Grand Duchy of Lithuania
(Seal of Vytautas the Great)
Timeline
1009	Lithuania is mentioned in a written source (the Quedlinburg Chronicle) for the first time. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c The name of Lithuania (Lietuva was first recorded in written sources in 1009 in chronicles of Quedlinburg (Annales Quedlinburgenses
1202	The Livonian Order is established, which would later pose a recurring threat to pagan Lithuania. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561
1219	Lithuanian and Samogitian dukes are mentioned in a written source for the first time, conducting a peace treaty. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania.
1251	Mindaugas becomes the first Lithuanian ruler to be baptized in the Catholic Church. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca According to several accounts, Mindaugas later personally renounced Catholicism and reverted to paganism.
1253	Mindaugas is proclaimed King of Lithuania. King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope.
1253-1263	Period of Kingdom of Lithuania.
1263	King Mindaugas is assassinated by his nephews Treniota and Daumantas. Treniota ( Troniata; ca 1210–1264 was the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1263–1264 Daumantas, later Dovmont ( Russian: Довмонт Ruthenian: Dowmont, Belarusian: Daǔmont) Christian name Timothy The Lithuanian dominion goes into a state of disorder.
1323	Vilnius is mentioned as the capital city of Lithuania by Gediminas. Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь
1368-1372	Algirdas leads three military campaigns towards Moscow. Algirdas, (ɑlgərdɑːs known as Olgierd Альгерд Ольгерд b Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of
1377-1392	Jogaila and Kęstutis struggle for power. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. Kęstutis (kæsˈtuːtıs born ca 1297 died on August 3 or August 15, 1382 in Kreva) was Monarch of medieval Lithuania Later, Jogaila contended for power with Vytautas the Great, and Vytautas obtained supreme power.
1386	Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila is proclaimed as King of Poland. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
1387	Lithuania is Christianized. The Christianization of Lithuania (Lietuvos krikštas was the event that took place in 1387 initiated by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland
1410	Lithuanian and Polish forces decisively defeat the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunwald, ending the Order's military dominance in the region. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by
1413	Samogitia is Christianized.
1539	Reformation begins in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time
1563	Sigismund Augustus declares equal rights for Catholic and Orthodox noblemen in the state. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund II Augustus I (Zygmunt II August Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world
1569	Union of Lublin. The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia Creation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic
1572	Sigismund II Augustus, last ruler from the Gediminids dynasty, dies. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund II Augustus I (Zygmunt II August The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania
1579	Vilnius University is founded. Vilnius University (Vilniaus Universitetas formerly known as Vilnius State University, earlier - Stefan Batory University and before that Almae
1655	Union of Kėdainiai. Union of Kėdainiai (or Agreement of Kėdainiai, Lithuanian Kėdainių unija or Kėdainių sutartis; Polish Umowa Kiejdańska The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Sweden agree to a short-lived union, abolishing Lithuania's union with Kingdom of Poland. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.
1772-1795	Partitions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the After the third partition in 1795, Lithuania ceased to exist.

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė, old literary Lithuanian: Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Żamojckaje, Latin: Magnus Ducatus Lituaniae, Belarusian: Вялікае Княства Літоўскае, Vialikaje Kniastva Litoŭskaje, Ukrainian: Велике Князівство Литовське, Velyke Knyazivstvo Lytovske, Polish: Wielkie Księstwo Litewskie, Russian: Великое Княжество Литовское) was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th^[1] /13th century until the 18th century. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Ruthenian (also Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages It was founded by Lithuanians, one of the pagan Baltic tribes, whose initial lands covered the eastern part of present day Lithuania, Aukštaitija. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million Lithuanian mythology is an example of pagan Mythology containing archaic elements developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European Aukštaitija (literary Highlands; oʊkʃteɪtɪˈjʌ is the name of one of five ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. ^[2][3][4] It later expanded its territory to include large parts of former Kievan Rus. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan The Grand Duchy of Lithuania covered the territory of present-day Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Transnistria and parts of Poland and Russia. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending At its greatest size, in the 15th century, it was the largest state in Europe. ^[5]

