spear or a sword. In his strong hand, a powerful battle ax sparkled, and he chopped right and left with it, crushing the pressing enemies. Shields cracked and broke from powerful blows, battle helmets cracked, swords knocked out of hands fell to the ground ... Through a mean chronicle line, the bright character of this warrior emerges: "Si also ran over many times, beating with a single ax, having no fear in his heart. And falling a little from his hand, and marveling at his strength and courage."

Along the Neva, Novgorod pawns cut bridges, repulsing the Swedes both from land and from water, capturing and drowning enemy augers. The left wing, headed by Yakov Polochanin, captured the horses and cut through almost to the mouth of the Izhora. And in the center of the camp there was a difficult battle, here the Swedes fought to the death.

The Swedish army was dismembered by a sudden attack into several large and small units, which the Novgorodians destroyed, pressing one by one to the shore. Panic gripped the Swedes. And then suddenly the jarl's golden-domed tent collapsed! This young Novgorodian Sava, having scattered the Swedes, burst into it and cut down the tent pillar in a few blows. The fall of the Swedish tent was greeted by the entire Novgorod army with a victory cry. There is a separate, albeit brief, story about this in the annals: “The fifth of his young, named Sava. These, having run over a great and golden-domed tent, cut down the tent pillar.

Soon, the Russians along the entire length of the camp went to the Neva, the Swedes pressed to the water were finished off one at a time, some started swimming, but quickly drowned in heavy armor. Several groups of Swedes managed to reach the ships. Throwing the gangway into the sea, ignoring the wounded who called for help, they pushed off from the banks of the Izhora, rushed to the middle of this small river, and then to the wide expanse of the Neva. But not everyone managed to get through to the augers. Those lagging behind, and there were many of them, rushed into the river, swam across it and rushed into the forest, hoping to hide there. But few succeeded. On the left bank of the Izhora, where Alexander's regiment did not pass, detachments of Izhora warriors were operating, completing the rout of the invaders' troops.

The swiftly conducted battle brought a brilliant victory to the Russian army. The talent and courage of the young commander, the heroism of the Russian soldiers ensured a quick and glorious victory with the least losses. Alexander's squad returned to Novgorod with glory. For the courage shown in the battle, the people nicknamed Alexander Yaroslavich "Nevsky". This battle began the struggle of Russia for the preservation of access to the sea, which is so important for the future of the Russian people. The victory prevented the loss of the shores of the Gulf of Finland and did not allow interrupting trade exchanges with other countries, and thus made it easier for the Russian people to fight to overthrow the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Thus ended the decisive battle for the life of our country, in which Russian soldiers, under the leadership of a still young prince, defended their Orthodox faith, their country, their independence. Two years later, on the ice of Lake Peipsi, the final point will be put in the anti-Slavic, anti-Orthodox crusade launched by the Swedish and German invaders with the "blessing" of the Pope.

In response to the knightly expansion, Alexander Nevsky turned to the Golden Horde for help, made an alliance with it and fraternized with Batu's son Sartak, who may have converted to Christianity.

Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak

At the beginning of the 13th century, Russia found itself between two fires: the Tatar-Mongols came from the East, and the Germans, Swedes, Danes and armies of other countries who wanted to conquer new lands, taking advantage of the weakness of Kievan Rus, came from the West. In this article we will talk about the invasion from the West, in particular, we will briefly consider the Battle of the Neva. This is an important historical event, which is as important as it is controversial. But let's talk about everything in order ...

Reasons for the battle

In 1240, the invasion of Batu began. Taking advantage of these events, the Swedish king decided to attack Russia, capturing the large trading city of Novgorod. There were a huge number of prerequisites for this:

The enemy got bogged down in heavy battles, suffering heavy losses. The Mongols destroyed most of the male population of Russia.
Novgorod, despite the fact that the invasion did not see, remained alone, without the support of other principalities.
In Novgorod, the young prince Alexander Yaroslavich ruled, who had not been glorified by any great deeds before.

