Prisoners and Victims of War in the Military Conflicts in Livonia and Romania at the End of the 12th – Beginning of the 13th century

Authors:

Pages: 177-196
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/ISJN7151

Abstract:

The article analyzes written data about prisoners of war and victims of war during the Crusade conquest of Livonia, the Third and Fourth Crusades, and the subsequent military-political events, mainly on the territories of Byzantium, also known under the name Latin Romania at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century. Ivelin Ivanov critically examines the information about the number of victims and the fate of the captives in these two regions, related to the common policy of the Papacy during the studied period. The author notes the brutal nature of the crusades in Livonia, connected with the slaughter of men and the de facto enslavement of a large number of local pagan women and children. In contrast to Livonia, military actions in the lands of Latin Romania led to an extremely high rate of casualties among knights and nobles, especially in decisive battles. Like Livonia, where hostilities led to regional depopulation and ethnic changes, the war in Romania involved the long-distance deportation of large masses of captive local population.

Keywords:

medieval warfare, prisoners of war, victims of war, medieval Livonia, Latin Romania.

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