This is the 972 Battle of Cedynia. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars.
Battle of Cedynia | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Mieszko I of Poland Prince Czcibor | Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown, not more than 4,000 | About 3,000 soldiers and 1,000–1,300 cavalrymen | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Quite small | Heavy |
In the Battle of Cedynia or Zehden, an army of Mieszko I of Poland defeated forces of Hodo or Odo I of Lusatia on 24 June 972, near the Oder river. Whether or not the battle actually took place near the modern-day town of Cedynia is disputed in modern scholarship.[1]
Mieszko I, Poland's first documented ruler based in Greater Poland, had successfully campaigned in the Cedynia area, then a West Slavic tribal territory also coveted by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and German nobles.[1] While Mieszko's differences with Otto I were settled by an alliance and payment of tribute to the latter, the nobles whom Otto I had invested with the former Saxon Eastern March, most notably Odo I, challenged Mieszko's gains.[1] The battle was to determine the possession of the area between Mieszko and Odo.[1] Records of the battle are sparse, it was briefly described by the chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg (975−1018), whose father participated in the battle (Chronicon II.19).[2]