# Battle of Orsha (1514)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1514-battle-of-orsha
Location: Orsha
Categories: battle

Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski defeated a larger Muscovite army, although Smolensk remained lost. Within the broader Jagiellonian Age period: The union with Lithuania created one of Europe's largest states. Victory over the Teutonic Order, the rise of noble democracy and a brilliant Renaissance culture marked the Jagiellonian golden age. At this point in the timeline (8 September 1514), the governing authority was Sigismund I the Old (King of Poland). Presided over the Polish Renaissance, received the Prussian Homage in 1525 and married Bona Sforza. Battle of Orsha mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Battle of Orsha mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Sigismund I the Old](https://poland-history.com/rulers/sigismund-i-the-old)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Orsha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Orsha)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Orsha](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Orsha)
- [Wikipedia — Jagiellonian dynasty (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagiellonian_dynasty)