Siege of Tartu (1224)

The siege of Tartu, or Dorpat, took place in 1224 and resulted in the fall of the last major center of Estonian resistance in the mainland provinces to the Christian conquest of Estonia.

Background

In 1208, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword launched a crusade against the pagan Estonians, who had been raiding into the Latgalian and Livonian territories to the south which had recently been conquered by the Order. In 1219, Denmark joined the crusade, and in 1220, so did Sweden. The Estonians were able to annihilate the Swedish presence, but by the winter of 1220 nearly all of continental Estonia had been conquered by the Germans and Danes, and the population declared Christian.

Several Russian princes from Pskov and Novgorod also launched incursions into Livonia, and following the deterioration of relations between the Livonians and Pskov, the Russians began to treat some of the neighbouring counties, including Ugaunia, Sakala and others, as territories subject to their rule.

Uprising of 1223

In 1223, there was a general anti-Christian uprising in the subjugated continental part of Estonia. All Germans and Danes who fell into the hands of the Estonians were put to the sword, and some of the priests ritually sacrificed to pagan gods. The Estonians reoccupied all the fortresses after the German garrisons had been killed. In order to secure the initial military success, mercenary Russian troops were invited from Novgorod and Pskov and stationed in several key fortresses, such as Viljandi and Tartu. The identities of the Estonian leadership in Tartu is not known.