Battle on the Irpin River
Battle on the Irpin River | |||||
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Belligerents | |||||
Grand Duchy of Lithuania | Kiev Principality | ||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||
Gediminas |
Stanislav of Kiev Oleg of Pereyaslavl † Roman of Bryansk Leo II of Galicia † |
The Battle on the Irpin River was a semi-legendary battle between the armies of the
Account in the Lithuanian Chronicles
As told by the
Analysis
Information about the Lithuanian conquest comes from generally confused and unreliable Lithuanian Chronicles (second and third redaction) and Ukrainian (Gustynskaia Chronicle) produced many years after the events. No contemporary sources directly corroborate the story. In the 1880s, Ukrainian historian Volodymyr Antonovych was the first to critically evaluate the chronicles and dismiss the campaign and battle as fiction.[6] However, after careful analysis, modern historians believe that Antonovich was too critical and that there is some truth to the story.[6]
Political situation
The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia attracted Gediminas' attention early on; he attacked Brest in 1315 and arranged a marriage between his son Liubartas and Euphemia, daughter of Andrew of Galicia.[7] After the attack in 1315, the Principality allied with the Teutonic Order, a long-standing Lithuanian enemy. A link between this alliance and the Lithuanian attack was suggested by Bronisław Włodarski.[7] Galicia–Volhynia was also a rich land and offered access further south to Kyiv. Letters of Gediminas from 1323 would suggest that commercial rivalry was a contributing factor in the attack.[3] There were no known attacks by the Teutonic Knights on Lithuania between July 1320 and March 1322, which could indicate the peace mentioned in the chronicle.[8] There was an attack on Lithuania by the Golden Horde in 1325; historians Feliks Shabuldo and Romas Batūra interpreted it as a direct reprisal for the Lithuanian expansion.[9] The Lithuanian takeover of Cherkasy, Kaniv, Putyvl probably refers to a campaign led by Vytautas in 1392.[10]
It is known that brothers Andrew and Leo of Galicia–Volhynia died sometime between May 1321 and May 1323.
Personal names
Names recorded in the Chronicle are often confused. The Chronicle mentions Prince Vladimir of Volodymyr. No such prince was known at the time of Gediminas' reign; the last Prince Vladimir III Ivan Vasilkovich died in 1289.
Nothing can be said about Oleg of Pereyaslavl as nothing is known on princes of Pereyaslavl after its devastation in 1240 during the
Algimantas, son of Mindaugas from the
Notes
- ^ a b Historians disagree on exact dating: Maciej Stryjkowski provided 1320/21, Aleksandr Ivanovich Rogov argued for 1322, C. S. Rowell for 1323, Feliks Shabuldo for 1324, Romas Batūra for 1325 (Rowell (1994), p. 984).
References
- In-line
- ^ a b Rowell (2000), p. 707
- ^ a b Rowell (1994), p. 307
- ^ a b c d Rowell (1994), p. 97
- ^ Rowell (1994), pp. 307–308
- ^ Rowell (1994), p. 308
- ^ a b c d Rowell (1994), p. 101
- ^ a b Rowell (1994), p. 94
- ^ a b c Rowell (1994), p. 95
- ^ Rowell (1994), p. 98
- ^ Rowell (1994), p. 105
- ^ Rowell (1994), p. 99
- ^ a b Baronas (2011), p. 457
- ^ Rowell (1994), pp. 101–102
- ^ a b c d Rowell (1994), p. 102
- ^ a b c Rowell (1994), p. 103
- ^ Rowell (1994), pp. 103–104
- ^ a b c d Rowell (1994), p. 104
- ^ Sužiedėlis (1970–1978), pp. 446–447
- Bibliography
- Baronas, Darius (2011). "Ekspansijos Rusioje potvyniai ir atoslūgiai". In Dubonis, Artūras (ed.). Lietuvos istorija. XIII a. – 1385 m. valstybės iškilimas tarp rytų ir vakarų (in Lithuanian). Vol. III. Baltos lankos. ISBN 978-9955-23-566-8.
- Rowell, S. C. (1994). Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-Central Europe, 1295-1345. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45011-9.
- Rowell, S. C. (2000). "Baltic Europe". In Michael Jones (ed.). The New Cambridge Medieval History c.1300–c.1415. Vol. VI. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-36290-3.
- Sužiedėlis, Simas, ed. (1970–1978). "Theodore". LCCN 74-114275.