Siege of Medvėgalis
| Siege of Medvėgalis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Lithuanian Crusade | |||||||
Medvėgalis hillfort in 2010 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Grand Duchy of Lithuania | Teutonic Order | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | Werner von Orseln and John of Bohemia | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3,000 to 6,000 | 350 knights and 18,000 soldiers | ||||||
The siege of Medvėgalis was a brief siege of Medvėgalis, a Lithuanian fortress in Samogitia, in February 1329 by the Teutonic Order reinforced by many guest crusaders, including King John of Bohemia. The 18,000-strong Teutonic army captured four Lithuanian fortresses and besieged Medvėgalis. The fortress surrendered, and as many as 6,000 locals were baptized in the Catholic rite. The campaign, which lasted a little more than a week, was cut short by a Polish attack on Prussia in the Polish–Teutonic War (1326–32). When the Teutonic army returned to Prussia, the Lithuanians returned to their pagan practices and beliefs.