As a result, in July 1240, the Swedish army led its fleet to the mouth of the Neva. The command of the army was taken over by the son-in-law of the Swedish king - Birger. Moving inland, his army stopped on the left bank of the Neva, not far from the mouth of the Izhora. The Swedes were so sure of their victory that, according to some sources, they sent a message to the young prince Alexander, which said "We are here and we will capture you and your land."

As for the actions of Alexander, he had accurate information about the movement of the Swedish army, since intelligence activities were well established in Novgorod. The young prince decided to use the element of surprise by gathering the city militia and making a swift march to the place where the Swedish army had stopped. During the movement of troops, all new detachments adjoined him.

Map of the Battle of the Neva

The Battle of the Neva took place on July 15, 1240. In this battle, the Russians and the Swedes came together. On this day, Alexander's troops secretly approached the camp where the Swedes stopped.

The plan of the young prince was as follows:

The militias were supposed to cut off the Swedes' retreat to the ships.
A sudden and powerful blow from the cavalry was supposed to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy.

The Russian army dealt a sudden blow to the developed plan. The Swedes did not expect such a turn of events, as a result of which panic began in their ranks. This panic was aggravated by the fact that in a short time after the start of the battle, the Swedish bishop was killed, Birger's tent was destroyed, and the militias destroyed 3 Swedish ships. The suddenness of the blow, as well as the major successes of the Russian troops, forced the Swedes to retreat.

The Neva battle continued until evening. During the battle, the Russian army lost 20 people killed. There is no exact information about how many Swedes died. But if you believe historical sources, then most of the troops were destroyed and the number goes to tens and hundreds of dead. In some chronicles, there is a mention that the day after the battle on the other side of the Neva River, the Swedes buried those who died in the battle. After that, they left the Russian land on the ships that were preserved after the battle.

Participants in the battle

The problem in studying the Battle of the Neva is that very few historical sources have been preserved where this battle is described in full. In fact, it remains for us to study this historical event only on the basis of chronicles, which are very contradictory. In particular, there is very little information about the historical figures who took part in this battle.

In addition to Alexander, who as a result of this battle received the nickname Nevsky, the following people took part in the battle:

Gavrilo Oleksich - fought on ships, he was thrown off ships several times, but he returned.
Sbyslav Yakunovich - fought in the center of events with one ax, but, skillfully using weapons, brought panic into the ranks of the enemy.
Yakov Polochanin - also fought in the very center of events, but wielded a sword.
Savva - was noted for cutting down the tent of the Swedish commander Birger.
Misha - commanded a detachment of militia, with whom he sank 3 ships.
Ratmir is the personal servant of Prince Alexander who fought in the battle but was killed.

There is no other information about the individuals who took part in this battle.

The historical significance of the Neva battle

The historical significance of the Battle of the Neva, which we briefly reviewed in this article, is very controversial. The main thing that should be said is that the young prince Alexander managed to defeat the Swedes, thereby securing Novgorod from attempts to capture by Western countries. On the other hand, there is an absolute contradiction in the actions of the Novgorodians themselves. Despite the brilliant victory of the prince, and also despite the fact that the significance of his victory was recognized by everyone, which is expressed, for example, in giving him the nickname "Nevsky", the Novgorodians expelled Alexander from the city almost immediately after the battle. He returned only a year later, when Novgorodkovka was threatened by a military danger in the face of the Livonian Order.

Weaknesses and criticism

Above, we have already partially considered the issues of the fact that even a cursory study of the Battle of the Neva indicates that this is a very controversial event. In particular, a number of modern historians say that it was not some general and super important historical battle, but a simple border conflict. It is rather difficult to verify this, but this statement is not devoid of logic, since it is difficult to imagine an important historical confrontation and an important historical battle in which less than 100 people died. No, we do not have any exact information about the losses of the Swedes. This figure, depending on the sources, varies from a few dozen people to hundreds. But this is only one aspect to consider. There are other important factors:

