Calendar. On August 29, 1535, in the heart of a long and bloody conflict known as the V Lithuanian-Moscow war, an event took place, which forever left the mark on the history of the Commonwealth and Moscow. The Royal Army, commanded by one of the greatest commanders of the era – the Grand Hetman of the Crown Jan Amor Tarnowski – supported by the Hetman of the Great Lithuanian Jerzy Radziwiłł, after a month of relentless siege, she finally broke into the Starodub Fortress. It was a strategically important place, crucial for the rule of north-east borders. The capture of this fortress had not only a military but also psychological dimension. The siege lasted for weeks, and each day brought new challenges. The earth trembled from the bang of guns, the walls of the stronghold crushed under subsequent salvos, and the soldiers, exhausted, stood in the merciless rhythm of war. On the one hand, the defenders – Moscow soldiers, aware that surrender means an inevitable defeat. On the other-Polish-Lithuanian army, powered by the will of victory and the awareness that winning Starodub will be a triumph on the scale of the entire conflict. Finally, a breakthrough moment came: after a month of the constant pressure of the gate and the walls of the fortress, and the Starodub was in the hands of the Commonwealth. About 1,400 Moscow soldiers got into captivity, which shows how fierce and full of determination it was defense. The decision, which Tarnowski made after winning the fortress, forever entered as a dark chapter of this story. Hetman ordered to cut all the captured prisoners. This act of ruthlessness shook the opinion of contemporary and raises emotions to this day. In an era in which the law of war was strict and human life often subordinated to brutal rules, the massacre of prisoners in Starodube became a symbol of the ruthless logic of the 16th century conflicts. It was both a political and psychological decision – a show of force that was supposed to scare away opponents, and at the same time a signal that the Polish -Lithuanian Commonwealth would not go back from any means to defend its interests. #historia #starodub #1535 #wojnamoskiewska #rzeczpospolita #hetmantarnowski #jerzydziwiłł #siege #prisoners #woyalviwieku #memory #polskadawiej
Posted by HistoricaDayAfterDay