Battle of Riga (1215)
Battle of Riga | |||||||
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Part of the Livonian Crusade | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Livs and Letts | Oeselians and other Estonians | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Volquin | ? | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Riga was an attempt by native Estonian forces to repel the Crusader knights (known as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword) and their allies during the Livonian Crusade.
History
In 1215, after the raid of
At the end of April or beginning of May 1215, the Oeselians closed the estuary of the Daugava River. Old ships and wooden obstacles built on the spot were filled with rocks and sunk to prevent German cogs from escaping to sea, and Oeselian troops took up positions in a field just outside Riga. When a strong enemy force charged out of the city, they pulled back to the estuary to await reinforcements. Unexpectedly for the besiegers, two German cogs arrived from the sea. Threatened with being caught between two armies, the Oeselian fleet decided to break out to the sea.
In the meantime,