Battle of Grunwald

For the 1914 battle at the same location, refer to Battle of Tannenberg (1914)

Influences of the Battle of Grunwald on modern culture

Poland

The battle of Grunwald is regarded as one of the most important battles in the Polish history. It is often depicted by an ideogram of two swords, which were supposedly given to king Jagiello before the battle by the Teutonic envoys to "raise Polish desire for battle".

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In 1910, on the eve of World War I, during the celebrations marking the 500-year anniversary of the battle a monument was erected in Kraków. The ceremony spawned demonstrations of outrage within Polish society against the aggressive politics of the German Empire, including the forcible germanisation of Poles after the partitions of Poland. Polish poet Maria Konopnicka wrote the fiercely Polish-patriotic and anti-German poem Rota. About the same time, Henryk Sienkiewicz wrote his book The Teutonic Knights (Polish: Krzy?acy) , one of his series of books designed to increase the patriotic spirit among the Poles. The book was eventually depicted in the film The Teutonic Knights by Aleksander Ford.

Related Topics:
1910 - World War I - Kraków - German Empire - Germanisation - Poles - Partitions of Poland - Maria Konopnicka - Rota - Henryk Sienkiewicz - The Teutonic Knights - The Teutonic Knights - Aleksander Ford

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Contemporary, a festival is held every year to commemorate this medieval battle. Thousands of historical fans, many of them in knight's armor, from all across Europe gather every year in July at the Grunwald fields to reconstruct the battle again. Great care is put to the historical details of the armour, weapons and the conduct of the battle.

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Order Krzy?a Grunwaldu (The Grunwald Cross Medal) was a Polish military award created in 1943 by commander of Gwardia Ludowa (in 1944 confirmed by Krajowa Rada Narodowa) and was given for heroism in World War II.

Related Topics:
Order Krzy?a Grunwaldu - 1943 - Gwardia Ludowa - 1944 - Krajowa Rada Narodowa - World War II

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In Poland there are sport teams named "Grunwald"' like Grunwald Pozna?. Moreover, one of administrative districts of Pozna? (Pozna?-Grunwald) was named after this village.

Related Topics:
Sport team - Grunwald Pozna? - Pozna? - Pozna?-Grunwald

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Lithuania

The victory at the Battle of Grunwald or ?algirio m??is in 1410 is synonymous to the peak of the political and military power of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The demise of the Teutonic order ended the period of German expansion and created preconditions for the political stability, economic growth and relative cultural prosperity that lasted until the rise of Muscovy in the late XVI century. In the Lithuanian historical discourse regarding the battle there is a lasting debate and controversy over the role played by the Lithuanian-born king of Poland Jogaila and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the latter usually being favoured as a national hero.

Related Topics:
Muscovy - Jogaila - Vytautas

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Leading Lithuanian basketball and football teams are both called "?algiris" to commemorate the victorious battle BC ?algiris and FK ?algiris.

Related Topics:
Basketball - Football - BC ?algiris - FK ?algiris

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The term ?algiris became a symbol of the resistence to the foreign domination over Lithuania. The victories of the basketball club BC ?algiris Kaunas against the Soviet Army sports club CSKA Moscow (in the late 1980s) served as a major emotional inspiration for the Lithuanian national revival, and the consequent emergence of S?j?dis movement that led to the collapse of USSR.

Related Topics:
BC ?algiris - 1980s - S?j?dis - USSR

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Germany

In Germany the battle was known as the Battle of Tannenberg. In 1914 yet another Battle of Tannenberg took place between Germany and Russia, ending with a Russian defeat. In German official propaganda during the WWI / WWII period the 1914 battle was put forth as revenge for the Polish - Lithuanian victory 504 years before.

Related Topics:
1914 - Battle of Tannenberg

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Russia and Soviet Union

Due to participation of Smolensk squad in the battle, Soviet propaganda depicted the battle as Polish-Lithuanian-Russian coalition against evil Germans.

Related Topics:
Smolensk - Polish - Lithuanian - Russian - Germans

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Belarus

Due to participation of Ruthenian squads in the battle Belarusians depicted the battle as Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian coalition against evil Germans.

Related Topics:
Ruthenia - Germans

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