April 1241Reputable sourceWell documented
The Invasion of Europe: Legnica and Hungary
On the timeline · around April 1241 ·
What happened
In the spring of 1241 the Mongols drove deep into Central Europe on two fronts. At Legnica (Liegnitz) in Poland they destroyed an army of Polish and German knights under Duke Henry the Pious, who was killed and his head paraded on a spike. Days later another Mongol army shattered the Hungarians and ravaged the kingdom, sacking Buda, Pest, and Esztergom.
Why it matters
In a matter of weeks the Mongols annihilated the assembled chivalry of Eastern Europe, leaving Christendom in terror. No European force had been able to stop them; the continent lay open to the horsemen from the East.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. The Mongol Invasion of Europe · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Middle Ages → — The terror the Mongols brought Europe