Consolidation of Lithuanian lands started in the 12th century, as marked by extensive raids by Lithuanians of wealthy cities such as Novgorod and Pskov. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in The 13th century saw the beginning of the wars with the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 It witnessed the rise of Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of Lithuania in 1253. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. The title of "Grand Duchy" was consistently applied to Lithuania from the 14th century onward,^[6]. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state emerged only at the late reign of Gediminas. Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь ^[7] During the reign of his son Algirdas, the grand Duchy expanded more than under any other ruler. Algirdas, (ɑlgərdɑːs known as Olgierd Альгерд Ольгерд b ^[8]

Algirdas's successor Jogaila opened a new chapter in the history of Lithuania by signing the Krėva agreement in 1386. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. The Union of Krewo, also known as Krėva Act (other names Union of Krevo, Act of Kreva) was a set of promises of Jogaila, Grand Duke This treaty joined the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Kingdom of Poland, and obligated Vytautas to accept Christianity on behalf of the Lithuanian people, who had been the last remaining pagans in Europe. The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to ^[9] to the Catholic faith.

Soon afterwards, Vytautas the Great acquired supreme power in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Vytautas led the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, which signified the downfall of the Teutonic Order. The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. After Vytautas's death, Lithuania's relationship with the Kingdom of Poland greatly deteriorated. The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to ^[10] Lithuanian noblemen tried to break the personal union with the Kingdom of Poland. ^[11] Unsuccessful wars with the Grand Duchy of Moscow forced the union to remain intact, despite the opposition from some noblemen like the Radvilos. The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and Radziwiłł in Polish, (Radvila Radziwill Радзівіл Radzivił Radvil is a family of high nobility which has been powerful and important for centuries

Eventually, the Union of Lublin in 1569 created the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic In this federation, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had a separate government, laws, army, and treasury. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" ^[12] During Commonwealth times, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was involved in many wars, like the Livonian War, the Northern War and others. The Livonian War of 1558–1582 was a lengthy military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and variable coalition of Denmark–Norway, Grand Duchy of The Union with Poland failed to prevent territorial losses to the ascending Russians. In 1795, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was destroyed and partitioned between Imperial Russia, Prussia and Austria. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich

Contents 1 Establishment of the state 1.1 Rise to power 1.2 Role of Mindaugas 2 Expansion 3 Decline 4 Napoleonic period 5 Languages 6 Military 7 Religion and Culture 8 Legacy 9 See also 10 Notes and references 11 External links

Establishment of the state

Rise to power

The first written reference to Lithuania is found in the Quedlinburg Chronicle, which dates from 1009. The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European The name of Lithuania (Lietuva was first recorded in written sources in 1009 in chronicles of Quedlinburg (Annales Quedlinburgenses ^[13] This contemporary account mentions little of the state or its social structure, except that Lithuania bordered Rus and that there were active pagans in the region. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan ^[14] References to Lithuania appear and in Slavic chronicles, as one of the areas that the Rus' attacked; apparently their initial raid was unsuccessful, but the grand dukes of Kiev continued to mount forays into Lithuanian territory. Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Pagan Lithuanians in the early 12th century paid tribute to Polatsk, including the Semigallians, the Curonians and the Lettigallians. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or as was often case in historical contexts of submission Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Semigallians ( Latvian Zemgaļi, also Zemgalians Semigalls Semigalians are one of the Baltic tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral The Kursenieki are also known as Curonians The Curonians ( Curonian: Kursi; Kuren Kurši Kuršiai Kuralased were The term Latgalians (latgalieši latgaļi (also spelt Latgallians and sometimes known as Lettigalls, Latgolans, or Lettigallians) In 1131, Lithuania suffered a major attack by Mstislav the Great. Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great (Мстислав Владимирович Великий ( June 1, 1076, Turiv &ndash April 14, However, as Mstislav's army was returning home, laden with plunder, Lithuanians beat the regiments which had lagged behind the main Mstislav's army. It was not the only victory for Lithuanians and it did indicate that Lithuania was gaining strength. The Russian chronicles of the time write about Lithuanians "who have emerged from their swamps, which in the past they dared not leave, to plunder their neighbours. " The chronicles also write about the "enlarged Lithuanian nation" that has an army "that has not existed since the beginning of the world. " [1]

