Historical Overview Section

Formed at the end of the 12th century in Acre, in the Levant, the Medieval Order played an important role in Outremer, controlling the port tolls of Acre. After Christian forces were defeated in the Middle East, the Order moved to Transylvania in 1211 to help defend Hungary against the Cumans.

Following the Golden Bull of Rimini, Grand Master Hermann von Salza and Duke Konrad I of Masovia made a joint invasion of Prussia in 1230 to Christianise the Baltic Old Prussians in the Northern Crusades. The conquest of Prussia was accomplished with much bloodshed over more than 50 years, during which native Prussians who remained unbaptised were subjugated, killed, or exiled. Fighting between the Knights and the Prussians was ferocious; chronicles of the Order state the Prussians would "roast captured brethren alive in their armour, like chestnuts, before the shrine of a local god".

The knights were then accused of cheating Polish rule and creating an independent monastic state. The Order lost its main purpose in Europe, when the neighbouring country of Lithuania accepted Christianity. Once established in Prussia, the Order became involved in campaigns against its Christian neighbours, the Later Polish Kingdom of Poland, the Later Lithuanians of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the later Russian Novgorod Republic (after assimilating the Livonian Order).

In 1337 Emperor Louis IV allegedly granted the Order the imperial privilege to conquer all Lithuania and Russia. During the reign of Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode (1351-1382), the Order reached the peak of its international prestige and hosted numerous European crusaders and nobility. Warfare between the Order and the Lithuanians was especially brutal. Non-Christians were seen as lacking rights possessed by Christians. Because enslavement of non-Christians was seen as acceptable at the time and the subdued native Prussians demanded land or payment, the Knights often used captured pagan Lithuanians for forced labor.

In 1410, a Polish-Lithuanian army decisively defeated the Order and broke its military power at the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg). In 1515 at Vienna the emperor made marriage- inheritance arrangements with Sigismund I of Poland-Lithuania. Thereafter the empire failed to aid the Teutonic Order Grand Master against the same. Thus the Order steadily declined until 1525 when Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg resigned and converted to Lutheranism to become Duke of Prussia.

Using the army in ADLG

  • There is a big questionmark over whether the infantry are even worth taking, although without them the non-knight mounted that would need to make up the third command are rather questionable.
  • A third command with the 2 impetuous HC lancers might be fun


User-contributed links about this army:
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15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

Nearly all manufacturers supply generic knights and East European infantry and support troops, so have a loot at some of the other East European army pages to find them. Those offering Teutonic knights are specifically noted in the list below. You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site.


Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
Thomas' Athens 2024 list
German Ally Ordinary included in Impetuous Elite Kn
1 more Impetuous Elite Kn
1 LF XBow
==
3 Elite Kn
2 Ordinary KN
2 LH Bow
1 LF Bow
1 LH XBow
Brilliant
==
3 Elite Kn
2 Ordinary KN
2 LH Bow
1 LF Bow
1 LH XBow
Brilliant
(5th in Athens)

200 Points Early Theme Dogs of War 2017
2 Xbow
2 Xbow Pavise
--
2 MOunted Xbow
2 Impact Knights
1 LH Javlein
--
6 Brother KNights
6 LH Javelins
Brilliant General

200 Points
3 Competent Generals
4 Brother Knights Heavy Knight impact Elite
2 Turcopoles Light cavalry javelin ------

===
4 Crusader Knights Heavy Knight impact
1 Mounted Crossbow Medium cavalry crossbow
===
2 Brothers with Spears Heavy spearmen ----
2 Brothers with XBow Crossbow
1 English Archers Longbowmen Elite
3 Levy Levy ----
2 Balt and Livonian subjects Light infantry bow ----