Battle of Skuodas
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The Battle of Skuodas was a medieval battle fought near Skuodas in present-day Lithuania during the Northern Crusades.
In 1251 the pagan duke Mindaugas concluded a peace treaty with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, then in 1252 he was baptized in the presence of the Master of the Livonian Order and finally in 1253 he was crowned King of Lithuania. Apparently seeking allies against the Tatars who plundered Lithuanian lands in the winter of 1259, Mindaugas granted Samogitia in its entirety to the Order on August 7, 1259. These events prompted the pagan Samogitians to attack the Livonian crusaders.
In 1259 near Skuodas, the Samogitian army of 3,000 invaded Curonian lands and defeated the Livonian Order killing 33 knights. This victory led to a Semigallian insurrection against the Livonian crusaders, which lasted from 1259 to 1272.
