Routes:

• The route of Alexander Yaroslavich to the site of the Battle of the Neva

• Nevskaya bitva (Battle of the Neva)

The political situation in Northwest Rus’ by the mid-13th century was difficult. On the one hand, Novgorod, the heart of the region, succeeded considerably in reinforcing its independence already in the 12th century. ‘Freedom of princes’, i.e. the casting vote right by the election of a new prince, became veche’s important prerogative. On the other hand, conflicts worsened within the Novgorodian land, where the ‘neighbourhoods’, which were formerly unconditionally subject to the Volkhov capital, declared their ambitions. While such aspirations of Torzhok in the second decade of the 13th century could be subdued, the situation with Pskov was much more difficult: its striving for independence resulted in its practically full separation in the 14th century.

Yet, it was just a part of the natural development of lands-principalities, that used to be one whole Old Rus’. Far more serious and even dangerous in the 13th century were the external factors, the most significant and decisive of which was the invasion of the Northeast Rus’ by the Mongol tumens of Batu in 1237—1238 and the subsequent dependence on the Horde. Novgorod was not destroyed (unlike Torzhok, burnt after two-week siege), but it could no longer count on the effective assistance of the Suzdalian Land, devastated by the Mongols. Alexander Yaroslavich (who from the 15th century would be known under the honourable name Nevsky) had to take this into account.From the late 1220s he reigned on the Volkhov banks — at firstas his father’s viceroy (Yaroslav Vsevolodovich sat on Vladimir’s throne in 1238–1246), and from 1236 — as an independent ruler.

During the 11th—12th centuries the Northwest Rus’ was threatened by the Swedes, wanting to expand their domain. The bone of contention was the region adjacent to the Gulf of Finland, the Neva and Lake Ladoga. In particular the struggle was for influence over the Finnic tribes — the Sums (the south-eastern part of today’s Finland), the Yems (its southern and eastern parts) and the Korela (the Karelian Isthmus and contiguous lands).To the south of the Gulf of Finland and in the Neva region the tribes of Votes and Izhorians lived.

The strategies of the Novgorodians and their western neighbours were different. The Rusians charged tribute from the subordinate areas and controlled their external policy. They did not need to build walled towns in the conquered lands, and up to the late 13th century Ladoga at the Lower Volkhov was the northernmost Novgorodian stronghold. The Europeans, however, not only collected payments, but established their power locally and introduced Christianity adamantly. An important part of this was the erection of fortified castles that, firstly, helped keep the neighbourhood in hand and, secondly, were important for the defence from the Novgorodians, who by no means could agree to diminishing of their rights.

Novgorod and Sweden exchanged attacks that were recorded in chronicles and foreign sources. For example, in 1142 the Novgorodian merchants, encountering a headed-for-invasion Swedish squadron of 60 galleys (a probable overestimation), went into action and could drive the enemy away. The same year, the Yems encouraged by the Swedes fought against the Novgorodian domain, but Ladoga’s inhabitants thrust back the foe. A larger-scaled and better-planned invasion of the southern Ladoga region followed in 1164 and ended with the Battle at the Voronega River. In 1187 the Novgorodians attacked Sigtuna — the political centre of Sweden of that time; in 1198 they invaded the Swedish territories in the Sums’ land.

In the early 13th century, the need to confront the German expansion in the Baltic region added to the age-old hostilities with Sweden.The lands to the west of Lake Chud became the sphere of Russian influence in the 11th century. This is evidenced by the foundation of Yuryev (Derpt, now Tartu) in 1030 during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. However, at the time in question, the Germans expanded their influence actively in the region, having their starting point in Riga, founded in 1201 in the Western Dvina (Daugava) estuary. The Pope equalled the subsequent conquests to crusades, and in order to ensure permanent military force, the Order of Sword Brothers was created.

The ‘drive to the East’ was quite successful although sometimes seriously impeded by the revolts of local tribes supported by the Novgorodians.In 1224 the Germans conquered Yuryev. The retaliatory attack against the fortress, which was now called Derpt, was organised in 1234 by Yaroslav Vsevolodovich (Alexander’s farther). However, despite the significant military success, he could not regain the lost town, and the reafter the border of the Novgorodian sphere of influence to the south of the Baltic went along the Narova River, Lake Chudskoye and Lake Pskovskoye.

Lithuania, which in the 13th century came near to creating its own statehood, became another factor of power. It was able to deal significant blows on both the Germans and Novgorodians. By defeating the former in 1236 in the Battle of Saule, it forced the Sword Brothers to be incorporated into the stronger Teutonic Order, which became the main factor of power ‘on the German part’. Confrontation with the Novgorodians was limited to plundering raids, as Lithuanian lands were of no interest to Novgorod.

Those were the main factors that formed the external policy of the Rusian North-West. Of course, Alexander Nevsky had to take into consideration another important aspect — the Horde invasion. That problem became particularly acute after the death of his father in 1246. The prince realised that failure to obey the Horde would not only lead to a desperate war but also enable the western neighbours, holding a years-long campaign against Novgorod, to increase the ‘acquisitions’ that they had already made. This surely became a most important impetus of Alexander and his successors’ foreign policies that can be essentially summarised as ‘a sword in the West, peace in the East’.

Tags: Battles, 13 century