The Battle of Pokarwis was a medieval battle fought in several skirmishes between pagan

Old Prussians Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians or simply Prussians were a Balts, Baltic people that inhabited the Prussia (region), region of Prussia, on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea between the Vistula Lagoon to the west and the Curonian Lagoon ...

and the crusading

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

on January 22, 1261 during the

Great Prussian Uprising The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Old Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took place in the 13th century during the Prussian Crusade. The crusading military order, supp ...

that followed the failed

first Prussian Uprising The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Old Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took place in the 13th century during the Prussian Crusade. The crusading military order, supp ...

of 1242-1249. After

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

ns and

Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...

ns soundly defeated the joint forces of the Teutonic Knights and the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...

in the

Battle of Durbe The Battle of Durbe (, , ) was a medieval battle fought near Durbe, east of Liepāja, in present-day Latvia during the Livonian Crusade. On 13 July 1260, the Samogitians soundly defeated the joint forces of the Teutonic Knights from Prussia (r ...

in 1260, the Prussians rose against their conquerors once again. Prussian tribes agreed to cooperate and elected their leaders. The Great Prussian Uprising started on September 20, 1260. The

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

called crusaders from Germany and Poland for help and the first large army of reinforcements arrived in January 1261. The army was split into two groups: one, led by the Count of Barby, to operate in

Sambia Sambia () or Samland () or Kaliningrad Peninsula (official name, , ''Kaliningradsky poluostrov'') is a peninsula in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea. The peninsula is bounded by the Curonian Lagoon t ...

and the other, under the leadership of the Count of Reyden, to operate in

Natangia Natangians or Notangians (; ; ; ) was a Prussian clan, which lived in the region of Natangia, an area that is now mostly part of the Russian exclave Kaliningrad Oblast, whereas the southern portion lies in the Polish Warmian-Masurian Voivodeshi ...

. The Teutonic group in Natangia met little resistance and split into two groups so that they could cover a larger territory more effectively. Though a common practice, it was a tactical mistake, because

Herkus Monte Herkus Monte (also Hercus; Old Prussian: ''Erks Mānts''; ; ) was the most famous leader of the Great Prussian Uprising against the Teutonic Knights and Northern Crusaders. The uprising began in September 1260, following the Knights' defeat at ...

, the leader of the Natangians, had been educated in Germany and expected this development. As soon as one group departed, he attacked and defeated the other. The first group had to retreat. The very next day the Teutonic group dispatched to Sambia was also defeated. This way the first wave of Teutonic reinforcements was wiped out and the Knights were in distress. The uprising spread further and intensified.

References

* {{Coord, 54, 36, N, 20, 14, E, type:event, display=title 1261 in Europe Pokarwis Pokarwis History of Kaliningrad Oblast Pokarwis