The prolonged Thirteen Years' War and the increasing taxes associated with it resulted in a change in the political orientation of the common people and the pro-Teutonic uprising on 24 March 1455.

As a result of the victorious battle, the Order also regained access to the Baltic Sea, the ability to engage in trade with Western Europe, and a foothold for further military operations.

The success of the anti-Teutonic uprising led by the Prussian Confederation in the Chełmno Land in February 1454 created an atmosphere of decisive rebellion against the authority of Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen throughout the Teutonic state.

[6] After the Prussian Confederation presented an act of surrender to the crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kaliningrad pledged allegiance to King Casimir IV Jagiellon on 19 June 1454, delivered by Chancellor Jan Taszka Koniecpolski [pl].

[10] In October 1454, Grand Master von Erlichshausen reached an agreement with the mercenaries to defer the payment of their wages, allowing the Teutonic Order to continue its military operations.

[11] The retreat of the Polish forces enabled the Grand Master to resume a series of offensive actions: in February 1455, the Teutonic Knights occupied Działdowo, cutting off Prussia from Mazovia, and conducted a raid in the Chełmno Land.

[15] As a result of these actions, the Teutonic attempts to recapture Toruń and Chełmno ended in failure, but repelling the Grand Master's expedition and suppressing pro-Teutonic conspiracies required the deployment of all available Polish forces, which were lacking in other regions.

[17] Consequently, the continuation of vigorous defensive actions by the Polish side to maintain possession and unlock the waterway along the Vistula required the acquisition of new financial resources.

[17] This decision received support from the merchants who were its direct beneficiaries, but craftsmen from the Pomeranian and Lower Prussian cities opposed the necessity of bearing new costs.

[23][25] The anti-Prussian uprising in Kaliningrad coincided with the Teutonic decision to accelerate military actions, related to the approaching end of the mercenaries' payment period.

[28] The situation in Kaliningrad required vigorous action from the Polish side, however, in the changing conditions, the mercenary garrisons in the fortresses presented excessive demands and began requisitions among the burghers and peasants, resulting in unrest and desertions.

[30] After the death of the main opponent of the war, Zbigniew Oleśnicki, on 1 April 1455, the Kingdom of Poland was determined to continue its actions with the aim of total annexation of Prussia, but the enactment and collection of taxes required time.

[31] The anti-Teutonic uprising in 1454 deprived the Grand Master of the possibility to mobilize armed castle contingents and the feudal pospolite ruszenie, forcing reliance on foot and cavalry mercenary units from Germany and Bohemia.

[32] The Thirteen Years' War began in a period following military changes in the late Middle Ages and the decline of the importance of cavalry knights,[33] with infantry armed with firearms and battle wagons becoming significant competitors.

Lighter cannons, called fauconneau, firing lead balls, and handheld firearms like hackbutts, mounted on wooden frames and hooked onto walls to mitigate recoil, were also used in defense.

Difficulties with transportation and the unreliability of both the cannons and the gunpowder made from charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter led to infantry being mainly armed with crossbows, and mounted shooters with bows.

[41][23] At the same time, the right branch of the Pregolya river separated the district from the Old Town,[42] and the defense was facilitated by the partial destruction of the Kaliningrad castle in 1454, which did not provide cover to the besiegers.

[43] On 13 April 1455, even before the siege was closed, an excursion by the residents of Kneiphof to the left bank of the Pregolya river surprised von Plauen's troops, forcing them to retreat, plundering the suburbs of the Old Town.

[45] On 26 April 1455, von Plauen's forces won another skirmish against the garrison while attempting to block the district from the west, capturing the banner of the municipal units.

[56] Parallel to the attempts to provide assistance to the besieged district by sea to the mouth of the Pregolya, Gdańsk mobilized a fleet of armed ships to cut off von Plauen's forces from supplies and conduct diversions behind the Teutonic Knights' lines.

[58] Another attempt to break the blockade, undertaken by a team of 4 heavy and 10 light boats commanded by Jan Fryburg and Roloff Feldstete, manned by Polish mercenaries, was repelled by the Teutonic Knights on 16 May 1455.

[58] In mid-May 1455, the forces besieging Kneiphof were significantly reinforced by a unit of 600 mercenaries paid by Livonia,[62] who arrived at the mouth of the Pregolya by sea along the coast.

[63] Under the direction of the Hanseatic Commander Klaus Klockner, the Teutonic Knights equipped their ships and boats with assault bridges and movable ladders enabling attacks on the walls from the river side.

[59] On 6 July 1455, the Teutonic Order's forces launched a general assault on the besieged district, attacking simultaneously from the south on boats through the Pregolya and attempting to breach the city walls from the north.

The inhabitants of Kneiphof explained their switch to the side of the Teutonic Order by the failure of effective assistance from King Casimir IV and the Prussian Confederation.

[66] The Battle for Kneiphof lasted for 14 weeks and ended with the greatest success of the Teutonic Order during the Thirteen Years' War – the permanent seizure of a large urban center controlling the trade routes of Lower Prussia and Samland.

[67] Another significant success for the Teutonic Knights was the establishment of a foothold for further military operations in the undamaged Samland and gaining control over a city not covered by pawn agreements with mercenaries.

[69] The fall of Kneiphof ultimately ended the brief period of Polish rule in Kaliningrad, thwarting plans for the complete annexation of the Prussian state by the Kingdom of Poland.

As a consequence of its passive stance, the Grand Duchy squandered the opportunity to strengthen its position in the Baltic region and eliminate the eastern part of the Prussian state.

[71][72] Casimir IV suffered a political defeat in his dispute with the council of the Grand Duchy and failed to persuade Lithuania to intervene against the Teutonic Order and provide assistance to Kneiphof.