Battle of the Kalka River

Battle of Kalka River
Part of the Mongol invasions
Mongol horse archers
Date May 31, 1223 Location Kalka River, Ukraine 47°15′02.84″N 37°29′44.47″E / 47.2507889°N 37.4956861°E / 47.2507889; 37.4956861 Result Decisive Mongol victory
Belligerents
Mongol Empire	Principality of Kiev Principality of Galicia-Volhynia Principality of Chernigov Principality of Smolensk Cumans
Commanders and leaders
Jebe Subutai	Mstislav the Bold Mstislav III of Kiev  (POW),  Daniel of Galicia Mstislav II Svyatoslavich  † Khan Koten
Strength
~20,000 men	~80,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	nearly all Rus principalities army

The Battle of the Kalka River (Russian: Битва на реке Калке, Ukrainian: Битва на річці Калка) was fought between the Mongol Empire—whose armies were led by Jebe and Subutai the Valiant—and a coalition of several Rus' principalities, including Kiev and Galich, and the Cumans. They were under the joint command of Mstislav the Bold and Mstislav III of Kiev. The battle was fought on May 31, 1223 on the banks of the Kalka River in present-day Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, and ended in a Mongol victory.

Following the Mongol invasion of Central Asia and the subsequent collapse of the Khwarezmian Empire, a Mongol force under the command of generals Jebe and Subutai advanced into Iraq-i Ajam. Jebe requested permission from the Mongolian emperor, Genghis Khan, to continue his conquests for a few years before returning to the main army via the Caucasus. While waiting for Genghis Khan's reply, the duo set out on a raid in which they attacked Georgia and killed its king. Genghis Khan granted the duo permission to undertake their expedition, and after making their way through the Caucasus, they defeated a coalition of Caucasian tribes before defeating the Cumans. The Cuman Khan fled to the court of his son-in-law, Prince Mstislav the Bold of Galich, whom he convinced to help fight the Mongols. Mstislav the Bold formed an alliance of the Rus' princes including Mstislav III of Kiev.

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