The Battle at Kulikovo Field

Abstract

Abstract There is an enormous literature devoted to the battle at Kulikovo Field, one of the most significant events of Russian military history in the medieval period. New important research has recently been added to this literature in connection with the six hundredth anniversary of the battle.1 But several questions require additional discussion. The sources that recount the events of the battle confront scholars with unresolved problems. It has been assumed, for instance, that armies of roughly equal size faced each other at Kulikovo.2 However, the view that the military forces of Old Russia and the Mongol Horde were equal requires critical examination. There are different viewpoints regarding the coalition of Russian princes that defeated the Horde in 1380. We will examine this question in greater detail.