January 15–
20 –
Siege of Moscow: The Mongols under
Batu Khan and
Subutai campaign across the northern heartland of the
Kievan Rus', committing numerous atrocities across multiple settlements, including the sacking of an insignificant town known as
Moscow. According to the
Chronicle of Novgorod, Moscow is a fortified village, a trading post "on a crossroads of four rivers". The village is taken by the Mongols after 5 days of siege.
March 4 –
Battle of the Sit River: The Mongols defeat a Kievan Rus' army (some 4,000 men) under Grand Prince
Yuri II of Vladimir in an engagement at the
Sit River (located in the
Sonkovsky District). With Yuri's death, so too dies the hope of any united Rus' resistance against the Mongols. Batu Khan splits his forces up into several contingents – ordering each to wreak havoc across the Rus' territories (modern-day
Russia and
Ukraine).
March –
Siege of Kozelsk: The 12-year-old Prince Vasily of
Chernigov (grandson of
Mstislav II Svyatoslavich), manages against all the odds, to hold out in his capital of
Kozelsk for nearly two months with only citizen militia. He leads a successful sortie outside of the walls – where the garrison slaughters thousands of Mongols and destroys siege equipment. Finally, Kozelsk is conquered and Vasily is slaughtered alongside the inhabitants.
Evpaty Kolovrat, Kievan knight (bogatyr), returns to his hometown of
Ryazan, which was burnt to the ground by the Mongols in
1237. He gathers some 1,700 survivors and pursues Batu Khan, attacking his rearguard, and annihilating thousands of Mongols. Finally, Kolovrat is slain from afar by siege-weaponry. Batu Khan shows admiration for his bravery and as a sign of respect, returns his body and allows his soldiers to return home.
Autumn – The Mongols under Batu Khan retire, leaving behind the ruined northern Rus' territories. He spends the rest of the year suppressing the last resistance of the
Kipchaks, while his cousin
Möngke (son of
Tolui Khan) conquer the
Alans and the northern
Caucasian tribes. Later, Möngke makes a raid of reconnaissance as far as
Kiev.[1]
July 11 –
Siege of Brescia: Emperor
Frederick II begins the siege of
Brescia. He rejects the negotiations of the
Lombard League and insists on unconditional surrender to the imperial forces in northern
Italy. This blocks all possibilities of a peaceful settlement.
Milan and five other Lombard cities are attacked. In early October, after a successful sortie by the city's defenders, Frederick is forced to lift the siege.
January –
Simon de Montfort marries the 23-year-old
Eleanor, sister of King
Henry III. While the marriage takes place with the king's approval, the act itself is performed secretly and without consulting the barons. Eleanor has previously been married to
William Marshal and has sworn a vow of perpetual
chastity upon his death, which she breaks by marrying Montfort. Archbishop
Edmund of Abingdon condemns the marriage for this reason.