Controversy in the annals. If we consider Western sources, then they do not have any mention of the battle that took place in 1240. If we consider the Russian chronicles, then in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is also no mention of the battle, and the Laurentian Chronicle describes very briefly the Battle of the Neva in 1263, and not in 1240.
Illogical behavior of the Swedes. It is absolutely incomprehensible why the army, which came with the aim of conquering, did not move in the direction of Novgorod, and also did not build a fortified camp. If we consider the classical idea of the event, then one gets the feeling that the Swedes did not come to the war, but to a picnic. It is also unclear why, after the defeat, the Swedes remained at the battle site for another day, having managed to save all the dead.
Swedish historical sources say that Birger did not leave the country in 1240. Also this year, none of the lists of this country died, and if you believe the generally accepted version, the Swedish bishop died in the battle.

These contradictory aspects are given in order to form a clear idea that this historical event is not as unambiguous as it is usually said about it. The fact is that the Battle of the Neva really took place, but all the details of this event are described very little, and a huge number of questions remain, the answers to which, most likely, no one will give. But in any case, we talked about the victory of the Russian troops over the Vedas from various points of view, and each reader draws his own conclusions.

background

Reasons for the attack

Enemy Plans

Offensive

Battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes

Results of the battle

Battle of Alexander Nevsky - Battle on the Ice

Effects

Canonization and veneration

Taking advantage of the fact that after the devastation of North-Eastern Russia by the Mongols, Novgorod and Pskov had nowhere to wait for help, the Swedish and German knights stepped up their expansion in North-Western Russia, counting on an easy victory. The Swedes were the first to make an attempt to seize Russian lands. In 1238, the Swedish king Erich Burr received permission ("blessing") from the Pope for a crusade against the Novgorodians. All who agreed to take part in the campaign were promised absolution.
In 1239, the Swedes and Germans were negotiating, outlining the plan of the campaign: the Swedes, who had captured Finland by that time, were to advance on Novgorod from the north, from the Neva River, and the Germans - through Izborsk and Pskov. Sweden allocated an army for the campaign led by Jarl (Prince) Ulf Fasi and the king's son-in-law, Jarl Birger, the future founder of Stockholm.
Novgorodians knew about the plans of the Swedes, as well as that the Swedes were going to baptize them, as if they were pagans, in the Catholic faith. Therefore, the Swedes, who went to plant an alien faith, seemed to them more terrible than the Mongols.
In the summer of 1240, the Swedish army under the command of Birger "in great strength, puffing with the spirit of the military", appeared on the Neva River on ships that stopped at the mouth of the Izhora River. The army consisted of Swedes, Norwegians, representatives of the Finnish tribes, who intended to go straight to Ladoga in order to go down to Novgorod from there. Catholic bishops were also in the conquering army. They walked with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. Having landed on the shore, the Swedes and their allies pitched their tents and tents at the confluence of the Izhora with the Neva. Birger, confident in his victory, sent a statement to Prince Alexander: "If you can resist me, then I'm already here, fighting your land."
Novgorod borders at that time were guarded by "watchmen". They were also on the sea coast, where local tribes served. So, in the area of the Neva, on both banks of the Gulf of Finland, there was a "sea watchman" of the Izhora, who guarded the routes to Novgorod from the sea. The Izhorians had already converted to Orthodoxy and were an ally of Novgorod. Once, at dawn on a July day in 1240, the elder of the Izhos land, Pelgusy, while on patrol, discovered the Swedish flotilla and hastily sent Alexander to report everything.
Having received news of the appearance of the enemy, the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavovich decided to suddenly attack him. There was no time to muster the troops, and the convening of a veche (people's assembly) could drag out the matter and lead to a disruption of the suddenness of the impending operation. Therefore, Alexander did not wait until the squads sent by his father Yaroslav came, or the warriors from the Novgorod lands gathered. He decided to oppose the Swedes with his squad, reinforcing it only with Novgorod volunteers. According to the old custom, they gathered at the Cathedral of St. Sophia, prayed, received a blessing from their master Spiridon and set out on a campaign. They walked along the Volkhov River to Ladoga, where a detachment of Ladoga residents, allies of Veliky Novgorod, joined Alexander. From Ladoga, Alexander's army turned to the mouth of the Izhora River.

