Battle of Durbe
1260 · Lake Durbe (near modern Liepāja, Latvia) · World · Medieval
During the battle the Curonian auxiliaries changed sides; the Order suffered a crushing defeat, and the Livonian Master and about 150 knights were killed in battle
Belligerents
Samogitians
- Commanders
- Treniota (reputed)
- Strength
- About 4,000 men (accounts vary)
The Teutonic Order and the Livonian Order
- Commanders
- Burchard von Hornhausen (Livonian Master)
- Strength
- Several thousand men, including Curonian and Estonian auxiliaries
Background
The Order sought to open a land corridor between Prussia and Livonia, conquer Samogitia lying in between, and relieve its besieged strongholds.
Course of the battle
- MusteringThe Order mustered its knights and auxiliaries from the conquered peoples and marched on Samogitia
- Battle by the lakeThe two armies clash near Lake Durbe
- Auxiliaries change sidesThe Curonians, who had been forced into the fight, changed sides mid-battle and attacked the knights from behind
- Crushing defeatThe Livonian Master was killed, and the Order suffered one of its worst defeats of the 13th century
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1260 |
|---|---|
| Place | Lake Durbe (near present-day Liepaja, Latvia) |
| Result | During the battle the Curonian auxiliaries changed sides; the Order suffered a crushing defeat, and the Livonian Master and about 150 knights were killed in battle |
| Winner | Samogitians |
| Casualties | About 150 of the Order's knights were killed in battle |
| Territorial change | The Great Prussian Uprising broke out, and the Curonians and Semigallians rose in revolt one after another |
Impact
The Battle of Durbe sparked the great uprisings of the Prussians and Curonians, and it took the Order more than twenty years to regain control; King Mindaugas of Lithuania also broke with the Order as a result.
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