2. TheTeutonic Knights first began as holy monks serving and
healing the wounded and hurt during the crusades in Acre.
But as a higher need for armed escort arose, these men rose
up arms and became knights-for-service.
The knights fought in the papal
crusades.Yet when they came home
to Germany, they ransacked and took
over a large area of north-eastern
germany/europe.
3. They were accepted by the Holy
Roman Empire and were
sometimes used as tools by the
empire.
For many years the knights fought
against Prussia, finally gaining the
nation after more than 50 years of
war.
Driven by the recurring revolts of
the Prussians, the knights forced
them into serfdom.
4. But not satisfied with Prussia, the
Order tried to subdue Lithuania,
Poland, and even tried to go into
Russia
Yet with these multiple
fronts, the knights were
unable to gain any of
these nations.
At the height of their powerWikipedia
says, “ theTeutonic Order reached its
greatest territorial extent and included
the lands
of Prussia, Pomerelia, Samogitia,Courl
and, Livonia, Estonia, Gotland, Dagö, Ö
sel, and the Neumark, pawned by
Brandenburg in 1402. “
5. Eventually the Order was subdued and
their reputation was tarnished, forcing
them to go to extremes just to stay
afloat
From there they imposed high
taxes, and other laws, but it all went
downhill
The final blow to the Order was
when the grand master stepped
down and accepted the
Reformation, ultimately reducing
the Order to nothing
Today the Order lives in monks who
have gone back to what the Order
originally started as, healers and
spiritual leaders