The Swedish camp, set up at the mouth of the Izhora, was not guarded, since the Swedes did not suspect the approach of Russian troops. The enemy ships rocked, tied to the shore; tents were white all along the coast, and between them was Birger's golden-domed tent. On July 15, at 11 am, the Novgorodians suddenly attacked the Swedes. Their attack was so unexpected that the Swedes did not have time to "gird their swords on their loins."
Birger's army was taken by surprise. Deprived of the opportunity to line up for battle, it could not offer organized resistance. With a bold onslaught, the Russian squad passed through the enemy camp and drove the Swedes to the shore. The foot militias, advancing along the banks of the Neva, not only cut down the bridges that connected the Swedish ships with land, but even captured and destroyed three enemy ships.
Novgorodians fought "in the fury of their courage." Alexander personally "beat up countless Swedes and stamp the king himself on his face with your sharp sword." The prince's lieutenant, Gavrilo Oleksich, chased Birger all the way to the ship, broke into the Swedish boat on horseback, was thrown into the water, remained alive and again entered the battle, laying down the bishop and another noble Swede named Spiridon. Another Novgorodian, Sbyslav Yakunovich, with only one ax in his hand, boldly crashed into the very thick of the enemies, mowed them right and left, clearing the path, as if in a forest thicket. Behind him, the princely hunter Yakov Polochanin brandished his long sword. These fellows were followed by other warriors. The princely youth Savva, having made his way to the center of the enemy camp, cut down the high pillar of the tent of Birger himself: the tent fell down. A detachment of Novgorod volunteers sank three Swedish ships. The remnants of the defeated Birger's troops fled on the surviving ships. The losses of the Novgorodians were insignificant, amounting to 20 people, while the Swedes loaded three ships with the bodies of only noble people, and left the rest on the shore.
The victory over the Swedes was of great political importance. She showed all the Russian people that they have not yet lost their former prowess and can stand up for themselves. The Swedes failed to cut off Novgorod from the sea, capture the coast of the Neva and the Gulf of Finland. Having repulsed the Swedish attack from the north, the Russian army disrupted the possible interaction of the Swedish and German conquerors. To combat German aggression, the right flank and rear of the Pskov theater of operations are now reliably secured.
In tactical terms, the role of the "watchman" should be noted, which discovered the enemy and promptly informed Alexander of his appearance. Of great importance was the surprise factor in the attack on Birger's camp, whose army was taken by surprise and could not offer organized resistance. The chronicler noted the extraordinary courage of Russian soldiers. For this victory, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich was called "Nevsky". At that time he was only twenty-one years old.

Battle on Lake Peipus ("Battle on the Ice") in 1242.

