| Livonian Crusade | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Sword-Brothers | Estonians | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| ? | ? | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy casualties | Low casualties | ||||||
Battle of Ümera (Estonian: Ümera lahing) ,(Latvian: Kauja pie Imeras) recorded by Henry of Livonia was fought near Valmiera (Estonian: Volmari) on the Ümera river in 1210, during the Livonian Crusade between Estonians and Crusaders. The Estonians won the battle. [1]
The Estonian troops moved across the Koiva river and stopped at its tributary the next day for an ambush. The chasing Livonians and Latgalians assumed that their enemy was escaping with "their head over heels" which also had been confirmed by their scouts. The German squad was moving in front with the Livonians and Latgalians behind them.
The hidden Estonians in the forest around Ümera charged the enemy unexpectedly. The attack was a success. Many Germans, Livonians and Latgalians were killed. The Germans had tried to regroup around their banner, but as soon as their reinforcements escaped, they too fled the battlefield. The Estonians chased them and some were captured and killed on the scene. According to the Livonian Chronicle, out of 14 prisoners some were burned alive and others had been made a cross on their backs with a sword before executing them as well.
A victory over the Livonian Order was a huge morale booster for the Estonians. A message of this feat was sent to all counties and they promised to be as "one heart and one soul against the Christian name".[2]