During this time Lithuanians usually constructed alliances with one or another Rurikid ruler and apparently did not initiate full-scale attacks towards the principalities of Rus. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 At some point between 1180 and 1183 the situation began to change, and the Lithuanians started to organize sustainable military raids on the Slavic provinces, raiding the Polatsk duchy as well as Pskov, and even threatening Novgorod. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod ^[15] After a successful Lithuanian raid of Livonia in 1185, the local inhabitants built several castles in the region, trying to protect the population. Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland From the twelfth century on, the Lithuanians represented a real threat to their western neighbours and missions as well as to their Slavic neighbors. ^[15]

The sudden spark of military raids marked state consolidation process of Lithuanian lands confederation around twelfth century in Aukštaitija (Upper Lithuania),^[16] possibly by the end of the 12th century the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was already formed in these lands. Aukštaitija (literary Highlands; oʊkʃteɪtɪˈjʌ is the name of one of five ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. ^[1]

The year 1202 marked another development that galvanized the formation of the state – the establishment of a Christian militia, the Livonian Order, which posed a significant threat to pagan powers in the region. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 This threat was reinforced by the formation of other rivals, such as the Halych-Volhynia and Teutonic Order, established in 1226. The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. Eventually the most important signs of mutual cooperation and consolidation between Lithuanians and Samogitians of southeastern Lithuania was the treaty with Halych-Volhynia of 1219. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. The Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia ( Ruthenian: sla Галицко-Волинскоє Королѣвство Regnum Galiciæ et Lodomeriæ or Galicia-Vladimir, was It is the earliest documented evidence of cooperation among a large group of Lithuanian dukes. This treaty lists 21 Lithuanian dukes among its signatories, including five senior Lithuanian dukes from Aukštaitija – Živinbudas, Daujotas, Vilikaila, Dausprungas and Mindaugas. Early dukes of Lithuania (including Samogitia) reigned before Lithuanians were unified by Mindaugas into a state the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Aukštaitija (literary Highlands; oʊkʃteɪtɪˈjʌ is the name of one of five ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Živinbudas was one of the five senior Lithuanian dukes mentioned in the Treaty with Halych-Volhynia in 1219 Daujotas was one of the 5 elder Lithuanian Dukes mentioned in the peace treaty with Halych-Volhynia in 1219. Vilikaila or Viligaila was one of the 5 elder Lithuanian Dukes mentioned in the peace treaty with Halych-Volhynia in 1219. Dausprungas (also Dovsprunk, died after 1219 was older brother of Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca Probably Živinbudas was the superior among others^[15] and at least senior Lithuanian dukes were related with each other by one family ties. ^[17] The treaty was also signed by dukes from Samogitia, which showed increasing levels of cooperation among the Lithuanians. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Although they had battled in the past, the Lithuanians and the Samogitians spoke a similar dialect and now faced a common enemy. ^[18] The formal acknowledgment of common interests, and the establishment of a hierarchy among the participants of the treaty, foreshadowed the emergence of the state.

Mindaugas, one of the mentioned senior dukes, raised Lithuania up among Western European states during later years.

