Burchard von Dreiben

In 1339, Burhard von Dreiben occupied the post of Komtur Fellin (Viljandi), and in 1340 he was appointed Komtur of Mitawa . On June 24, 1340, after the resignation of the Livonian magister Eberhard von Monheim, Burchard von Dreiben was elected the new Landmaster of the Teutonic Order in Livonia.

In 1341, the Livonian magister Burkhard von Dreiben sent the order of the embassy under the leadership of the Kockenhausen Vogt to Opochka for negotiations with the Pskovites. On September 9, the peace talks ended to no avail, the Germans killed five Pskovites. The Pskovs made a devastating campaign against the possessions of the Derpt bishop and turned to the Novgorodians for help. The Livonian master sent a large order of troops to help the bishop of Derpt. In December 1341, a Livonian master with a large army moved to the Pskov border and founded the castle Neuhausen (New Town) on the river Pivzha. Having not received help from the Novgorodians, the Pskovites started raiding border Livonian possessions, and the Livonians responded with raids on the Pskov volosts.

In March 1342, the Livonian magister Burkhardf von Dreiben founded the new order castles Frauenburg and Marienburg , and then entered the Pskov domain and besieged the city of Izborsk . The Pskovs turned to the Lithuanian princes Olgerd and Keistut for help. Princes Olgerd of Vitebsk and Keistut Zhemaiti led the army arrived in Pskov , but did not fight on the side of the Pskov against the Livonian Order. For five days, the Livonian master besieged Izborsk , but could not take it and retreated to his possessions. In May 1343, detachments from Pskov and Izborsk made a devastating campaign against the Livonian possessions. For five days, the Russians devastated and burned the surroundings of Odenpe , capturing large booty. The Livonians caught up with the Pskovites near Neuhausen , entered into battle with them and were defeated.

On the night of April 23-24, 1343, the largest Estonian uprising ( St. George's Night Uprising ) began in Northern Estonia against Danish rule. An uprising broke out in the vicinity of Revel ( Tallinn ) and soon spread to all of Northern Estonia. Estonians captured and burned cities and castles where they mercilessly exterminated Danish and German feudal lords, as well as Catholic priests. The Revel bishop and the Danes who survived took refuge in Revel, which was surrounded and besieged by the 10,000th rebel army. At the head of the Estonian uprising were four leaders who became known as kings. In July of the same 1343, an Estonian uprising began on the island of Ezel . The rebels besieged the castle of Gapsal , where the Ezelian bishop took refuge with Danish feudal lords and priests.

In May 1343, the Danes and Rebel, unable to suppress the popular uprising on their own, turned to the Livonian magister Burhard von Dreiben for help. The Livonian master agreed to help the Danes, but in return demanded consent to capture Estonia. Burchard von Dreibeben undertook to return Northern Estonia to the Danish crown only after paying large monetary compensation for military expenses. In October 1343, the Revel bishop, Danish feudal lords, and Revel chapter signed a letter in which they agreed to a temporary occupation of the Livonian crusaders of Estonia. At first, the Livonian master with the army marched on Estonia and arrived in Weissenstein. In a battle under the castle, the Livonian crusaders defeated the Estonian detachment (500 men), killing three hundred rebels. Burchard von Dreiben was able to lure four Estonian "kings" into Weissenstein for negotiations, who were treacherously captured, detained and soon killed. From Weissenstein, the Livonian magister and the army marched on Revel ( Tallinn ), smashing and destroying small and fragmented insurgent units. In the battles in Harrien and near Revel, the Livonian magister Burchard von Dreiben defeated the main forces of the Estonian rebels, killing about twelve thousand rebels. In February 1344, the Livonian magistrate set out on a trip to the island of Ezel , on the way connecting with the army of the Teutonic crusaders, sent by the great magister from Prussia. Burchard von Dreiben conquered the island of Ezel, stormed the main rebel fortress, captured and ordered their leader Wesse to be hanged. Livonian and Teutonic crusaders killed about ten thousand Estonians. The remaining islanders were forced to recognize the authority of the Livonian Order and return to the fold of the Catholic Church. In spring, the Livonian master Burchard von Dreiben left the island of Ezel and returned to Livonia. After the Crusaders retreated, the Ezelians continued the uprising. In the following 1345, a Livonian master with a large army made a second trip to the island of Ezel . The Crusaders began to devastate and burn Estonian settlements. The Ezelians sent the embassy to the master, asking for peace and promised to accept the Catholic faith again. Thus, in 1343 - 1344, the Livonian magister Burkhardf he Dreiben suppressed the Estonian uprising and annexed Northern Estonia to his possessions. The former Fellian commander Gosvin von Herike was appointed the ruler of Northern Estonia. In 1345, the Danish king Waldemar IV Atterdag sent his governor Stigon Anderson to Revel , who was supposed to take Estonia into the possession of the Danish crown. However, the Livonian master, having received no compensation from the Danish king for his military expenses, seized all Danish possessions in Northern Estonia. In September of the same 1345, the Danish king Waldemar himself arrived in Revel , where he learned that Estonian cities, nobles and the clergy did not want to return to the Danish crown and wanted to remain under the rule of the Livonian Order. The Danish king, seeing the impossibility to keep Estonia under his rule, began negotiations with the Livonian Order to sell this province. In August of the following 1346, the Livonian Order acquired Northern Estonia from Denmark for 19 thousand marks.

In 1345, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd made a large military campaign against the Livonian Order . Lithuanians besieged and ruined the Order Castle of Tervete, killing all the inhabitants. From there, Olgerd moved and besieged the castle of Mitava (Jelgava). The Lithuanians could not take the city castle, but captured about six hundred people. Putting everything in his path to fire and a sword, Olgerd continued his campaign deep into the order possessions. In Sigulda ( Zegevold ), the Grand Duke of Lithuania was met by rebels against the Order of the Livs. One Libyan elder, who declared himself king, asked the Lithuanians for help, and in return promised to recognize their authority. Upon learning that the Libyan rebels wanted to expel the order masters, the Lithuanian ruler said: “Man! “You will not be king here!” And led him to chop off his head on the field in front of Zegewold Castle. Then the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd spoke on the Toreide and Kremun region, where he ravaged the church and killed Catholic priests. During the campaign, the Lithuanians killed about two thousand people and captured a large number of prisoners.

In the same 1345, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd made a new trip to the Livonian possessions, where he ravaged the surroundings of Zegevold , Venden and Asheraden .

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• Gudavičius E. History of Lithuania from Ancient Times to 1569. Volume 1. M.:, 2005.
• Wartberg Herman . Livonian Chronicle // Teutonic Order. The collapse of the crusade in Russia / Comp. A.R. Andreev, S.A. Shumov. - M.: Algorithm, Eksmo, 2005. - A series of "Secret Sects and Orders". - S. 204-291.