From the AngloPolish Blog – July 15th marks the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, a major turning point in European history, when the combined forces of Poland and Lithuania turned aside the hegemony of the Teutonic Knights and their falsified claim on Polish and Lithuanian lands.

…and another in the series

The Battle of Grunwald was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe. It took place on July 15, 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila (Władysław Jagiełło) and Grand Duke Vytautas (Witold), decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. Most of the Teutonic leadership was killed or taken prisoner. While defeated, the Teutonic Knights withstood the siege on their capital in Malbork and suffered only minimal territorial losses in the Peace of Toruń (1411). Territorial disputes lasted until the Peace of Melno of 1422. However, the Knights never recovered their former power and the financial burden of war reparations caused internal conflicts and economic decline in their lands. The battle shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe and marked the rise of the Polish–Lithuanian union as the dominant player in the region.

More from Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.