Role of Mindaugas

Mindaugas, duke^[19] of southern Lithuania^[20] was mentioned in the Halych-Volhynia agreement as senior, but he did not have a highest power in Lithuania then. Eventually he became sovereign ruler. Mindaugas was mentioned as the ruler of the whole Lithuania in Livonian Rhymed Chronicle in 1236. The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (Livländische Reimchronik was a Chronicle written in Low German by an anonymous writer ^[21] How he managed to acquire supreme power in Lithuania is not exactly known. Slavic chronicles mention that he used to murder or expel various dukes, including his relatives. ^[22] After securing power in Lithuania, Mindaugas turned his sight towards Slavic provinces and regions, annexing Navahradak, Hrodna and other places, which were regarded as part of Rus. Navahrudak, Novgorodok or Novogrudok (Навагрудак nava'ɣrudak Новогрудок also known as Nowogródek and Naugardukas is a city in the Hrodna Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan These regions came into Mindaugas' possession somewhere between 1239 and 1248. ^[21] After acquiring several Black Ruthenia provinces Mindaugas appointed his son Vaišvilkas to rule them, who apparently greatly suppressed the local population. Black Ruthenia, Black Rus' or Black Russia are variant term used for a region around Novgorodok (Navahrudak in the western part of contemporary Belarus Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas (also spelled as Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišalgas, killed on December 9 1268) was the Prince ^[23] An important event took place in 1236, which had an impact in the whole region: an army led by Samogitian ruler Vykintas won the Battle of the Sun, inflicting a catastrophic outcome to the Livonian Order, which never regained its full power and was forced to become a branch of the Teutonic Knights. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Vykintas (died ca 1253 was Duke of Samogitia and rival to future King of Lithuania Mindaugas. The Battle of Saule (Schlacht von Schaulen Saules kauja Saulės mūšis or Šiaulių mūšis was fought on September 22 1236 between the Livonian The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 That meant that Samogitia became the main target of both Orders, because only this land prevented them from physical union. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. The battle's outcome provided a short break in wars with the Knights and Lithuania exploited this situation, arranging attacks towards Ruthenian provinces.

Around 1248 Mindaugas sent his nephews Tautvilas and Edivydas and Vykintas to conquer Smolensk being a part of Mongol state. Tautvilas or Tautvila (died in 1263 was Duke of Polatsk and one of the sons of Dausprungas and nephews of King of Lithuania Mindaugas Gedvydas or Edivid (believed to have died ca 1253 was one of the sons of Dausprungas and nephews of King of Lithuania Mindaugas. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. But they were unsuccessful. Most likely due to this unsuccessful campaign, Mindaugas tried to seize their lands and the defeated dukes had to flee from Lithuania. Soon afterwards three men formed a powerful coalition with the Livonian Order, Daniel of Halych, Vasilko of Volhynia and partially with Samogitians against Mindaugas, war was inevitable. Daniel of Galicia or Daniil Romanovich (Данило Галицький Danylo Halytskyi (1201&ndash1264 King of Galicia ( Galich or

The Dukes of Halych and Volhynia managed to get control over Black Ruthenia, lands which were ruled by Vaišvilkas. Tautvilas, seeking support from Knights, went to Riga, where he was baptized by the Archbishop and received military support. Soon afterwards the Order organized two big raids, one to Nalša land and the other to Mindaugas' domain and parts of Samogitia that still supported him. ^[24] Mindaugas facing extremely difficult position managed to take advantage of Livonian Order and Archbishop of Riga conflicts – he bribed Andreas von Stierland, the master of the Order, who was still angry on Vykintas for the defeat in 1236. The Archbishopric of Riga (Archiepiscopatus Rigensis Erzbisdom Riga was an independent Archbishopric established in 1255. ^[24] Andreas von Stierland agreed to support Mindaugas and promised help, but he also raised the condition, that pagan Mindaugas must take the Catholic faith. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Mindaugas agreed to baptize and also give to the Order some lands in the western part of Lithuania for the Royal crown in return. He alongside with wife and sons was baptized in the Catholic rite in 1251. On July 17, 1251 Pope Innocent IV issued a papal bull proclaiming Lithuania as Kingdom and the state was placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. The Kingdom of Lithuania was a Lithuanian Monarchy which existed from 1251 to roughly 1263 The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope.

In 1252, Tautvilas and the remaining allies attacked Mindaugas in Voruta. Voruta may have been the Capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Lithuania during the reign of king Mindaugas in the The attack failed and the allies had to defend themselves in Tverai Castle. Tverai is a small town in Rietavas municipality, Lithuania. It is situated on Aitra River, tributary to Jūra, about 17 km east from After Vykintas death Tautvilas was forced to go back to Daniel of Halych. These developments signified the collapse of the coalition, and Daniel with Tautvilas reconciled with Mindaugas soon afterwards. When the fights were finished, there were no obstacles to Mindaugas holding his royal crown and in 1253 he was crowned as King of Lithuania most likely in Vilnius, where Mindaugas had his court and newly built Cathedral. King of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. Vilnius Cathedral (Vilniaus Šv Stanislovo ir Šv Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. ^[25]

