 the battle of aizkraukle or ascheraden was a battle fought on march 5, 1279 between the grand duchy of lithuania, led by traidenis, and the livonian branch of the teutonic order near aizkraukle () in present-day latvia. the order suffered a great defeat: 71 knights, including the grand master ernst von rassburg, and eilart hoberg, leader of the knights from danish estonia, were killed. it was the second-largest defeat of the order in the 13th century. after this battle duke nameisis of the semigallians recognized traidenis as his suzerain. ==background== in 1273 the order built dinaburga castle on lands nominally controlled by traidenis. the castle was of great strategic importance: it was used as a base for raids into central lithuania in hopes that weakened traidenis would discontinue his support of semigalians who rebelled against the order. traidenis besieged the castle for a month, but failed to capture it. historiography often claims that the order started the campaign into lithuania in retaliation for the siege. however, newer research by edvardas gudaviÄius and artÅ«ras dudonis deny direct cause and effect relationship between the siege and the campaign as the siege is dated 1274. they claim that the campaign was a result of a broken peace treaty between lithuania and livonia. the peace was concluded so that traidenis could concentrate on his war with galiciaâvolhynia. livonia and lithuania also competed for trade along the daugava river and influence in the principality of polotsk. ==campaign and battle== the livoni
Battles_involving_the_Grand_Duchy_of_Lithuania Battles_involving_the_Livonian_Order Battles_of_the_Livonian_Crusade History_of_Latvia