Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights (2)

Founded in the late 12th century, the order of the Teutonic Knights was to play a major role during the crusades, both in the Holy Land and Northern Europe. This work studies the stone fortifications built by the order in their attempts to pacify and convert Livonia.

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The original forced conversion of pagan Livonia, what is now the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, was carried about by a military order known as the Brethren of the Sword. In 1236 this order was incorporated into the Teutonic Knights following a catastrophic military defeat. The knights had always consolidated their conquests through networks of castles and fortified places, and the Livonian Chapter of the Teutonic Order built castles of stone. This title covers the developmental and operational history of these fortresses over the length of the Middle Ages. It details how the Baltic fortifications of the Teutonic Knights evolved to reflect the changing nature of siege warfare and the increasing dominance of gunpowder in warfare.