Vladimir the Great's Polish Campaign

Vladimir the Great's Polish Campaign
Statue of Vladimir the Great in Toronto
Date 981 (Disputed, see controversy) Location Cherven Cities Result Rus' victory Territorial changes Cherven Cities annexed by Kievan Rus'
Belligerents
Kievan Rus'	Duchy of Poland
Commanders and leaders
Vladimir the Great	Mieszko I

Vladimir the Great's Polish Campaign was a military campaign in the 10th century involving the Kievan Rus', led by Vladimir the Great, against the Duchy of Poland, led by Mieszko I. The result of the campaign was a Rus' victory.

Prelude

Sviatoslav I's rule

Main article: Sviatoslav I

Sviatoslav I became the Grand Prince of Kiev in 945. ^[1] Under his rule, Kievan Rus' saw numerous military expeditions. ^[2]

Victory against the Khazars

Main article: Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav (964-965)

In 965, he defeated the Khazars, destroying their cities of Sarkel ^[3] and Atil, ^{[2] [4]} also sacking the city of Kerch in Crimea as well. ^[3]

Invasion of Bulgaria

Main article: Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria

The Byzantines had long maintained close relations with the Rus', with whom they were bound by treaty. With promises of rich rewards and, according to Leo the Deacon, a payment of 1,500 pounds of gold, Sviatoslav I was induced to attack Bulgaria from the north. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Sviatoslav agreed to the Byzantine proposal. In August 967 or 968, the Rus' crossed the Danube into Bulgarian territory, defeated a Bulgarian army of 30,000 men in the Battle of Silistra, ^{[8] [9]} and occupied most of the Dobruja, even seizing 80 towns according to Bulgarian historian Vasil Zlatarski.

After this, the Rus' wintered at Pereyaslavets, ^[10] while the Bulgarians retreated to the fortress of Dorostolon (Silistra). ^{[5] [11] [12]}

The next year, Sviatoslav left with part of his army to counter a Pecheneg attack on his capital. ^{[13] [14]}

Siege of Kiev

Main article: Siege of Kiev (968)

Sviatoslav I ("the Brave")

The Siege of Kiev happened in 968. It ultimately ended in the defeat of the Pechenegs. ^{[13] [14]}

Invasion of Bulgaria

In summer 969, Sviatoslav returned to Bulgaria in force, accompanied by allied Pecheneg and Magyar contingents. In his absence, Pereyaslavets had been recovered and the remaining Rus' garrisons in the remaining conquered fortresses were repulsed by the Bulgarian army. ^[15] He was then attacked by a large Bulgarian army near Preslav, where he forced the Bulgarians to retreat to the city and took it by storm. ^[16] Sviatoslav appears to have been successful in enlisting Bulgarian support. Bulgarian soldiers joined his army in considerable numbers, tempted partly by the prospects of booty, but also enticed by Sviatoslav's anti-Byzantine designs and probably mollified by a shared Slavic heritage. The Rus' ruler himself was careful not to alienate his new subjects: he forbade his army from looting the countryside or plundering cities that surrendered peacefully. ^[17] Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria had ended in a victory. ^[18]

Byzantine campaign against the Rus'

Basil II

While Sviatopolk was ftocused defending Kiev against the Pechenegs, Tsar Peter I of Bulgaria sent a new embassy to Byzantium, a visit that was recorded by the Liutprand of Cremona. In contrast to their previous reception, this time the Bulgarian envoys were treated with great honour. Nevertheless, Nikephoros, confident of his position, demanded harsh terms: Tsar Peter was to resign and be replaced by Boris II of Bulgaria, and the two young emperors, Basil II and Constantine VIII, were to be married to Bulgarian princesses, which were the daughters of Boris. ^{[19] [20]}