In the summer of 1240, German knights from the Livonian Order, created from the Orders of the Sword and the Teutonic Order, invaded the Novgorod land. Back in 1237, Pope Gregory IX blessed the German knights to conquer native Russian lands. The conquering army consisted of Germans, Medvezhans, Yuryevites and Danish knights from Revel. With them was a traitor - the Russian prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich. They appeared under the walls of Izborsk and took the city by storm. The people of Pskov rushed to help their countrymen, but their militia was defeated. Some of the killed were over 800 people, including the voivode Gavrila Gorislavich.
In the footsteps of the fugitives, the Germans approached Pskov, crossed the Velikaya River, set up their camp under the very walls of the Kremlin, set fire to the city and began to destroy churches and surrounding villages. For a whole week they kept the Kremlin under siege, preparing for an assault. But things did not come to this: a resident of Pskov, Tverdilo Ivanovich, surrendered the city. The knights took hostages and left their garrison in Pskov.
The appetite of the Germans increased. They have already said: "Let's reproach the Slovenian language ... to ourselves," that is, we will subdue the Russian people. In the winter of 1240-1241, the knights again appeared as uninvited guests in the Novgorod land. This time they seized the territory of the Vod (Vozhan) tribe, to the east of the Narva River, "they fought everything and laid tribute on them." Having captured the "Vodskaya Pyatina", the knights took possession of Tesovo (on the Oredezh River), and their patrols appeared 35 km from Novgorod. Thus, a vast territory in the region of Izborsk - Pskov - Sabel - Tesov - Koporye was in the hands of the Livonian Order.
The Germans had already considered the Russian border lands to be their property; the pope "transferred" the coast of the Neva and Karelia under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Ezel, who concluded an agreement with the knights: he negotiated for himself a tenth of everything that the land gives, and left everything else - fishing, mowing, arable land - to the knights.
Novgorodians again remembered Prince Alexander, already Nevsky, who left after a quarrel with the city boyars in his native Pereslavl-Zalessky. The Metropolitan of Novgorod himself went to ask the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yaroslav Vsevolodovich to let his son go, and Yaroslav, realizing the danger of the threat emanating from the West, agreed: the matter concerned not only Novgorod, but all of Russia.
Alexander organized an army of Novgorodians, Ladoga, Karelians and Izhors. First of all, it was necessary to resolve the question of the method of action.

In the hands of the enemy were Pskov and Koporye. Alexander understood that the simultaneous performance in two directions would scatter forces. Therefore, having determined the Koporye direction as a priority - the enemy was approaching Novgorod - the prince decided to strike the first blow at Koporye, and then free Pskov from the invaders.
In 1241, the army under the command of Alexander set out on a campaign, reached Koporye, captured the fortress "and ejected the city from the base, and beat the Germans themselves, and bring others with you to Novgorod, and let others go, be more merciful than measure, and the leaders and I hanged (hung) the people of peretniks (i.e. traitors)". Vodskaya Pyatina was cleared of the Germans. The right flank and rear of the Novgorod army were now safe.
In March 1242, the Novgorodians again set out on a campaign and were soon near Pskov. Alexander, believing that he did not have enough strength to attack a strong fortress, was waiting for his brother Andrei Yaroslavich with the Suzdal squads, who soon approached. The Order did not have time to send reinforcements to their knights. Pskov was surrounded, and the knightly garrison was taken prisoner. Alexander sent the order's governors in chains to Novgorod. In the battle, 70 noble order brothers and many ordinary knights were killed.
After this defeat, the Order began to concentrate its forces within the Derpt bishopric, preparing an offensive against the Russians. The order gathered a great force: there were almost all of its knights with the master at the head, with all the bishops, a large number of local soldiers, as well as the soldiers of the Swedish king.

