Battle of Lode
{{Short description|1573 military conflict in Estonia during Livonian War}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Lode
| partof = Livonian War
| image = {{Infobox mapframe|point=on|area_km2=0.3|marker=monument}}
| caption = Location of Koluvere Castle. Battlefield was nearby.
| date = 23 January 1573
| place = Koluvere, near Lode in Estonia
| coordinates = {{coord|source:Wikidata|format=dms|display=it}}
| result = Swedish victory
| combatant2 = 23px Tsardom of Russia
| commander1 = Clas Åkesson Tott
| commander2 = Simeon Bekbulatovich
| strength1 = 1,600–2,000
| strength2 = 16,000
| casualties1 = Minimal
| casualties2 = 7,000 killed (likely exaggerated)
100 horses captured
All of the artillery captured
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Livonian War}}|
}}
The Battle of Lode was fought during the Livonian War, between a Swedish and Russian army on 23 January 1573. The battle was won by the Swedes.
Background
In the Autumn of 1572, the Russian army began its offensive into the Baltic, with Russian forces besieging Weissenstein, and after a heavy bombardment the Russians successfully storm the city and capture it on January 1.{{Cite book |last=Harrison |first=Dick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FqXyEAAAQBAJ&dq=slaget+vid+lode&pg=RA1-PT96 |title=Fienden: Sverige och Ryssland från vikingatid till idag |date=2024-02-01 |publisher=Ordfront |isbn=978-91-7945-181-3 |language=sv}} Afterwards, part of the Russian army departs along with the Tsar to Novgorod, and the remaining Russian forces in Estonia are divided into two, with one of them capturing Karkus, and the other, numbering around 16,000 men,{{Cite book |last=Sundberg |first=Ulf |title=Svenska krig 1521-1814 |publisher=Hjalmarson & Högberg |year=1998 |isbn=9789189080140 |edition=2nd |location=Stockholm |pages=82–83 |language=Swedish |trans-title=Swedish wars 1521-1814}}{{Cite book |last=Ödberg |first=Fridolf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSIPAQAAMAAJ&q=Lode+1573 |title=Tidsbilder ur 1500-talets svenska häfder |date=1896 |publisher=C. E. Fritzes kungl. hofbokhandel |page=115 |language=sv}} was assigned to capture Lode, Leal, and Hapsal. The number of the Swedish detachment is about 1,600–2,000{{cite book |last=Shkvarov |first=Alexei |lang=ru |script-title=ru:Россия и Швеция. История военных конфликтов 1142-1809 |trans-title=Russia and Sweden. The history of military conflicts 1142-1809 |place=Saint-Petersburg |publisher=RME Group Oy:Алетейя |date=2012 |isbn=978-5-91419-754-1 |page=157 }}
Battle
When Clas Åkesson Tott realized that the Russian Army was divided, he marched out from Reval with around 700 Knights along with a few hundred cavalry from the Baltic to attack the Russian army besieging Lode. On 23 January, the Russian and Swedish armies met outside of Lode, with the Russian army being led by Simeon Bekbulatovich.
The Baltic cavalry received orders to assault the Russians and was quickly able to tear the Russian formations, despite its success, the cavalry decides that the Russian force is too strong and retreats. Despite this, Clas decides that he would be able to take advantage of the confusion that had begun in the Russian lines and advanced with his knights, and this proved to be decisive. Upwards of 7,000 casualties are said to have been suffered by the Russians, although this number is likely highly exaggerated.
Aftermath
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- Sundberg, Ulf: Svenska krig 1521-1814, p. 78, Hjalmarson & Högberg Bokförlag, Stockholm 2002, {{ISBN|91-89660-10-2}}
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=z4Y-AAAAcAAJ&dq=Lode+1573&pg=PA349 Anders Anton von Stiernman, Swea och Götha Höfdinga-Minne, Volym 2]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=xSIPAQAAMAAJ&q=Lode+1573 Fridolf Ödberg, Tidsbilder ur 1500-talets svenska häfder, C. E. Fritzes kungl. hofbokhandel, 1896]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=0awOAAAAQAAJ&dq=%D0%9B%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5+1573&pg=PA326 Сказанія князя Курбскаго, Андрей Михайлович Курбский]
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lode, Battle of}}
Category:16th century in Estonia
Category:Battles of the Livonian War
Category:Military history of Estonia
Category:Battles involving Sweden