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Battle of Konitz (Chojnice)
Part of the Thirteen Years' War
Date September 18, 1454 Location Near Conitz, Konitz, Prussia , now Chojnice, Poland Result Teutonic Victory
Belligerents
Teutonic Order	File:PB Piast2 CoA.png Kingdom of Poland Prussian Confederation
Commanders and leaders
Bernard von Zinnenberg	File:PB Piast2 CoA.png King Casimir IV Jagiellon File:PB Piast2 CoA.png Jan Taszka Koniecpolski File:PB Piast2 CoA.png Piotr of Szczekociny†
Strength
9,000 cavalry 6,000 infantry	16,000 cavalry, over 3,000 infantry
Casualties and losses
~100 killed	Over 3,000 killed 300 captured

The Battle of Konitz in Polish: Chojnice, occurred on September 18 1454 near the town of Conitz, Konitz in Prussia, now Chojnice, Poland between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order during the inter-Prussian battles of the Thirteen Years' War. It was won by the Order. The Teutonic army had around 9000 cavalry and 6000 infantry under Bernard von Zinnenberg of Moravia, a part of the Holy Roman Empire. Bernard von Zinnenberg is in Polish language known as Szumborski. The Polish army had 16000 cavalry, a few thousand servants (who can and usually were used in battles), a few hundred infantry plus 500 mercenaries and burgers from Danzig (now Gdańsk) and 2000 mercenaries hired by Prussian Confederacy, under the command of King Casimir IV, advised by chancellor Jan Koniecpolski and Piotr from Szczekociny.

The Polish commanders were assuming that the battle, as often the case, would be won by the Polish heavy cavalry, not caring much about either artillery or infantry. They did not think that opponents would change their traditional strategy, or that the Teutonic soldiers besieged in Konitz (Chojnice) could be anything more than spectators. Bernard von Zinnenberg however had planned a totally different kind of battle.

At the beginning everything went as expected, following the pattern of many other battles between the Poles and Teutons. The Polish cavalry charged with much success, breaking the Teutonic lines, killing Prince Rudolf of Sagan (Żagań) and even capturing Bernard von Zinnenberg (Szumborski). The Teutonic cavalry tried to break through Polish lines and escape to Konitz; however infantry grouped at the Teutonic Wagenburg broke with tradition and offered a very good defense against the mounted troops. Then a sudden sally from Konitz at the back of the Polish army caused panic. Bernard von Zinnenberg managed to free himself and organised pursuit; hundreds of Poles, including Piotr from Szczekociny, were killed during the rout or drowned in nearby marsh. The Polish King is said to have fought on with great personal courage and his knights had to force him to leave the battlefield.

The Polish defeat was complete. 3000 bodies were left at the battlefield, 300 knights were captured by the Teutonic Order, including three main commanders: Mikolaj Szarlejski, Łukasz Górka, and Wojciech Kostka from Postupice. The Teutonic Knights lost only around 100 men. Bernard von Zinnenberg was however formally a Polish prisoner, since he gave a knight's word.

The battle proved that discipline and improved tactics, combined with a talented commander could win against a larger, but more traditional army. The Poles paid the price for ignoring terrain, infantry and artillery.

• Articles lacking sources from June 2008
• 1454 in Europe
• History of Prussia
• Battles of the Thirteen Years' War
• Battles involving the Teutonic Knights
• Battles involving Poland