Pope Innocent IV supported Mindaugas, because he hoped the new Catholic state could stop the raids of Mongols-Tatars. Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups ^[21] To strengthen Christianity in the state there was appointed Bishop of Lithuania, firstly was introduced Dominican Vito and in 1254, Christian. The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is However, as later events showed, Lithuanians were not prepared to accept Christianity. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million

During later years Mindaugas tried to expand his influence in the Polatsk, a major center of commerce in the Daugava River basin, and Pinsk. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina Заходняя Дзвiна za'xodnʲaja dzʲvʲi'na Dźwina Düna Väina Pinsk (Пінск a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and ^[21] He also conducted peace with Halych-Volhynia, and arranged marriage between his daughter and Svarn, son of Daniel of Volhynia and future ruler of Lithuania. Shvarn or Švarnas, known also by his Christian name John ( Ioann) was the Knyaz of Galicia, Grand Prince of Lithuania In 1255, Mindaugas got permission from Pope Alexander IV to crown one of his sons as King of Lithuania. Pope Alexander IV (1199 or ca 1185 &ndash May 25 1261) was Pope from 1254 until his death

The Teutonic Order used this period to strengthen its position in parts of Samogitia and Livonia, but in 1259 the Order lost the Battle of Skuodas and in 1260 the Battle of Durbe. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Skuodas is a city in the Klaipeda County, northwestern Lithuania, on the border with Latvia. The Battle of Durbe (Durbes kauja Durbės mūšis was a medieval Battle fought near Durbe, 23 km east of Liepāja, in present-day The later one encouraged the Prussians, conquered by the Order, to rebel against the Knights. "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took Encouraged by Treniota, his nephew, Mindaugas broke the peace with the Order, took the Samogitians under his own jurisdiction again and tried to use the situation among rebelling Baltic tribes to his favor. Treniota ( Troniata; ca 1210–1264 was the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1263–1264 Chronicles mention that he also relapsed into his old beliefs. Lithuanian mythology is an example of pagan Mythology containing archaic elements developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries

Mindaugas made a deal with Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod and marched against the Order. Saint Alexander Nevsky (Алекса́ндр Яросла́вич Не́вский in Russian; transliteration Aleksandr Yaroslavich Nevskij) ( May 30 Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Treniota led the army to Cēsis and against Masovia hoping to encourage conquered Baltic tribes to rebel against the Knights. Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland Masovia or Mazovia (Mazowsze is a geographic and historic region situated in eastern Poland 's Masovian Plain. Nevertheless campaign did not reach its goal in the end and relationships between Mindaugas and Treniota deteriorated, who together with Daumantas assassinated Mindaugas and his two sons, Ruklys and Rupeikis in 1263. Daumantas, later Dovmont ( Russian: Довмонт Ruthenian: Dowmont, Belarusian: Daǔmont) Christian name Timothy ^[26]

State lapsed into years of internal fights.

Expansion

After Mindaugas' death, Treniota took over the title of Grand Duke. However, his power was fragile and less than a year later, in 1264 he was killed by Mindaugas' son Vaišvilkas and his ally from Volhynia, Svarn. Vaišelga or Vaišvilkas (also spelled as Vojszalak, Vojšalk, Vaišalgas, killed on December 9 1268) was the Prince Shvarn or Švarnas, known also by his Christian name John ( Ioann) was the Knyaz of Galicia, Grand Prince of Lithuania Daumantas ran away to Pskov, was baptized as Timofei and ruled there successfully in 1266-1299. Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in Vaišvilkas, once a fierce pagan who later became devoted Orthodox, after three years or rule transferred Grand Duke title to Svarn. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Unstable political situation in Lithuania resulted lack support to the rebelling Balts, which were initially supported by Mindaugas and Treniota, thus Baltic rebellion slowly began to calm down.

