Key Facts
- Siege duration
- Approximately one month
- Captives taken
- 37 (including commander Vaidotas)
- Castle significance
- First brick castle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
- Year of siege
- Spring 1362
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Teutonic Order besieged Kaunas Castle for approximately one month. Despite its newly constructed defenses, the castle fell to the attackers. The Lithuanian commander Vaidotas, a son of the prominent duke Kęstutis, along with 36 others were taken captive. The Teutonic Knights then destroyed the castle, eliminating it as a defensive asset on the Neman River line.
01 / The Origins
In the mid-14th century, the Teutonic Order conducted sustained military pressure against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania along the Neman River frontier. Lithuania constructed Kaunas Castle as its first brick fortification to resist these incursions. The Teutonic Knights, seeking to eliminate Lithuanian defensive positions and expand their reach into the region, laid siege to the newly built castle in spring 1362.
03 / The Outcome
Following the fall of Kaunas Castle, the Teutonic Order pressed its advantage the following year by destroying the Lithuanian fortifications at Veliuona and Pieštvė. These successive losses severely weakened Lithuanian defensive capacity along the Neman River, leaving central Lithuania exposed to continued Teutonic raids and military incursions for years afterward.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Vaidotas (son of Kęstutis).
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.