Prince of Novgorod (1236–1240; 1241–1256; 1258–1259) . After 1236. In 1236, Alexander was appointed by the
Novgorod Republic as the
prince of Novgorod (
knyaz), where he had already served as his father's governor. He was chosen for the position by his father, but the decision was approved by the
veche, which needed his armies. The Novgorod chronicle describes how Yaroslav left his son, Alexander, in Novgorod and took with him "senior Novgorodians" and a hundred men from Torzhok and "sat in Kiev upon the throne". When his father was called away in 1238 because of a Mongol invasion of Northeastern Russia, Alexander began to rule on his own. Alexander continued to enforce the anti-Western views of his family, which made him unpopular among the
veche. The battle is not mentioned in any Swedish sources; all accounts of the battle are from two Russian sources, which are largely inadequate. Although some Russian sources written centuries later describe its as a very large battle, it is not clear if it was a huge battle or just part of periodic clashes between Sweden and Novgorod that was exaggerated for political purposes. Soviet-era historian
Igor Pavlovich Shaskol'skii suggested that the attack was coordinated, referring to the
Life of Alexander Nevsky, the only Russian source besides the
First Novgorod Chronicle that mentions the battle, in which it is stated that the Swedes intended to conquer
Novgorod. However, according to
John Lister Illingworth Fennell: "there is no evidence of any coordination of action between the Swedes, the Germans and the Danes, nor is there anything to show that this was more than a continuation of the Russo-Swedish conflict for mastery over Finland and Karelia". The event was later depicted as being of national importance, and in the 15th century, Alexander received the
sobriquet Nevsky ("of the Neva").
1240 Izborsk and Pskov campaign In the September
1240 Izborsk and Pskov campaign, troops of the
Bishopric of Dorpat, the
Livonian Order, and the exiled pretender-prince overthrew the pro-
Suzdal faction which supported Alexander. In late 1240 or early 1241, fearing the undue influence of Alexander over the
veche and amid fears of him becoming a sole ruler, the Novgorodians banished Alexander to
Pereslavl-Zalessky.
1240–1241 Votia campaign and
Chuds by Alexander Nevsky in Koporye, during the
1240–1241 Votia campaign (16th-century miniature) In the winter
1240–1241 Votia campaign, the
Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, the
Livonian Order, as well as Estonians (''
Chud''') with support from local Votian leaders attacked
Votia. It is unclear whether or not Votia was a tributary of Novgorod at this time. According to
Anti Selart, the allies likely only intended to acquire pagan lands and convert them to Catholicism, rather than attacking Novgorod, which was already Christianized. On the other hand, the campaign was "a purely political undertaking which had nothing to do with conversion of pagans". Although the
Northern Crusades were aimed at pagan
Balts and
Baltic Finnic peoples, rather than Orthodox Russians, several unsuccessful attempts were made to persuade Novgorod to convert to Catholicism, which were resisted by Alexander.
Battle on the Ice (1242) The Novgorodian authorities recalled Alexander, and in the spring of 1241, he returned from exile and assembled an army. Alexander conquered
Pskov and
Koporye from the crusaders, executing the Votians that cooperated with the invaders. He then continued into Estonian-German territory. The crusaders defeated a detachment of the Novgorodian army. As a result, Alexander set up a position at
Lake Peipus. On 5 April 1242, in the
Battle on the Ice, Alexander and his men faced the Livonian heavy cavalry led by
Hermann of Dorpat, brother of
Albert of Buxhoeveden. Alexander's army defeated the enemy, halting the eastward expansion of the
Teutonic Order. Later in 1242, the Germans agreed to relinquish control of any Russian territory still occupied and to exchange prisoners of war. Later Russian sources elevated the importance of the battle and portray it as one of the great Russian victories of the Middle Ages. The
Livonian Rhymed Chronicle narrates the events of the battle: A Soviet evaluation presented Alexander's victories as having "saved the Russian people from sharing the fate of the Baltic tribes and the Slavs of the Elbe who were enslaved by the Germans".
Igor Shaskovsky called the offensive the largest during the feudal period. On the other hand, historians like Fennell have doubted that this victory was a turning point in Russian history. He notes that the chronicle of
Suzdal downplays the event to the point that Alexander's brother Andrey is seen as the hero. After the Livonian invasion, Nevsky continued to strengthen the Republic of Novgorod. He sent envoys to Norway and, as a result, a first peace treaty between Novgorod and Norway was signed in 1251. Alexander defeated the Swedes in Finland after they made another attempt to block the
Baltic Sea from the Novgorodians in 1256. In 1261, Alexander also made a treaty with Lithuanian king
Mindaugas against the Livonian Order, but the planned attack failed as Alexander was summoned to Sarai by the khan.
Grand Prince of Vladimir (1252–1263) Yaroslav was summoned to
Karakorum, after which he fell ill and died on 30 September 1246. At a council in Vladimir held the following year, it was decided that Yaroslav's brother Svyatoslav would become grand prince, while Alexander would receive the
Principality of Tver in addition to remaining as the prince of Novgorod. The
Rurikid princes were obliged to appear before the khans in person, pay homage to them and receive their
jarlig (patent) to be affirmed in their principalities. Svyatoslav did not go to the khan for confirmation, which caused
Mikhail Khorobrit to expel his brother from Vladimir and claim the throne. Mikhail later died in a battle against the Lithuanians in 1248, which led to
Moscow being without a prince. Alexander's older brother
Andrey was dissatisfied with the decision made at the council and he went to the khan, along with Alexander. In 1248, Andrey received the title of
grand prince of Vladimir, while Alexander received Kiev, Chernigov, and "the entire Russian land". The two returned in the autumn of 1249. Andrey began to act independently in relation to the Mongols, and after creating an anti-Mongol coalition, a high-ranking official was sent to punish the princes. Andrey fled to Novgorod, but was not accepted there, so he was exiled to Sweden. Alexander assumed the title of grand prince of Vladimir in 1252, and was therefore the most senior of the princes at the time following the fall of Kiev. Alexander faithfully supported Mongol rule within his own domains. In 1259, he led an army to the city of Novgorod and forced it to pay tribute it had previously refused to the Golden Horde. The chronicles say that Alexander had the help of nobles who "thought [the tax] would be easy for themselves, but fall hard on the lesser men". It then says that "the accursed ones," meaning the Mongols, "began to ride through the streets, writing down the Christian houses". According to Fennell: "the Tatar yoke began not so much during the invasion of Batu into Russia, but from the moment Alexander Nevsky betrayed his brothers". Some historians see Alexander's choice of subordination to the
Golden Horde as an important reaffirmation of East Slavs' Orthodox orientation (which begun under
Vladimir the Great and his grandmother
Olga of Kiev).
Orlando Figes mentioned that "Nevsky's collaboration was no doubt motivated by his distrust of the West, which he regarded as a greater threat to Orthodox Russia than the Golden Horde (...) But Nevsky's
realpolitik caused a problem for the chroniclers, particularly after he was made a saint by the Russian Church in 1547, for in their terms he had colluded with the infidel." ==Family==