Third Swedish Crusade

It followed the mythical First Crusade and the Second Crusade to Finland. Viborg Castle was established in 1293 on the site of a destroyed Karelian fort as the easternmost outpost of the medieval Kingdom of Sweden.[2] After the crusade Western Karelia remained under Swedish rule until the Treaty of Nystad in 1721.[3]

The name of the expedition is largely anachronic, and it was a part of the Northern Crusades. According to the Eric Chronicles (Erikskrönikan) the reason behind the expedition was pagan intrusions into Christian territories. According to the Eric Chronicles, the Swedes conquered 14 hundreds from the Karelians.[4]

Karelians had also been engaged in a destructive expedition to Sweden in 1257 which led Valdemar, King of Sweden (1250–1275) to request Pope Alexander IV to declare a crusade against them, which he agreed.[5]

Birger Magnusson, King of Sweden (1290 to 1318), stated in a letter of 4 March 1295 that the motive of the crusade was long-time banditry and looting in the Baltic Sea region by Karelians, and the fact that they had taken Swedes and other travellers as captives and then tortured them.[6]

In the spring, a large fleet sailed to Finland under the command of Torkel Knutsson. Their goal was to move Sweden's border further east.[7] The timing was well chosen, since the Tatars had been attacking both Russia and Novgorod.

The target of the Swedish attack was the harbor and marketplace at Soumenvedenpohja, later known as Vyborg.[8][7] The place is located at the western outlet of the Vouksen, a now-dried arm, and is the key to the West Karelians' trade and exchange with the outside world, even before the arrival of the Swedes there was an older Karelian fortification there. A Swedish hegemony over the place would mean that Sweden and the Catholic Church's control over West Karelia would be secured

This campaign is not particularly well described in the chronicles. The Swedes set up a stronghold at Soumenvedenpohja, under apparently peaceful circumstances.[7] There are indications that the Swedish side was also building a new stronghold at Ladoga, at the place where today's Taipale is located. The mount is named Korela, but it would not remain for much longer. In 1310, the Novgorodians built a fortified settlement on the foundation of Korela.

The Swedish army sailed home in the fall and left a garrison in the new stronghold. We do not know who Viborg's first chieftain was, but the Rim chronicle says that he "dared to see an angry heathen in his sight", which probably means that he was a brave man.[7]

Statue of Torkel Knutsson in Vyborg

In March, Novgorod attacked and Viborg's garrison faced the sight of an enemy army in front of their stronghold. The attackers are led by Prince Roman Glebovich of Smolensk. On March 30, an attempt was made to storm the fortress, but the Novgorod attack failed.[7] According to the chronicle, a capable man named Ivan Klekatjevitch was mortally wounded by a shot from Viborg's walls, while several others received minor injuries.[7] However, it is common for Novgorod chroniclers to mention losses only among the higher command, and it is reasonable to assume that the attack cost more than one life.

After the storming attempt, the weather becomes calm and a strong south-west wind blows up, which makes the situation of the Novgorodians completely hopeless.[9][7] The fortress of Vyborg is built on an islet, and when the ice is driven away by the south-west wind it becomes impregnable to a force without boats. The weather also created maintenance problems for the Novgorod army, which presumably had its maintenance routes over the ice.

Later in the spring, a fleet arrives from Sweden and soon they go on the offensive. Now the goal is Kexholm. If the Swedes can settle down here as well, the Ladoga Karel will also become Swedish. After an assault, Kexholm is placed in Swedish hands and the Swedes establish a garrison in the fortress.[10][7] Under the command of Sigge Lake, the main part of the army then returns first to Viborg and then to Sweden.

The attack on Kexholm is a killing blow against Novgorod, it is likely that the garrison that the Swedes defeated in 1294 consisted of Novgorodians and the ties between Ladoga Karelia and Novgorod are stronger than those between West Karelia and Novgorod.

Before the ice conditions allowed for Swedish reinforcements, an army from Novgorod stood in front of Kexholm. In the fortress, supplies soon ran out, and when starvation became too severe, the garrison makes a desperate attempt to break through the Novgorodian lines in which during the beginning the Swedes were victorious,[11][12] but due to their exhaustion the defenders quickly fell along with their commander, Sigge Lake.[13][12] Only two Swedes managed to escape, the others were killed or captured.[12][7]

The news of the defeat at Kexholm probably did not create any major panic in Sweden. They were very satisfied with the recent years' successes in the east, which have radically strengthened Swedish self-esteem. However, the limit has not yet been reached for the Swedish expansion to the east and almost 30 years of war will be fought.[7] The war would be waged with varying intensity. No source tells us anything about war events along Finland's eastern border during the period 1296 to 1299. It may therefore be reasonable to assume that the fighting is down to the year 1300, when it begins again in full force.

The Crusade led by Torkel Knutsson led to the Swedish border in Finland being extended father eastwards, with the Karelians defeated they began paying taxes to the Swedes and were Christianized.[10]

• First Swedish Crusade
• Second Swedish Crusade
• Northern Crusades

• Assault on Viborg - Swedish victory
• Assault on Kexholm - Swedish victory
• Siege of Kexholm - Novgorodian victory

• Linna Martti, ed. (1989) Suomen Varhaiskeskiajan Lähteitä (Historian Ystäväin liitto ry) ISBN 9789519600611,