# Magnus Eriksson's crusade against Novgorod (1348)

URL: https://allhistories.com/sweden/timeline/1348-magnus-eriksson-s-crusade-against-novgorod
Location: Novgorod lands, Karelia
Themes: War

In 1348 King Magnus Eriksson led an army into the lands of the Novgorod Republic around the Neva, declaring a crusade to convert the Orthodox population to Catholicism. In August his forces captured the fortress of Orekhov, where the 1323 peace had been signed, and tried to force local people to accept baptism. The expedition was encouraged by Bridget of Sweden, who had called in her revelations for a war against the eastern schismatics. Magnus hoped to strengthen his reputation and to control the trade of the Gulf of Finland. He financed the campaign partly with church tithes, which later brought him into debt with the papacy. The success was short-lived. Novgorod recaptured Orekhov in February 1349, and the war dragged on until 1351 without territorial gains for Sweden. The crusade broke the peace that had held since 1323, damaged royal finances and contributed to the growing opposition to Magnus among the Swedish nobility in the 1350s.

## Why it matters
The failed crusade left Magnus in debt and weakened his authority on the eve of noble rebellion.

Ruler at the Time: [Magnus Eriksson](https://allhistories.com/sweden/rulers/magnus-eriksson)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Swedish–Novgorodian Wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish%E2%80%93Novgorodian_Wars)
- [Wikipedia — Magnus Eriksson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Eriksson)
- [Wikipedia — Swedish Crusades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Crusades)
- [Wikipedia — Bridget of Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget_of_Sweden)
- [Wikipedia — Medieval Kingdom (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sweden_(800–1521))