Peter retired to a monastery, where he died in 970, while Boris was released from Byzantine custody and recognized as Tsar Boris II. For the moment, it appeared that Nikephoros' plan had worked. ^{[10] [20]} Although, this quickly changed as soon as Sviatoslav defeated the Pechenegs and turned his sights southwards to Bulgaria again. ^{[10] [11] [21] [22]}

Nikephoros' plan had backfired: Instead of a weak Bulgaria, a new and warlike nation had been established at the empire's northern border, and Sviatoslav showed every intention of continuing his advance south into Byzantium. The emperor tried to get the Bulgarians to resume the war against the Rus', but his proposals were ignored. ^[23]

Battle of Arcadiopolis

Main article: Battle of Arcadiopolis (970)

The Battle of Arcadiopolis was fought in 970 between the Byzanties and the Rus' supported by Bulgarians, Magyars and Pechenegs.

Arcadiopolis, now known as Lüleburgaz.

According to the Russian chronicles, Svyatoslav's army defeated the Greeks and began to ravage the whole of Thrace, and the outskirts of Constantinople. But the Greeks bought him off with a rich tribute. ^{[24] [25]} According to Byzantine sources, the Russians suffered a crushing defeat and Svyatoslav later retreated to Bulgaria. ^[26] Most scholars, including Russian scholars, have agreed with the version of the Byzantine primary sources. ^{[27] [28]} Although the Byzantines suffered heavy casualties, ^[29] the Rus's casualties were also heavy, probably running into several thousands. ^{[30] [31] [32]}

Byzantine campaign against the Rus'

The Byzantine emperor made his move on Easter week of 971 where he moved his troops from Asia to Thrace, gathering supplies and equipment to cut the Russians off. ^{[33] [34]} This caught the Rus' completely by surprise: The passes of the Balkan mountains had been left unguarded, either because the Rus' were busy suppressing Bulgarian revolts or perhaps (as A.D. Stokes suggests) because a peace agreement that had been concluded after the battle of Arcadiopolis made them complacent. ^{[28] [35] [36]}

Constantine VII

The Byzantine army, led by Tzimiskes in person and numbering 30,000–40,000, advanced quickly and reached Preslav unmolested. The Rus' army was defeated in a battle before the city walls, and the Byzantines proceeded to lay siege. The main Rus' force under Sviatoslav withdrew before the imperial army towards Dorostolon on the Danube. As Sviatoslav feared a Bulgarian uprising, he had 300 Bulgarian nobles executed, and imprisoned many others. The imperial army advanced without hindrance; the Bulgarian garrisons of the various forts and strongholds along the way surrendered peacefully. ^{[35] [37]}

After the Siege of Dorostolon, the Rus' were forced to capitulate. The war ended in a complete Byzantine victory, where Sviatoslav I promised to not organise a new expedition into the Balkans. ^[2]

The death of Sviatoslav I

Fearing that the peace with Sviatoslav would not endure, the Byzantine emperor induced the Pecheneg khan Kurya to kill Sviatoslav before he reached Kiev. This was in line with the policy outlined by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio of fomenting strife between the Rus' and the Pechenegs. ^[38] According to the Slavic chronicle, Sveneld attempted to warn Sviatoslav to avoid the Dnieper rapids, but the prince slighted his wise advice and was ambushed and slain by the Pechenegs when he tried to cross the cataracts near Khortytsia early in 972. The Primary Chronicle reports that his skull was made into a chalice by the Pecheneg khan. ^[39]

Tensions after Sviatoslav's death

Following Sviatoslav's death tensions among his sons grew. A war broke out between his legitimate sons, Oleg and Yaropolk, in 976, at the conclusion of which Oleg was killed. In 977, Vladimir fled abroad to escape Oleg's fate where he raised an army of Varangians and returned in 978. Yaropolk was killed, and Vladimir became the sole ruler of Kievan Rus'. ^{[40] [41]}

