The period embraced in “The Knights of the Cross ” is one of the most dramatic and fruitful of results in European annals, — a period remarkable for work and endeavor, especially in the Slav world. Among, Western Slavs the great events were the Hussite wars and the union of Lithuania and Poland. The Hussite wars were caused by ideas of race and religion which were born in Bohemia. These ideas produced results, which, beyond doubt, were among the most striking in European experience. The period of Bohemian activity began in 1403 and ended in 1434, the year of the battle of Lipan, which closed the Bohemian epoch. In half a century after their coming the Knights, aided by volunteers and strengthened by the contributions from the rest of Europe had subjugated and converted Prussia, and considered Lithuania and Poland as sure conquests, to be made at their own leisure and in great part at the expense of Western Christendom. The Order of Knights of the Sword was founded in 1205 to spread Christianity in Livonia, east of Prussia. After a career of thirty-three years it was united with the Order of Knights of the Cross during the time of Grand Master Hermann von Salza. Keywords: The Knights of the Cross Volume 2, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Hussite, Slaves, religion, 1434, Bohemian, 1403, Prussia, Christendom, 1205, Sword,

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