II - The Battle of Rozhny
For more than half a decade, the Republic of Ukraine worked on consolidating the links between the Cossack clans and different factions to give the state an apearance of unity. A time of inactivity was also needed diplomatically to give the feeling than Ukraine was not that an agressive country, and thus the years from 1420 to 1426 were spended on consolidating the young state internally.
Chief Hetman Mykhaltso knew than he could not keep all the clans quiet and obeidient. The cossacks needed a common ennemy to fight united against. Many very influential Cossack chiefs beleived than the best was to attack the Golden Horde to liberate the other cossack clans. The Chief Hetman liked the idea but was realistic- the Tatars would outnumber them 5 to 1, and even with the greatest courage this attack would end into the destruction of the Ruthenian's hope to liberate their brothers, and the whole population would be enslaved. A good opportunity was needed before attacking the Horde, but Mykhaltso could not wait for it forever.
By 1426, some Cossack clans had became a little bit less satisfied with their leader's peacefull attitude and were ready to put another chief in command if the situation would stay the same for a few more years. But Mykhaltso was saved by the most unlikely nation than he beleived he could 'receive help' from.
In October, a small army of catholic knights from the Baltic region sacked a dozen of villages in Vohlynia. A Ruthenian army was send to get rid of them, wich succeeded but soon met a bigger army, comming from Riga and fighting under the banner of the Teutonic Order. It was now clear than the Knights had embitions on the region and than war would follow.
A Volhynian diplomat arrived to Kiev a few days after the event, and asked Ukraine's support against the Teutonic order. But this was useless as a band of Cossack arrived the same day in the capital, repporting than a Teutonic army was gathering on the border. Mykhaltso received the approval of most of the chiefs and it was ordered than the army should be ready to fight in less than two weeks.
A small Teutonic army of 3.000 men was repported to have entenred the Ukrainian territory, but soon they were caught up by the aproaching winter and they had to quickly return home, half of them having died in the snow. The Ukrainian commanders used the winter at their adventage, attacking the summer and returning in friendly regions for the winter.
In 1427, however, it seemed than the main target of the Order has changed. An army of more than 22.000 men was marching forward to Kiev, posing a serious threat to the safety of the Ukrainian capital. All the Ukrainian armies gathered to defend the city while the Knights were crossing the Dniepr. The forces of the Teutonic Order and thoses of the Republic of Ukraine met near the small town of Rozhny, a dozen of kilometers north of Kiev.
The battle than followed was one of the most descisive in the history of Ukraine- If the Knights would win it, they would easily take Kiev shortly after and the country would probably collaspe. An Ukrainian victory, even if undecisive, would slow the invasion enough to force them to widrawn because of the winter.
The battle ended in a bloodbath. The Knights were massacred, most of the survivors were made prisoners and only a few hundreds would escape. Even if important, the Ukrainian losses were nothing compared to severity of the Order's defeat. It would take decades before the Teutonics would dare attacking again.
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Following the anhilation of the Teutonic army, Mykhaltso led his forces into the Order's lands where they were welcomed as heroes by the Ruthenian and Orthodox population of those regions. The city of Minsk surrendered to the Ukrainian soldiers and several ennemy forts were burned. 2 years after its first invasions in Vohlynia, the Teutonic order was begging for peace.
This war ended by the coronation of Ukraine as the new regional power and the best hope for the Orthodox to be protected from any eventual new crusade. Now even the Pope turned a suspicious eye toward the potential threat against the holy Catholic hegemony in the Baltic than was becoming this vulgar federation of Cossacks.
Ukraine and It's neighbors, 1429