Alexander Nevsky defeats Swedes on the Neva
1240
A young prince of Novgorod met a Swedish force at the mouth of the Neva River and routed them in a hit-and-run cavalry fight. The victory earned him his toponym, Nevsky, and a reputation as the defender of Orthodox Rus against northern Catholic crusaders. Soviet propaganda would later transform him into a national hero, and Eisenstein's 1938 film cemented his legend for the modern age.
In context
Also in 1240 (3 other events on record)
- Kiev destroyed by Mongols · Europe · War
- Ibn al-Arabi dies in Damascus · Middle East · Culture
- Tiwanaku centers further depopulated · South America · Politics
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
High Middle Ages (1000–1300), one of 1,306 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources