Tag: Poland | Batalie.pl

The Great War between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order did not end with the great Grunwald Victoria, which took place on 15 July 1410. Although many of the Order’s knights – including Grand Master Ulrich on Jungingen – died or was taken captive, the Poles unfortunately failed to conquer Marienburg, which was the capital of the Order. The war stopped and this allowed the Teutonic Knights to rebuild their forces quickly. In October, their armies already numbered more than 10,000 people, mainly thanks to Western knights who believed in the Teutonic Knights’ propaganda and fought in large numbers against Poles and Lithuanians under Teutonian banners.

The Order sought to achieve peace for itself, which is why it was looking for the opportunity to fight another (this time the victorious) clash. One of the Teutonic armies that started offensive action was the 4,000 forces of the famous knight Michael Küchmeister from the New March, who after the conquest of Tuchola set off on the fortified Cistercian monastery in Koronów to attack Bydgoszcz from there.

**The Grunwald Battle, 1410**
Wojciech Kossak via Wikimedia Commons

When Polish troops received the news of Küchmester’s departure, King Władysław Jagiełło decided to try to destroy his forces, which were at that time one of the three operational Teutonic armies. However, the Polish ruler had a problem with gathering enough people – after the victory at Grunwald most of the army went home, and the Kingdom of Poland did not have enough money to keep the troops tight. However, Jagiełło managed to form a 2 thousand force composed of court knights, local units of the Poznań voivode and also light-armed Tatars. Polish forces under the command of experienced knights Sędziwój from Ostrorog and Piotr Niedźwiecki quickly took over the village of Koronowo and set up in a battle pattern behind the city, the front to the incoming Teutonic Knights.

When Küchmeister saw the coming Poles, he began withdrawing his troops. Eventually, he was caught up by them in the vicinity of Łącko village, where he took positions on the hill. On October 10, 1410, a battle began which took on the character of a tournament, i. e. the two armies set themselves in front of each other (front of the knights, behind their squires) and duels between knights began.

**Polish-Teutonic duel**
Painting: Mariusz Kozik 2006

A break was ordered twice during the battle. During the rest, both sides exchanged prisoners of war with each other, shared food and wine, and even talked and sang about the heroic achievements of their opponents.

After the second break, in the third clash, Polish knight Jan Naszon from Ostrowiec defeated the Order’s bannerman. The Teutonic Order’s banner fell, which was a signal to retreat. Many of the fleeing Teutonic Knights and their allies were then captured by the Polish light-armed, who quickly chased and cought many opponents.

Even the course of the battle itself can be described as knightly and honorable, but what the Polish king later did was an even better example of observing the medieval knights ethos and, as we would call it in our times, a great Public Relations invention. After the battle of Koronowo, the Teutonic commander Michael Küchmeister was imprisoned in Chęciny Castle, but other prisoners of war, including many knights from Germany, France and Bohemia, allied with the Teutonic Knights, were invited by King Jagiello to Bydgoszcz. Recent enemies were treated with a royal feast, horses and the rest of the equipment was returned and then all knights were released.

**Knights of the Teutonic Order**
Mariusz Kozik for Fireforge Games

All these knights went to the western courts, celebrating the courage, generosity and religiousness of the Polish king. It was a deliberate movement, a very effective defence against the Teutonic Knights’ propaganda which they used in Europe without any scruples in order to encourage the local knights to join the “crusade against Poland and Lithuania”.

The Battle of Koronowo brought several benefits to Poland – first of all, one of the three Teutonic armies was destroyed, weakening the offensive potential of the Order and bringing it closer to the peace treaty, which was concluded on February 1,1411 in Toruń. Secondly, Władysław Jagiełło’s cleverness and noble movement towards western knights allowed the European courts to slowly expose the true, expansive and false nature of the Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem.

[The banner was used here thanks to the permission of Mr Mariusz Kozik. More of his work is available here]

Wojtek’s story begins in 1942, when a local boy found a tiny bear in the Hamadan mountains of Iran. Shortly thereafter, on the road to Kandawar, he came across Polish soldiers of 2nd Polish Corps under the command of General Władysław Anders, who, wanting to help the poor child, bought back a mysterious package from him for a few cans of food. The Poles were very surprised to see the contents of the moving and squeaking bundle, but quickly decided to adopt the bear. Corporal Piotr Prendyn decided to name him “Wojtek.”

Polish soldiers took the task of caring for their new comrade seriously. They immediately found a vodka bottle for him, from which he drank condensed milk. In addition, he ate fruit, marmalade and honey, but what he liked best was beer, which members of the 2nd Corps did not fail to treat him with.

The Poles quickly became close friends with the curious bear. Wojtek often cuddled up to sleeping soldiers, played with them, and when he grew older – he practiced wrestling with them. The defeated bear’s opponent had to wait patiently for the bear to get off his back and stop licking him. The bear became friendlier and friendlier, and happened to playfully tease random people to play with them (but mostly they were too scared to do so). For the Polish soldiers, their furry best friend became a kind of respite from the everyday life of war and a companion for their wandering through the Middle East.

**Wrestling with soldiers of the II Corps**
Source: Imperial War Museum, Public Domain

When Wojtek grew so big that the soldiers could no longer feed him from their rations, he was drafted with the rank of private, so he received a daily load of fruit, marmalade and sweet syrups. Thus began the military career of our heroic bear – Wojtek walked the entire combat route of the 2nd Corps, from Iran, through Egypt to Italy. He often stood guard with the soldiers, or guarded the Corps’ cars – preferably sitting inside, but he soon stopped fitting in there. It is said that Wojtek once even caught an Arab spy he found in a bathhouse.

**Emblem showing Wojtek carrying an artillery shell**
Source: Cassubia1238, Wikimedia Commons

He was particularly famous during the famous Battle of Monte Cassino, where he sacrificially carried heavy crates of ammunition despite the turmoil of battle and the danger to his life – and is said to have never dropped one. The image of Wojtek carrying an artillery shell was immortalized on the banner of the 22nd Transport Company of the Second Polish Corps, where he himself served. This badge was worn on uniforms and painted on the Corps’ trucks. Our brave bear still took part in capturing the port of Ancona, breaking through the Apennine fortifications and entering Bologna. For his dedicated service, Wojtek received the rank of corporal.

When World War II came to an end, the 22nd Company was relocated to Glasgow, Scotland. The local population immediately went crazy for Wojtek, who quickly became the hero of many press publications across the country. The bear even became a member of the local Polish-Scottish Society, where he was gifted with his favorite beer during a reception ceremony. It’s safe to say that the heroic bear had celebrity status in the Islands.

**Wojtek statue in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh**
Photo: M J Richardson

Unfortunately for the army, it was the time of demobilization and Wojtek’s unit was disbanded. He was quickly found refuge at the Edinburgh Zoo, whose director agreed not to give Wojtek to anyone without the knowledge of company commander Major Antoni Chełkowski. His former army colleagues often came there to visit him, and not infrequently (despite the protests of Zoo staff) jumped the fence to wrestle with Wojtek again.

Wojtek the bear died at the zoo in December 1963, at the age of 21. His remarkable life became part of the history of the Polish soldier, and he made a major contribution to promoting our history in the West. In honor of the heroic bear, more than a dozen monuments have been erected in Europe, several musical pieces have been written, and this film, among others, has been made:

Poland

The Battle of Koronowo – one of the most honourable battles of the Middle Ages

Wojtek – the bear who became a soldier

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