The Hanseatic League

Protection of the Hanseatic League



The Deutsche Hansa was created by German merchants to protect themselves and their merchandise during travel (Britannica). They provided mutual protection by travelling together. This was done because the surrounding countries were far more unified and advanced at this time. The main threat to their lives and merchandise were pirates and robbers. In order to ensure the safety of the league’s ships, the league would band together to quell the pirate threats as they arose (Britannica). The league also provided lighthouses for ship safety and increased pilot training to handle any situation that might occur. In order to secure protection from foreign nations, the league would pay foreign leaders for safe passage.  When this method became inadequate, the league would threaten to withdraw all trade from that nation (Britannica). If necessary the league would threaten organized warfare. This actually occurred in the 1360’s when the Danish king Valdemar IV threatened to remove the league’s influence in the Baltic. The league quickly raised an army and decisively beat the Danes, claiming the league’s supremacy in the Baltic. The league made sure to keep the member towns in order by forbidding fighting and limiting the robberies that occurred in this time. The league lasted until the rise of the nation states surrounding Germany and the lack of common interests between the members of the league.





The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Hanseatic League (German Trading Organization)." Encylopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014