Heinrich Plotzke ( German: Heinrich Plotzke or German: Heinrich von Plotzke , killed July 27, 1320 , Medniki, тияemaitija ) [1] - Knight of the Teutonic Order , Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Prussia from 1307 to 1309 [2] , great commander of the order from September 1309 to August 3, 1312 , the Marshal of the Order in 1312 - 1320 [3] years.
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Heinrich von Plock came from the village of Pöckau in Saxony , from the family of ministers of the Margrave Brandenburg house. Joined the Teutonic Order in about 1286. In Balley, Thuringia held the post of Komtour in Altenburg from 1286, from 1287 - Komtur in Halle . Arrived in Prussia around 1300. Since 1304 it is known by sources as an acting commander in the Balga Order Castle. In 1306, Heinrich von Plock was elected to the post of Landmaster. [4] Upon the arrival of the great master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen in 1309 in Prussia, the need for a duplicate post of the Prussian Landmaster ceased and was abolished. Heinrich Plock became the great commander of the order , which essentially raised his former status, since he essentially became the deputy grand master in all matters.
Content
Battle of the Floats
For the first time, Heinrich von Plocke showed his military talent at the Battle of Woplavki . On February 23, 1311, the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, under the command of Prince Witten, numbering 4,000 people, devastated and plundered first Natangia and then Sambia . With great booty and 500 captives, Viten came back. The knights of the Teutonic Order who began their pursuit failed to catch up with the enemy. A detachment of Frederick von Lichtenberg devastated the land of Pagraude . Detachment Otto von Bergau went to the surroundings of Grodno and plundered them. [5] Upon learning of the plunder of Pogroud and the surroundings of Grodno, Viten, who, in gratitude for the successful campaign, sacrificed to pagan deities, became furious, reassembled the army, and re-entered the lands of the Teutonic Order. On April 3, 1311, Viten at the head of 4,000 people broke into Warmia . Here, the warriors of Witen were able to capture a large booty and captured 1200 people. [6] After the devastation of Warmia, Witen came back through Bartu . On April 6, his troops camped in a field near the village of Voplavki. Heinrich von Plock managed to assemble an army of about 2,500 people, with whom he went to the Witeni camp on the morning of April 7, 1311. In the ensuing battle, Witen was utterly defeated by the army of the Teutonic Order [7] .
Trekking to Salsenikka
In 1311, Heinrich von Plock, having gathered a significant army, which included 150 brothers of the Order, undertook a campaign against Grodno. On the way, they captured several spies of Prince Viten. Information was received from them that no one was waiting for an attack in the land of Salsenikka, and on the left bank of the Neman, 500 Viteni rangers set up nets for hunting. Then the detachment of Heinrich von Plock turned north, where, having killed the rangers, on April 11 crossed the Neman. 12 brothers of the Order with 2 thousand people remained on the banks of the Neman to protect ships and food. The rest of the army devastated the neighborhood, burned 3 castles and the very next day, April 12, with booty and prisoners, they returned to the lands of the Order with impunity.
Strengthening the State of Defense of the Teutonic Order
In April 1313, Heinrich von Plockke supervised the construction of Christmemel Castle. In the same year he undertook a campaign against the castle of Bisen, which could not be captured. Then Heinrich von Plock was appointed to the post of Grand Marshal of the Order. After his appointment, he once again organized an expedition to Bisena. The army of Heinrich von Plotske burned the outskirts of the castle. however, the fortress failed to capture. Heinrich von Plock began the year 1314 with two trips to емemaitija. In the first expedition, the Medniki were attacked, in the second - Sisditen Castle. In both cases, the outskirts were burned, but the castles themselves were not captured.
Crusade to Navahrudak
In 1314, a large trip to Navahrudak was organized. After passing about 400 kilometers and leaving 2 warehouses with provisions on the road, the crusader troops attacked Novogrudok and burned the city. The castle could not be taken. On the way back, Heinrich von Plock found that the warehouses left by him were looted by a detachment of David Gorodensky. With great losses from starvation, Heinrich von Plock and the remnants of his army managed to get home.
Campaigns in Lithuania from 1315 to 1316
In 1315 - 1316, Heinrich von Plock inflicted several serious blows on the Lithuanian defense on the Neman. The suburbs of Veluona were captured and destroyed, the Pashtuv land was looted, the castle of Bisene was taken and destroyed. Von Plock made several trips to the land of Madininkai, burned the advanced fortifications of the Gediminas castle in Paugrad. Nevertheless, he failed to break through the Lithuanian defense. [eight]
Recent years
Battle of the Coppersmiths
He commanded the army of the order in the battle of Medniki , held on July 27, 1320 . The army of the order consisted of 40 knights, the garrison of Memel Castle and the conquered Prussians . The army attacked the Medinink lands and part of the crusaders set off to rob the neighborhood. At this time, the zhemites unexpectedly hit the main forces of the enemy. Marshal died, 29 knights, many Prussians. The Order did not attack the Medinink lands until the conclusion of armistice with Gediminas in 1324 - 1328 .
Notes
- ↑ Coppers - now Varnay in the territory of Lithuania.
- ↑ List of Prussian Landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia - Internet project: History of the Order of the Temple (verified August 8, 2008)
- ↑ List of Marshals of the Teutonic Order (before 1450) - Internet project: History of the Order of the Temple (verified August 8, 2008)
- ↑ Ruslan B. Gagua The Knight of Teutonic Order Heinrich von Plotzke . - Crusader, 2016, Vol. 4, Is. (2), p. 89.
- ↑ Ruslan B. Gagua The Battle of Woplawki: the Fall of Anticrusaders Campaigns of Grand Duke of Lituania Vitenes . - Crusader, 2015, Vol. (1), Is. 1, pp. 26-29.
- ↑ Ruslan B. Gagua The Battle of Woplawki: the Fall of Anticrusaders Campaigns of Grand Duke of Lituania Vitenes . - Crusader, 2015, Vol. (1), Is. 1, pp. 29-31.
- ↑ Ruslan B. Gagua The Battle of Woplawki: the Fall of Anticrusaders Campaigns of Grand Duke of Lituania Vitenes . - Crusader, 2015, Vol. (1), Is. 1, pp. 33-35.
- ↑ E. Gudavičius. History of Lithuania from Ancient Times to 1569. - Fund named after I. D. Sytin BALTRUS, 2005.
Literature
- Ruslan B. Gagua The Knight of Teutonic Order Heinrich von Plotzke . - Crusader, 2016, Vol. 4, Is. (2), pp. 88-94. (eng.)
- Ruslan B. Gagua The Battle of Woplawki: the Fall of Anticrusaders Campaigns of Grand Duke of Lituania Vitenes . - Crusader, 2015, Vol. (1), Is. 1, pp. 23-38. (Russian)
Links
- Chronicle of the land of Prussia Peter from Duisburg
- Lithuania and Prussia in the XIV Century (Historical Chronicle), A. Gubin
- Bakhtin A.P. Castles and Fortifications of the German Order in the North of East Prussia: A Guide. - Kaliningrad: Terra Baltic, 2005 .-- 208 p. - ISBN 5-98777-004-1 .