Teutonic Knights, 1201–1522 A.D.
DBA Army 151
The Teutonic Order was a German military religious order founded at the Siege of Acre (1190-91), on the Bay of Haifa, during the third Crusade. The Order subsequently offered its military services to Hungary and Poland. The crusade against the heathen Prussians led to land conquests which were consolidated over a period of 50 years. Repeated Prussian revolts were crushed, their people exterminated or subdued. Italeri produces a beautifully sculpted set of Teutonic Knights in 1:72 scale which may be used to raise the mounted elements of a Teutonic Order army. The foot troops of the Teutonic Order may be recruited or converted from other figure sets of the period.
Campaigns & Events
- 1190/91 – The Teutonic Order is founded at the Siege of Acre.
- 1221 to 1225 – The Teutonic Order fights for King Andrew II of Hungary against the Cumans in Transylvania.
- 1226 – The Polish Duke Conrad of Masovia engages the services of the Teutonic Order for a crusade against the heathen Prussians. In return, the Teutonic Order is granted lands taken from the Prussians.
- 1234 – Grand Master Hermann von Salza places the Prussian conquests under papal control and begins to organize them as a German state.
- 1237 to 1525 – Alliance with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword.
- 1242 – Battle of Lake Peipus, fought on the frozen straits between Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov. The Livonian Knights are defeated by Russians under Alexander Nevsky.
- 1262 – The Pope allows the Teutonic Order to engage in trading. Many of their cities join the Hanseatic League.
- 1308/09 – The campaign to seize Pomerelia (Pomerania) leads to many wars with Poland.
- 1410 – Poles and Lithuanians defeat the Order at the Battle of Tannenberg.
- 1525 – Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg accepts the Reformation, and is invested as a Polish duke. Prussia becomes a secular duchy. The Order continues in catholic Germany.
- 1809 – The Order’s remaining possessions in Germany are secularized.
Miniatures
- 1:72 Italeri 6019 – 12th–13th Century Teutonic Knights
- Knights, 1:72 Accurate Figures 7207; Revell 02563
- Men-at-Arms, 1:72 Accurate Figures 7206; Revell 02562
DBA Army № 151 – Teutonic Knights
- element: 3 knights (Teutonic Order)
- element: 3 knights (Teutonic Order)
- element: 3 knights (Crusaders)
- element: 3 knights (Crusaders)
- element: 3 cavalry (Knechte)
- element: 2 light horse (Turkopolen)
- element: 2 light horse (Turkopolen)
- element: 4 crossbowmen (dienende Brüder)
- element: 4 crossbowmen (Mercenaries)
- element: 4 spearmen (dienende Brüder)
- element: 3 auxiliaries
- element: 3 auxiliaries
Historical Enemies
- DBA Army № 122 – Early Medieval Polish
- DBA Army № 129 – Early Russian
- DBA Army № 131a – Early Medieval Scandinavian (Danish)
- DBA Army № 131b – Later Medieval Scandinavian
- DBA Army № 148a – Prussian or Estonian
- DBA Army № 148b – Lithuanian or Wend
- DBA Army № 149 – Later Medieval Polish
- DBA Army № 154 – Mongols
- DBA Army № 157 – Post-Mongol Russians
The Teutonic Knights were an army of heavy cavalry which relied on the charge as its main battlefield tactic. If the flanks of the formation were secured by suitable terrain, this tactic could be quite successful.