Siege of Marienburg (1410): Difference between revisions

Allied Polish and Lithuanian forces invaded Prussia in July 1410 with the goal of capturing Marienburg. Their path was blocked by the Teutonic Knights, who engaged the allied forces in the decisive [[Battle of Grunwald]] on 15 July 1410. The Knights suffered a great defeat, leaving most of their leadership dead or captured. The victorious Polish and Lithuanian forces stayed on the battlefield for three days; during this time [[Heinrich von Plauen]], [[Komtur]] of Schwetz ([[Świecie]]), organized defense of Marienburg.<ref name=t73/> Von Plauen did not participate in the battle and was trusted to command reserve forces of about 3,000 men in Schwetz. It is not entirely clear whether von Plauen marched to Marienburg based on pre-battle instructions of Grand Master [[Ulrich von Jungingen]] or on his own initiative to fill the leadership void.<ref name=t73>{{harvnb|Turnbull|2003|p=73}}</ref> As the Polish–Lithuanian forces moved on to Marienburg, three Teutonic fortresses – Hohenstein ([[Olsztynek]]), Osterode ([[Ostróda]]), and Christburg ([[Dzierzgoń]]) – surrendered without resistance.<ref name=t73/> The allied forces moved slowly, averaging only about {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}} per day, giving time for von Plauen to organize the defense. This delay has been criticized by modern historians as one of the greatest Polish–Lithuanian tactical mistakes and has been a subject of much speculation.<ref>{{harvnb|Urban|2003|p=162}}</ref><ref name="Stone2001">{{cite book|author=Daniel Stone|title=The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386-17951386–1795|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LFgB_l4SdHAC&pg=PA17|year=2001|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-98093-5|page=17}}</ref> Polish historian [[Paweł Jasienica]] suggested, for example, that Jagiełło might have intentionally given the Knights time to regroup, to keep the Order humbled but not decimated so as to not upset the balance of power between Poland (which would most likely acquire most of the Order possessions if it was totally defeated) and Lithuania; but a lack of primary sources precludes a definitive explanation.<ref name="Jasienica1978">{{cite book|author=Paweł Jasienica|title=Jagiellonian Poland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RjppAAAAMAAJ|year=1978|publisher=American Institute of Polish Culture|pages=108–109}}</ref>