Battle of Westmark

The Battle of Westmark Part of the Riga War The Battle of Westmark, 1563 Date: 7th of Sun's Smile, 1563 Location: The Kingdom of Courland Result: Courlander Victory Preceded By: Siege of Kraken's Watch Belligerents The Carnatian League: Duchy of Carnatia Barony of Kraken's Watch Duchy of Courland: Duchy of Courland Commanders and leaders The Carnatian League: Ser Rickard Barrow Britannus, Baron of Kraken's Watch Ser Petyr Barbanov John, Duke of Carnatia Duchy of Courland: Alexander Staunton, Duke of Courland Lord Sven Staunton Ser Ulric von Aesterwald Ser Garred Errmark Ser Demetrios Palaiologos Strength The Carnatian League: 2000 Carnatian Soldiers 500 Vanir Bannermen 4000 Imperial Soldiers Duchy of Courland: 6000 Courland Soldiers 1000 Hetmanate Levy Casualties The Orenian Empire: 3500 dead approx. 600 Captured 900 injured The Kingdom of Courland: 1500 dead approx. 500 injured

The Battle of Westmark was the final battle of the Riga War, fought in 1563 between the forces of the Duchy of Courland and the Carnatian League. After the decisive Siege of Kraken's Watch, the forces under the command of the generals Ser Rickard Barrow and Duke John of Carnatia crossed the River Westermark deep into the heart of the Duchy of Courland. Duke Alexander, having retired in his palace with his combined sickness and depression, had his second son Count Sven of Curon lead the defending levy in order to protect the ducal seat of Riga.

Under the odds, Count Sven led a surprising victory against the battle-hardened forces of the Carnatian League, forcing a retreat past the River Westermark and successfully defending the ducal heartlands from further incursion. The successful battle, however, only provided Duke Alexander with a short span of a few months, later falling to the infamous Riga Coup.

Prelude

The Imperial forces had humiliated the Courlanders at Kraken’s Watch with their sudden change of mind and victory. Aleksander, feeling himself betrayed by the Emperor, who had married his sister to him, knew that there could be no returning to the Empire with such treacherous leadership. A day after the siege of Krakens Watch and the Empire’s betrayal of Courland, the Kingdom of Courland was forged. Aleksander declared himself King of an independent Courlandic Kingdom, becoming a major signatory and ally of the Axis Powers. The Empire, in turn, called publicly upon it’s banners and rallied at Griffon’s Roost, the Carnatian hold, before marching on to Kraken’s Watch and camping. Two weeks before the battle, they broke camp and fast and crossed the bridge on the River Westmark, burning fields and villages as they came to the city. Only a mile outside the city, within sight of the palace and of Riga, they camped again and began preparing siege weapons. The King Aleksander roused the army on the dawn after their arrival, gave the ‘Staunton Address’, had them armed and fed them with triple rations, before deferring command to Count Sven of Curon, his son.

Battle

The young Count Sven used his tactical intelligence to gain an advantage by placing his footmen and archers on higher ground, just below the mountainous Staunton Palace. He kept his cavalry on his right flank, his left secured by a steep incline. He ordered every archer to loose every arrow available to them, many of which found their mark on the disorientated Raevir and Imperial forces whilst the cavalry protecting his right flank was ordered to chase down the Imperial cavalry. After many hours of arrow fire and small cavalry engagements Sven was convinced that the Raevir and Imperial line had been damaged enough such that a full frontal charge from his main infantry from atop the hill would send the Raevir and Imperial armies into a full retreat or face certain death. Such was the case with many pockets of Raevir soldiers who resented retreating being mown down by the now superior Staunton cavalry with the Staunton and Dreadlandic heavy infantry mopping up what was left behind. The battle was a decisive Courlandic victory with Sven handing the news himself to his bed-ridden father.