The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 7, Issue 1, Winter 2018 | Page 48

Fought in a wide-open plain near Legnickie Pole, in what is today
southwestern Poland, the Battle of Liegnitz pitted Henry II the Pious, Duke of
Silesia, against the Mongolian Empire. Henry’s army consisted of a combined
European force of Poles, Moravians, and the famed Knights Templar sent by the
Pope himself. They sought to stop the Mongolian invasion of Europe and uphold
feudal nobility. This collection of soldiers, particularly Knights Templar,
emphasizes the threat the Mongols posed to Europe as well as their military
prowess.
Figure 2. Battle of Legnica (Liegnitz), 1241. From Legend of Saint Hedwig, c.
1353. Medieval illuminated manuscript.
One of Henry’s first moves was to send his cavalry brigades to attack the
Mongol center, to which the Mongols responded by encircling the brigade and
showering them with arrows. 12 Without having adequate support, the brigade
quickly broke and fell back. Not learning from his original error, Henry decided to
commit the main body of his cavalry again to the Mongol center. The Mongols
responded by feigning a retreat, luring Henry, his contingent, and the Silesian
cavalry into giving chase. 13
A feigned retreat was a classic Mongol tactic, as it consistently deceived
their enemy and the maneuver worked perfectly at Liegnitz. Richard A. Gabriel,
Professor of War Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada and author of
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