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Batu Khan's European Campaign Phase (1241)

Type Event Region Central Europe Time 1241

1241 CE was the peak year of the Mongol Empire's second western campaign (Batu Khan's expedition) sweeping Central Europe;…

Timeline

  1. 1240–1241Kievan Rus' · UkraineAfter conquering Kyiv and other Rus' cities, Batu Khan divided his forces into several routes per Ögedei Khan's strategic plan: Baydar and Güyük's forces entered Poland first, while Batu and Subutai led the main force preparing to attack Hungary, forming a pincer movement against Central Europe.
  2. 1241Kingdom of Poland · PolandThe Mongol vanguard swept through Poland's small and medium castles, sacked Kraków, and on April 9 annihilated the Polish-German allied army at Legnica; Henry II was killed in action and resistance in Poland collapsed.
  3. 1241Kingdom of Hungary · HungaryBatu's main force crossed the Carpathians; after a great victory at Mohi on April 11 they ravaged all of Hungary; Mongol scouts even reached the borders of Austria and Croatia, shocking the European states, and the pope and the Holy Roman Empire began emergency mobilization.
  4. 1241Middle Danube · Central EuropeIn the second half of 1241 the Mongol army continued advancing along the Danube, reaching as far as the present-day Austria-Slovenia border area; Batu began preparing for further westward advance at year's end, but the news of Ögedei Khan's death in December 1241 had not yet reached the army.

Sources