July 15, 1410, the forces of the Order engaged those led by Vitold and Yagello at Tannenberg, and there the Order met a merciless defeat, from which it never rose as a military body. But, though utterly vanquished, the Order was able, with endurance and management, to save Eastern Prussia to the Germans, and in Königsberg, the capital of that Prussia, was crowned the first Prussian king, whose descendant is now the Emperor of Germany.
Poland, before the crowning of Yagello, had been on the verge of destruction from the Order, which counted the Poles as sure victims, and included with them the Lithuanians. By the union of Polish, Lithuanian, and Russian forces, German plans were baffled, and Poland, after the victory at Tannenberg, rose high in European estimation. But Yagello, through indecision, and because of Vitold’s plans, failed much in settling with the Order. Instead of rushing straightway from the field of victory to Marienberg, the stronghold of the Order, the Polish king appeared there only on the tenth day.
Meanwhile, Heinrich von Plauen, Komtur of the Order, had led home the remnant of the knightly army, and brought in provisions. He defended Marienberg valiantly. The siege dragged on; disease struck the armies of Yagello and Vitold. Help was marching to the Order from Germany and Livonia. Sigismund, just chosen Emperor, threatened war openly. Vitold abandoned [[416]]the siege and left Marienberg, influenced, it was said, by cunning hints that by helping Poland over much he would harm his own power and position. He was followed by Prince Yanush of Mazovia, and Zemovit, his brother.
At last Yagello raised the siege and marched away from the stronghold. Many Prussian towns which had surrendered at first to Yagello returned now to the Order. War lasted till the following year, and ended with the treaty of Torun (Thorn), by which the Order retained almost all it had held previous to the battle. Jmud went, however, to Vitold, and the land of Dabryn to Yagello, but the gains were not great if compared with what they might have been.
Close relations between Vitold’s lands and those of the Polish Crown continued because of common danger from the Germans. The Order recovered considerably under its new Master. It could fall back for support upon Germany, where Sigismund befriended it. The greatest loss for the Order was Jmud, which divided Livonia from Prussia, and thus hindered contact between the two parts of the Order. Jmud prevented the union of Germanized lands on the Baltic. But a greater gain to the Poles was the act of Horodlo.
In October, 1413, Yagello, with Polish magnates, and Vitold, with Lithuanian and Russian boyars, met at the Russian town, Horodlo. At that meeting an agreement was made touching the lands under Vitold, and the land ruled by Yagello. The agreement of 1401 concerning succession was repeated. Diets which touched both political divisions were assembled at Lublin or Parchov. To effect a more intimate union, Russo-Lithuanian boyars received the same rights as Polish nobles. They were associated with Polish families in heraldry. Thus the voevoda of Vilna, Monivid, was associated with the Polish shield belonging to Leliva. A Lithuanian prince or boyar received a shield which belonged to a Polish stock. In addition, the rights of nobles in Poland, already exceptional, were extended to nobles in Lithuania and Russia, but these nobles were to be Catholic in every case. A number of great offices of the Polish kind were created. None but Catholics, however, could hold them. Thus Polish predominance in the upper circles of Russia was established directly. All heathen parts of Lithuania had been Catholicized by Yagello, but [[417]]in Russia both princes and people were Orthodox. Some Lithuanian princes were Catholic, and some were Orthodox. But no man could enjoy those new rights, or hold a high office, without becoming a Catholic.
Thus the significance of the Grand Prince of Lithuania and Russia, and the Orthodox Church was diminished, for no prince or noble could hold an office created at Horodlo, or enjoy the rights of a noble of the Commonwealth, without being Catholic. In other words, two social systems and two kinds of government were confronted at Horodlo,—the Russo-Lithuanian on one side, and the Polish on the other. Vitold’s aim in church matters was to rend the church union of Russia, to separate the western provinces of Moscow. He wished that the metropolitan of all Russia should be resident in Kief, where he himself was master, and have jurisdiction in Moscow. In case that could not be effected, he wanted that Western Russia should have its own metropolitan. Hence during the fourteenth century, more than once there were two metropolitans, one in Moscow, another in Kief, and sometimes a third in Galitch. We have seen that Cyprian, at first metropolitan in the West, outlived his Moscow opponents Mityai and Pimen, and united the whole Church in Russia. Though he, like his predecessors, lived in Moscow, still he preserved the friendship of Vitold and Yagello. He often visited the West and remained for long periods; he consulted Yagello and Vitold, and generally upheld the church unity of Russia, excepting Galitch, over which he had also some influence. The last years of his life were passed mainly near Moscow, where he translated several books, and wrote others. He died September 16, 1406.
At that time there was actual collision between Vassili and Vitold; the latter, determined to have a metropolitan in the lands under him, proposed Theodosia. The Patriarch failed to accept this suggestion, and in 1408 appointed Foti, a Greek born in the Morea, as Cyprian’s successor. Vitold was very angry, and, in view of Western displeasure with Foti, decided to have a second metropolitan. His choice fell on Gregori Samblak, who was, as some declared, a nephew of Cyprian.
The Patriarch refused to confirm this division of Russia into two parts. Not getting his consent, Vitold assembled a Synod in 1416, and, through kindness and threats, secured the installation of [[418]]Samblak. But Samblak, being a zealous defender of Orthodox interests, remained only three years in office. In 1419 he left Western Russia, and church unity was reëstablished.
Meanwhile Edigai, expelled from the capital of the Golden Horde, chose the Crimea as a new field of action. In 1416 he fell again upon Kief, which he plundered, robbing churches and monasteries. His was the first Crimean raid against Russia. Men said that the Knights of the Cross had some share in this raid. The Order struggled twelve years with Vitold after that terrible defeat at Tannenberg, and made peace only in 1422, at Lake Malno.