Khan Jelaleddin and the Tatars at the Battle of Grunwald

Abstract

This article is a translation from Polish of the scientific work of the Polish historian of the Crimean Tatar origin Selim Chazbijewicz “Khan Jelaleddin and the Tatars at the Battle of Grunwald”. It examines the role of the Tatar cavalry and the significance of the Battle of Grunwald for Poland and Lithuania. The Tatars played a special role in the military history of Poland and Lithuania in the XII–XIV centuries. Their ubiquitous presence in wars and battles in Eastern Europe was well known to their contemporaries, who perfectly understood that without their military assistance, no belligerent side could claim victory over its opponents. Their decisive role in battles can be explained mainly by their use of nomadic light cavalry, which was practically invincible in those centuries. The Battle of Grunwald took place on July 15, 1410 during the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War. The union of the crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, headed by King Vladislav II Jagaila and Grand Duke Vytautas, finally defeated the German-Prussian knights of the Teutonic Order, headed by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. Most of the leaders of the Teutonic Knights were killed or taken prisoner. The Teutonic Order will never regain its former power again, the financial burden of war reparations caused internal conflicts and economic recession in the territories under their control. The battle altered the balance of power in Central and Eastern Europe and heralded the rise of the Polish-Lithuanian alliance as the dominant political and military power in the region.