Polish Templar vs Mongols
We stood, and by God's grace defeated them.
Dear friends and confrères,
At our Brunswick Commandery estates and Templar houses in Silesia–Poland, we stood before—and we stand again.
My next video presentation is an image-rich, scholarship-first briefing on the Silesian frontier: from Legnica (1241) and the Templar commandery at Oleśnica Mała (endowed in 1226 by Henry I “the Bearded,” father of Henry II “the Pious”) to the 1242 recall when Mongol armies turned back for the kurultai—and the crucial shift in European tactics that followed. Wikipedia+1
You’ll see the new artwork slide of the Polish prince with Templars in the fight at Legnica, and the companion image for the 1242 withdrawal—two frames that tell the hinge: build the house before the battle; adapt when the storm comes. (At Legnica we learned the hard lesson: disperse, use cover, deceive, control tempo.)
What changed—and when the tide turned
1260 — ʿAyn Jālūt: In the Levant, the Mamluks dealt the Mongols a field defeat at Ain Jalut (3 Sept 1260), a watershed that halted further westward expansion in that theatre. Wikipedia+1
Fortify and maneuver in Europe: By the late 13th century, Polish strongholds (e.g., Kraków rebuilt in stone, improved engines and crossbows) and faster-reacting field forces helped repulse the 1287–88 invasion in Poland, with Polish–Hungarian coordination. Wikipedia
Inside the video
Templar & Piast on the frontier: why Oleśnica Mała mattered—charter, rivers, roads, logistics.
Legnica’s lesson: feigned retreats, missile arcs—and the pivot to dispersion • cover • deception • tempo. Wikipedia
1242 recall: steppe law and the breathing space it gave Europe. Wikipedia
From horse-archers to drones: same principles, new tools—what modern armies are re-learning about survivability and tempo.
Although this talk is prepared for the Brunswick Commandery of the Knights Templar, it pairs perfectly with our Piast–Celtic series shared through the Heritage Book Club. If you haven’t yet, browse the latest at Celtic Press:
👉 Piast–Celtic series & Heritage Book Club:
Stay tuned for the video link in your inbox. Prefer live discussion? Join our Heritage Book Club on the first Sunday of every month for Q&A, guest shares, and community research.
With resolve,
Dr. Stephen M. K. Brunswick (“Dr B.”)
Brunswick Commandery • Priory of Salem • Institute of Peace Studies
Quick links
Templar heritage & service (Brunswick Commandery): (your URL)
Heritage Book Club & Celtic Press Journal (subscribe):
Find more of the article series at https://watchman.news
P.S. Add the first Sunday Heritage meetup to your calendar and bring a question—or a book tip!