Vladimir I of Kiev

Vladimir the Great's rule

Main article: Vladimir the Great

Vladimir the Great became the Grand Prince of Kiev on 11 June 978 ^{[41] [42]} after first capturing Polotsk and Smolensk and then Kiev in 978, where he slew Yaropolk I of Kiev by treachery and was proclaimed knyaz of all Kievan Rus'. ^{[41] [43]} After this, he began a period of conquests, starting with his campaign against Poland. Józef Skrzypek claims that back in 981, the Cherven Cities only had a single stronghold, ^[44] and according to Boris Grekov the population of the Cherven’ Towns was Rusi’an. ^[44]

Campaign

Back then, Przemyśl and Cherven’ were Polish strongholds but Poland did not have control over this entire area of Sub-Carpathian region, it was the Czechs. ^[44]

Location of the Cherven Cities (modern–day)

Even though Mieszko I objected to this campaign, Vladimir went through with it anyway, gathering troops and going against him. Vladimir reached the Vistula and the Polish troops and commanders were beaten or taken prisoner. Mieszko barely escaped to Kraków and then sent the Rus' ambassadors many gifts, asking for peace. ^[45]

Vladimir's campaign involved taking over the Cherven Cities: Przemyśl, Czerwień and others. ^{[2] [44] [46] [47] [48] [49]}

Aftermath

After settling peace with the Poles, Vladimir returned to Kiev. ^[45] Having successfully conquered the Cherven Cities, Vladimir provided them with a strong military garrison, then subjugating and annexing them under the Rus'. ^[50] Vladimir founded a fortified settlement on their border, which he named after himself. He also built fortresses on the Desna, Oster, Trubieża, Suła and Stuhna. Vladimir managed to create an entire system of fortifications that enabled him to protect his borders against Pecheneg raids. ^{[2] [48]}

Vladimir's further conquests

He continued his conquests even further, suppressing a Vyatichi rebellion in 982; managing to subdue the Yatvingians in 983; conquering the Radimichs in 984; and conducting a military campaign against the Volga Bulgars in 985, ^{[51] [52]} planting numerous fortresses and colonies on his way. ^[53]

Further conflict over the Cherven Cities

The Cherven Cities were taken back by the Duchy of Poland during the Bolesław I's intervention in the Kievan succession crisis in 1018, ^[47] then taken back by the Rus' in 1031 during the Crisis of the Piast dynasty. ^[54]

Battle of the Kalka River

Forty years later, the Cherven Cities were taken back by the Kingdom of Poland during Bolesław II the Bold's expedition to Kiev. ^{[55] [56] [57] [58]}

Consequence

This marked the beginning of the Russo-Polish Wars. The Russian princes - first those of Kiev and then those of Halych - pursued an aggressive policy towards Poland and Polish ethnic lands until the destruction of Kievan Rus' by the Mongol Empire in 1240. ^{[46] [59]}

Controversy

It is generally agreed upon that the campaign definitely happened in the 10th century, although the year 981 is debated. Stefan Kuczyński accepts the content of the entry for 981 as reliable, with the sole reservation that the campaign of Vladimir did not take place in 981. He indicates two dates when the expedition could have occurred: 992 and 1012. ^[44]

According to Mykhailo Hrushevsky the expedition of 981 never happened, the record itself is a later interpolation of references entered in the Tale of the Bygone Years under the years 1018 and 1031. Myron Korduba and Eugeniusz Kucharski agreed on this. ^[44]

Other sources mention the years: 985, ^[50] 992, ^{[60] [61]} and 990 or 993. ^[45]

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Bibliography

• Paul Stephenson: The Byzantine wars: battles and campaigns of the Byzantine era. ISBN 978-0-7524-1795-0.
• John Van Antwerp Fine Jr: The early medieval Balkans: a critical survey from the sixth to the late twelfth century. University of Michigan. ISBN 978-0-472-10025-5.
• Mark Whittow: The making of Byzantium, 600-1025. Berkeley: University of California. ISBN 978-0-520-20496-6.