Opposing Forces
See also: Battle of Grunwald (banners)| Historian | Polish | Lithuanian | Teutonic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karl Heveker and Hans Delbrück |
16,500 | 11,000 | |
| Eugene Razin | 16,000–17,000 | 11,000 | |
| Max Oehler | 23,000 | 15,000 | |
| Jerzy Ochmański | 22,000–27,000 | 12,000 | |
| Sven Ekdahl | 20,000–25,000 | 12,000–15,000 | |
| Andrzej Nadolski | 20,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
| Jan Dąbrowski | 15,000–18,000 | 8,000–11,000 | 19,000 |
| Zigmantas Kiaupa | 18,000 | 11,000 | 15,000–21,000 |
| Marian Biskup | 19,000–20,000 | 10,000–11,000 | 21,000 |
| Daniel Stone | 27,000 | 11,000 | 21,000 |
| Stefan Kuczyński | 39,000 | 27,000 | |
The precise number of soldiers involved has proven difficult to establish. None of the contemporary sources provided reliable troop counts. Jan Długosz provided the number of the banners, the principal unit of each cavalry: 51 for the Knights, 50 for the Poles, and 40 for the Lithuanians. However, it is unclear how many men were under each banner. According to Jan Długosz, seven out of 50 Polish regiments (banners) belonged to the Ruthenian (Ukrainian) lands of Lviv, Chełm (Kholm), Halych, Przemyśl (Peremyshl), and three banners from Podillya. Under the 40 regimental banners from Lithuania only four of them were ethnic Lithuanian, while 28 belonged to the lands of modern Belarus and another eight - from Ukraine. The structure and number of infantry units (pikemen, archers, crossbowmen) and artillery units is unknown. Estimates, often biased by political and nationalistic considerations, were produced by various historians. German historians tend to present lower numbers, while Polish historians tend to use higher estimates. The high-end estimates by Polish historian Stefan Kuczyński of 39,000 Polish–Lithuanian and 27,000 Teutonic men have been cited in western literature as "commonly accepted".
While less numerous, the Teutonic army had advantages in discipline, military training, and superior equipment. Their heavy cavalry was among the best in Europe. The Teutonic army was also equipped with bombards that could shoot lead and stone projectiles. Both forces were composed of troops from several states and lands, including numerous mercenaries; for example, Bohemian mercenaries fought on each side. The Knights also invited guest crusaders. Twenty-two different peoples, mostly Germanic, joined them. Teutonic recruits included soldiers from Westphalia, Frisia, Austria, Swabia, Stettin (Szczecin). Two Hungarian nobles, Nicholas II Garay and Stibor of Stiboricz, brought 200 men for the Knights, but support from Sigismund of Hungary was disappointing.
Poland brought mercenaries from Moravia and Bohemia. The Czechs produced two full banners, under the command of Jan Sokol of Lamberk. Serving among the Czechs was possibly Jan Žižka, future commander of the Hussite forces. Alexander the Good, ruler of Moldavia, commanded an expeditionary corp. Vytautas gathered troops from Lithuanian and Ruthenian (modern Belarus and Ukraine) lands. The Lithuanian army included three banners from Smolensk that since 1407 was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In Russian historiography that fact is portrayed as a participation of the armed forces of Russia in the battle. The Smolensk regiments were under the command of Władysław II Jagiełło's brother Lengvenis, while the contingent of Tatars of the Golden Horde was under the command of the exiled Khan Jalal ad-Din. The overall commander of the joint Polish–Lithuanian forces was King Władysław II Jagiełło; however, he did not directly participate in the battle. The Lithuanian units were commanded directly by Grand Duke Vytautas, who was second in command and helped design the grand strategy of the campaign. Vytautas actively participated in the battle, managing both Lithuanian and Polish units. Jan Długosz stated that the low-ranking Sword Bearer of the Crown Zyndram of Maszkowice commanded the Polish army, but that is highly doubtful. More likely Marshal of the Crown Zbigniew of Brzezie commanded the Polish troops in the field.
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“As one who knows many things, the humanist loves the world precisely because of its manifold nature and the opposing forces in it do not frighten him. Nothing is further from him than the desire to resolve such conflicts ... and this is precisely the mark of the humanist spirit: not to evaluate contrasts as hostility but to seek human unity, that superior unity, for all that appears irreconcilable.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)