The Attack on Åbo was launched by the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...
on the Swedish city of
Åbo () in 1318. The Novgorodian goal of capturing the city failed, but they managed to burn the outskirts.
Prelude
At the beginning of the 13th century, the eastern Swedish expansion began to slow down. This was mainly due to the fact that when Sweden extended further east, the more resistance was given by Novgorod.
With the uprising against the Swedish king in 1317, the Novgorodians decided to take advantage of the chaotic situation in Sweden.
Attack
In the summer of 1318, the Novgorodians invaded along the coast and on 11 July the defenders of Åbo were overwhelmed, the nearby bishopric
Kustö was captured and burned down, in the fire, the bishops archives which included all of Finlands earlier history were destroyed.
However, the commander of Åbos castle, Lyder von Kuren, was able to defend the castle, and soon after, the Novgorodians retreated.
The Novgorodian attack was likely an attempt to consolidate their control over the region.
Aftermath
After the attack, the Novgorodians offensive capability was quickly exhausted, which forced them to adopt a restrictive campaign against the Swedes. The ''
Novgorod First Chronicle
The Novgorod First Chronicle ( rus, Новгоро́дская пе́рвая ле́топись, Novgoródskaya pérvaya létopisʹ, nəvɡɐˈrot͡skəjə ˈpʲervəjə ˈlʲetəpʲɪsʲ, commonly abbreviated as NPL), also known by its 1914 Eng ...
'' speaks of a Swedish attack against the areas around Ladoga in 1317, which was likely another reason for the Novgorodian attack on Åbo.
Since the two powers were incapable of annihilating the other, the two, with instigation from the Hanseatic League, signed the
Treaty of Nöteborg
The Treaty of Nöteborg, also known as the Treaty of Orehovsk (; ; ), is a conventional name for the peace treaty signed at Shlisselburg Fortress, Oreshek (; ) on 12 August 1323. It was the first agreement between Sweden and the Novgorod Republic ...
in 1323. This agreement for the first time formally established the border between the two, cutting the
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus (; ; ) is the approximately stretch of land situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva. Its northwestern boundary is a line from the Bay of Vyborg to the we ...
in two, following the course of the
Vuoksi, crossing the Savo towards the northwest, and reaching the north of the
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia (; ; ) is divided into the Bothnian Bay and the Bothnian Sea, and it is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea, between Finland's west coast ( East Bothnia) and the northern part of Sweden's east coast ( West Bothnia an ...
. following the
Pyhäjoki.
See also
*
References
{{reflist
Conflicts in 1318
Battles involving Sweden
Turku