Alexander decided to move the war to the territory of the Order itself. The Russian army marched on Izborsk. Forward, Prince Alexander Nevsky sent several reconnaissance detachments. One of them, under the command of the mayor's brother Domash Tverdislavich and Kerbet, ran into German knights and Chuds (Ests), was defeated and retreated; while Domash died. Meanwhile, reconnaissance found out that the enemy sent insignificant forces to Izborsk, and his main forces were moving towards Lake Peipus.
The Novgorod army turned to the lake, "the Germans and the Chud followed them." The Novgorodians tried to repel the roundabout maneuver of the German knights. Having reached Lake Peipus, the Novgorod army found itself in the center of possible enemy movement routes to Novgorod. Now Alexander decided to give battle and stopped at Lake Peipsi to the north of the Uzmen tract, near the island of Voronii Kamen. The forces of the Novgorodians were little more than the knight's army. According to various data available, it can be concluded that the army of German knights was 10-12 thousand, and the Novgorod army - 15-17 thousand people. According to L. N. Gumilyov, the number of knights was small - only a few dozen; they were supported by foot mercenaries armed with spears, and the allies of the Order - Livs.
At dawn on April 5, 1242, the knights lined up in a "wedge" or "pig". The wedge consisted of horsemen clad in armor and its task was to crush and break through the central part of the enemy troops, and the columns following the wedge were to crush the enemy flanks with coverage. In chain mail and helmets, with long swords, they seemed invulnerable. Alexander Nevsky countered this stereotypical tactics of the knights, with the help of which they won many victories, with a new formation of Russian troops, directly opposite to the traditional Russian system. Alexander concentrated the main forces not in the center ("chela"), as the Russian troops always did, but on the flanks. Ahead was the advanced regiment of light cavalry, archers and slingers. The battle formation of the Russians was facing the rear towards the steep, steep eastern shore of the lake, and the prince's cavalry squad hid in an ambush behind the left flank. The chosen position was beneficial in that the Germans, advancing on open ice, were deprived of the opportunity to determine the location, number and composition of the Russian troops.
Putting out long spears and breaking through the archers and the advanced regiment, the Germans attacked the center ("chelo") of the Russian battle formation. The center of the Russian troops was cut, and part of the soldiers retreated back and to the flanks. However, having stumbled upon the steep shore of the lake, the inactive, armored knights could not develop their success. On the contrary, the knightly cavalry crowded together, as the rear ranks of the knights pushed the front ranks, which had nowhere to turn around for battle.
The flanks of the Russian battle order ("wings") did not allow the Germans to build on the success of the operation. The German wedge was caught in pincers. At this time, Alexander's squad struck from the rear and completed the encirclement of the enemy. Several ranks of knights covering the wedge from the rear were crushed by the blow of the Russian heavy cavalry.
Warriors who had special spears with hooks pulled the knights off their horses; warriors armed with special knives disabled horses, after which the knight became easy prey. And as it is written in The Life of Alexander Nevsky, "there was a slash of evil, and a crack from spears of breaking, and a sound from a sword cut, as if a frozen lake would move. And it was impossible to see the ice: it was covered with blood."

Chud, who made up the bulk of the infantry, seeing his army surrounded, ran to his native shore. Some knights, together with the master, managed to break through the encirclement, and they tried to flee. The Russians pursued the fleeing enemy for 7 versts to the opposite shore of Lake Peipus. Already at the western coast, the runners began to fall through the ice, since the ice is always thinner near the coast. The pursuit of the remnants of a defeated enemy outside the battlefield was a new phenomenon in the development of Russian military art. Novgorodians did not celebrate the victory "on the bones", as was customary before.
The German knights were completely defeated. The question of the losses of the parties is still controversial. It is vague about Russian losses - "many brave warriors fell." In the Russian chronicles it is written that 500 knights were killed, and countless miracles, 50 noble knights were taken prisoner. There were far fewer knights in the entire First Crusade. In the German chronicles, the figures are much more modest. Recent studies show that about 400 German soldiers actually fell on the ice of Lake Peipus, of which 20 were brother-knights, 90 Germans (of which 6 were "real" knights) were captured.
In the summer of 1242, the Order concluded a peace treaty with Novgorod, returning all the lands seized by him from him. The prisoners on both sides were exchanged.
"Battle on the Ice" was the first time in the history of military art, when a heavy knightly cavalry was defeated in a field battle by an army consisting mostly of infantry. The new battle order of the Russian troops, invented by Alexander Nevsky, turned out to be flexible, as a result of which it was possible to encircle the enemy, whose battle order was a sedentary mass. The infantry at the same time successfully interacted with the cavalry.
The death of so many professional soldiers greatly undermined the power of the Livonian Order in the Baltics. The victory over the German army on the ice of Lake Peipsi saved the Russian people from German enslavement and was of great political and military-strategic importance, delaying the further German offensive to the East for almost several centuries, which was the main line of German policy from 1201 to 1241. This is the great historical significance of the Russian victory on April 5, 1242.

References.

1. Life of Alexander Nevsky.
2. 100 great battles / resp. ed. A. Agrashenkov and others - Moscow, 2000.
3. World history. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.
4. Venkov A.V., Derkach S.V. Great generals and their battles. - Rostov-on-Don, 1999

Nature and climate