Svarn took power in 1267. It is likely that he was unable to take control of the entire Lithuania and ruled only southern parts. ^[21] At the same time Vaišvilkas was killed by Lev Danylovich, brother of Svarn, who was angry on Vaišvilkas, because he did not transfer supreme power to rule Lithuania for him. Lev I of Galicia (Лев Данилович Lev Danylovich (born ca

In 1268 Pope Clement IV issued a papal bull, which granted permission to King of Bohemia Ottokar II to resurrect Kingdom of Lithuania. Pope Clement IV ( Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, November 23, year ca 1195 &ndash November 29, 1268 in Viterbo) born Gui Faucoi A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Ottokar II may refer to Ottokar II of Bohemia Ottokar II of Styria The Kingdom of Lithuania was a Lithuanian Monarchy which existed from 1251 to roughly 1263 In the same year King and soldiers from Bohemia, Austria, through Poland, arrived in Prussia and preparations for the assault on Lithuania started, but due to the bad weather the campaign did not occur. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state After one year Svarn was removed from the throne by the pagan Traidenis, the illustrious Duke of Kernavė. Traidenis or Troyden (died in 1282 was the Grand Duke Lithuania from 1270 (or 1269 till 1282 Kernavė, a medieval Capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, today is a tourist and archeological village (with ^[26] It was at this time thereabouts some referred to it as the Lithuanian Empire and it was marked as such in some older map atlases, though whether it referred to itself as such isn't clear.

Traidenis began to wage war with Halych-Volhynia in 1274-1276 and he emerged victorious, finally conquering Black Ruthenia. Black Ruthenia, Black Rus' or Black Russia are variant term used for a region around Novgorodok (Navahrudak in the western part of contemporary Belarus Traidenis was also successful in fighting with the Livonian Order. The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 In 1270 he won the Battle of Karuse, fought on ice near Saaremaa. Battle of Karuse or Battle on the Ice was fought on February 16 1270 between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Livonian Order Saaremaa is the largest Island belonging to Estonia, measuring 2673 km². In 1279 the Order attacked Lithuanian lands and even reached Traidenis' main seat in Kernavė, but on the way back they suffered a great defeat in the Battle of Aizkraukle. Kernavė, a medieval Capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, today is a tourist and archeological village (with The Battle of Aizkraukle or Ascheraden was a battle fought on March 5 1279 between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by Traidenis After the battle, Semigallians rebelled and acknowledged Lithuania's superiority. Semigallians ( Latvian Zemgaļi, also Zemgalians Semigalls Semigalians are one of the Baltic tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral ^[21] Traidenis waged several more campaigns but in 1282 he died.

There is uncertainty as to who were the Grand Dukes of Lithuania after Traidenis' death. In 1285, chronicles mention Daumantas as Grand Duke. Daumantas or Dovmont was the Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1282/1283-1285 He attacked Tver and was severely wounded or even killed. Tver (Тверь is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Tver Oblast. ^[21] The first Gediminid to rule Lithuania was Butigeidis, who died in 1290 or 1292, and his brother and sub-monarch Butvydas (also known as Pukuveras) inherited the crown. The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania Butigeidis ( Budikid) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1285 to 1291 Butvydas or Pukuveras (also known as Боудивидъ Liutauras, Pukuwer or Pucuwerus, died in 1295 was the Grand Duke of Butvydas was father of Vytenis and Gediminas. Vytenis was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from c 1295 to c 1316 Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь He died in 1296, leaving the throne to Vytenis.

Vytenis was the first ruler from the Gediminids dynasty who ruled Lithuania for considerably long time. The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania ^[27] Vytenis was mentioned as king and overlord of Lithuania in 1296. Under his reign, the construction of castles network alongside Nemunas begun in end of the 13th century. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Gradually this network of castles developed into the main outpost and defensive structures against the Teutonic Order.

