Teutonic Knights: A Military History

Rating:
Summary: A clue from the past.
Review: As a Latvian, the German Knights figured prominently in the history of the Latvian tribes. But, until I read this book, I had no clear understanding of the "German Knights" or the "Baltic Crusades."

Since this book is a military history of the Teutonic Knights, the author poses this in the Introduction. "Why a book on the military history of the Teutonic Knights? Why not earlier?...One answer is the best historians of the crusades have traditionally concentrated their attentions on the Holy Land; most medieval historians in recent decades have lacked much interest in military affairs; and amateur historians in the English-speaking world are not prepared to handle the many languages involved in studying Baltic and East Central European history....Another good answer, perhaps more fundamental, is that the English-speaking public was generally unaware that there had been crusades in the Baltic, and, moreover, for many years also lost interest in the medieval efforts to recover Jerusalem. No demand, hence no response by authors and publishers." page xi

I knew very little of the Teutonic Knights and the Swordbrothers. I knew, from my Latvian history Saturday school studies, that my ancestor Lett tribes/clans were Christianized by the sword. Because the Letts fought amongst themselves and did not seek unity, that is why they were absorbed in contrast to their fellow Balts, the Lithuanians. Before I read this book, I never really realized that the Pope had blessed a crusade against the heathen Balts. So, what happens with all of this activity? I was always under the impression that only German knights took part. That was not the case. Knights from Ireland, Scotland, England, Denmark and other places participated in converting the heathen.

Why did military campaigns take place in winter? In Lithuania, there were swamps and rivers. Knights and their horses could not navigate the Lithuanian area. When the water and ground was frozen, then the Knights moved out of Prussia into Lithuanian territory.

How did the Lithuanians resist the Order? Well, their leaders would "convert" to Christianity, in times of danger. Then when the danger passed, it was back to the pagan ways. When danger appeared again, it was time to be Christian. This went back and forth until the Lithuanians, once and foreall became Christians. Since Lithuanian nobility aligned itself with Poland, that is how Lithuania became one united body. Lithuania used its ties with Poland to counteract the push of the Order.

The Knights brought Christianity to the last Balt tribe/people, the Prussians. As a result of this and that the order was based in Prussia lead to the germanization of the Prussians. Old Prussian became a dead Baltic language.

The book is organized thus: 1 The Military Orders; 2 The Foundation of the Teutonic Order; 3 War in the Holy Land; 4 The Transylvanian Experiment; 5 The War against Paganism in Prussia; 6 The Crusade in Livonia; 7 Territorial Rivalries with Poland; 8 The Lithuanian Challenge; 9 The Conversion of Lithuania; 10 The Battle of Tannenberg; 11 The Long Decline and the End in the Baltic; 12 The End in Livonia; 13 Summary; Appendix A Major Figures in the History of the Teutonic Order; Appendix B The Grand Masters to 1525.

I would recommend this book, especially those readers, who have ancestors from Prussia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia. This book gives light to the Crusades that "did" not take place in the Holy Land. I look forward to reading the author's next work.

Rating:
Summary: the title is VERY DECEPTIVE
Review: I purchased this book fresh off the shelves when it first came out for roughly $38 (this was awhile back). I have to say, I can't believe William Urban even dared to throw-in "Military" in the book's title. This book is 99% European history, and 1% military history - naturally, I felt swindled out of my cash since I bought this book specifically for the title.

My Recommendation:
If you're looking for a dry read about the history of the Teutonic Knights, this book is for you. But if you're looking for a MILITARY history of the Teutonic Knights (as this book promises), you'd do well to skip on this mistitled snoozer.

Rating:
Summary: the title is VERY DECEPTIVE
Review: I purchased this book fresh off the shelves when it first came out for roughly $38 (this was awhile back). I have to say, I can't believe William Urban even dared to throw-in "Military" in the book's title. This book is 99% European history, and 1% military history - naturally, I felt swindled out of my cash since I bought this book specifically for the title.

My Recommendation:
If you're looking for a dry read about the history of the Teutonic Knights, this book is for you. But if you're looking for a MILITARY history of the Teutonic Knights (as this book promises), you'd do well to skip on this mistitled snoozer.

Rating:
Summary: Reevaluation of traditional "bad guys"
Review: This book does a good job of explaning the Teutonic Order to a modern audience, very much needed. The author, a professional historian, has set out to write a fairer history of the Teutonic Knights. They are best known for their defeats, Lake Peipus and Tannenberg, were their adversaries have been cast as the "good guys". Here he proves that history is so much more complex. He follows their history from the foundation of the order until they become secular landwoners in the fifteenth century. The order did not exist in a political vacuum: northern Europe was a hotbed of intrigue where the knights were just one part. The author carefully explains the complex politics surrounding the unification of Poland and the christianization of Prussia and Lithauinia. We also find out that there were hardly any teutonic knights present at the famed battle of Lake Peipus, and that the defeat at Tannenberg was not the death knell of the order: it was the political infighting in the order afterwards!
The order was not worse than any other of their contemporaries, oftentimes they were even more humane and civilized. As with all medieaval histories, we lack details. Something the reader just will have too live with.
I have some complaints: The maps seem to exist without any connection to the text, and then, the narrative just stops. The author just explains that there exists no research on the order's later activities in the Balkans. The order still exists (there were involved in the opposition against Hitler), but that is not mentioned. This should be remedied in future editions.