Battle of Vedrosha

Battle of Vedrosha
Part of the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars

Map of the Muscovite army movements in 1500
Date14 July 1500
Location
Vedrosha River, close to Dorogobuzh, Grand Duchy of Lithuania (now Russia)
Result Muscovite victory[1]
Belligerents
Grand Duchy of Lithuania Grand Duchy of Moscow
Commanders and leaders
Prince Konstanty Ostrogski (POW) Prince Daniil Shchenya
Strength
3,500–4,000[2]
Some Russian sources claim:
40,000 ("exaggeration")[3]		 20,000[2]–40,000[3][4] (perhaps exaggerated)[5]
Casualties and losses
Russian claims:
  •  • 5,000 dead[6]
  •  • 30,000 dead ("exaggeration")[7]
  •  • 500 taken captive[6]
 Unknown

The Battle of [the] Vedrosha (Lithuanian: Vedrošos mūšis; Russian: Ведрошская битва) was fought near the Vedrosha river, close to Dorogobuzh (then in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, now in Russia) on 14 July 1500, during the Second Muscovite–Lithuanian War (1500–1503).

In the battle of Vedrosha, Muscovite forces defeated outnumbered Lithuanian troops attacking them.[4] The Battle of Vedrosha was the first major Muscovite victory over Lithuania in the war of 1500–1503.[4]

The Lithuanian geopolitical situation after the battle was desperate.[1] Alexander of Lithuania unsuccessfully tried to even make the Crimean Khanate under Meñli I Giray and Moldavia under Stephen III begin hostilities against Muscovy, with which they were allied.[8] The only help the Lithuanians received was the Livonian Order's attack on Pskov, which failed due to dysentery.[9]

The battle is mentioned in several Muscovite Chronicles, but these generally confuse details, for example, place names (e.g. Vyazma instead of Vedrosha) and the names of the military leaders.[10]

  1. ^ a b Fennell 1990, p. 599.
  2. ^ a b Lithuanian Institute of History 2009.
  3. ^ a b Razin 1999, p. 321.
  4. ^ a b c Matulevičius 2018.
  5. ^ Alexeev 2009, p. 408.
  6. ^ a b Zimin 1982, p. 186.
  7. ^ Alexeev 2009, p. 388.
  8. ^ Fennell 1990, pp. 599–600.
  9. ^ Fennell 1990, p. 600.
  10. ^ Fine 1966, p. 213.