Vytenis' reign saw constant warfare with the surrounding lands, particularly with the Order, the Kingdom of Poland, and Ruthenian provinces. In 1295 an army led by Vytenis plundered Polish lands. These attacks on Polish lands continued until 1306. At the 13th century the Kingdom of Poland existed only in the hearts and memories of various Polish noblemen as these years witnessed disintegration of the Kingdom. Vytenis used this situation to his state needs and later on he supported Polish pretender to the Kingdom's throne. Vytenis also intervened into Duchy of Masovia affairs, as Duke of Masovia Boleslaw II has been married to Lithuanian princes Gaudemunda. The Duchy of Masovia (Księstwo Mazowieckie was a Duchy formed when the Kingdom of Poland fragmented in 1138. Gaudemunda Sophia Princess of Lithuania (also Gaudimantė; ca

In the late 13th century conflict between Riga citizens and Teutonic Knights arose and Vytenis offered aid to citizens of the city by sending a Lithuanian garrison to them in 1298. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. The Lithuanian garrison had duty to protect city from the Knights. Lithuanians remained in the city until 1313. ^[28] Securing positions in Riga provided fordable situation to strengthen trade routes in the region and organize military campaigns towards the Teutonic Order and Ruthenian provinces. Between 1298 and 1313 Vytenis arranged around eleven military campaigns into Prussian lands controlled by the Order, inflicting a series of defeats to the foe. ^[29] Around 1307, Polatsk was annexed by military force. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river ^[30] The annexation of Polatsk led to securing important trade route which enabled consistent trade in the region and also increased Lithuania's influence on remaining Ruthenian provinces.

Vytenis arranged several more military raids into lands ruled by the Teutonic Order until 1315 and for the last time he went into contemporary writing sources at the end of 1315. Further faith of Vytenis is unknown; nevertheless Grand Duke title passed to his brother Gediminas,^[31] the sub-monarch reigning in Samogitia and probably in Trakai while Vytenis was still alive. Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Senieji Trakai (literally "Old" Trakai is a historic Lithuanian village located 3 km east of Trakai, with 1500 inhabitants As sovereign ruler Gediminas exchanged Trakai seat to Vilnius. ^[32][33]

The expansion reached its heights under Gediminas, who created a strong central government and established an empire, which later spread from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. Kaunas Castle is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century in the Gothic Gediminas (ca 1275 – winter 1341 was the Monarch of medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the title lt didysis kunigaikštis (вялікі князь The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. In 1320, most of the principalities of Western Rus' were either vassalized or annexed by Lithuania. In 1321 Gediminas captured Kiev sending Stanislav, the last Rurikid to ever rule Kiev, into exile. The Battle on the Irpen' River (as referred to in historic Chronicles occurred in 1321 between the armies of Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Prince ( Knyaz) Stanislav of Kiev was the last Kiev ruler of the Rurik Dynasty. The Rurik Dynasty was the ruling Dynasty of Kievan Rus', the successor Russian principalities and early united Russia, from 862 to 1598 Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Gediminas also re-established the permanent capital of Lithuania in Vilnius, which was presumably moved from Trakai in 1323. Senieji Trakai (literally "Old" Trakai is a historic Lithuanian village located 3 km east of Trakai, with 1500 inhabitants

Lithuania was in an ideal position to inherit west and south part of Kievan Rus'. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan While almost every other state around it had been plundered or defeated by the Mongols, their hordes never reached as far north as Lithuania and its territory was left untouched. The Mongol invasion of Rus' was heralded by the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223 between Subutai 's reconnaissance unit and the combined force The expansion of Lithuania was also accelerated because of the weak control the Mongols had over the areas they had conquered. (Rus' principalities were never incorporated directly into the Golden Horde. This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. Instead, they were always vassal states with a fair degree of independence. ) The rise of Lithuania occurred at the ideal time when they could expand while meeting very little resistance in the territories populated by East Slavs and only limited opposition from the Mongols.

The Lithuanian state was not built only on military aggression. Its existence always depended on diplomacy just as much as on arms. Most, while not all, cities it annexed were never defeated in battle but agreed to be vassals of Lithuania. Since most of them were already vassals of the Golden Horde or of Grand Prince of Moscow, such decision was not one of giving up independence but rather of exchanging one master for another. This is a list of Princes and Grand Princes of Russian Principality Moscow. This can be seen in the case of Novgorod, which was often brought into the Lithuanian sphere of influence and became an occasional dependency of Lithuania. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod ^[34] Rather, Lithuanian control was the result of internal frictions within the city, which attempted to escape submission to Russia. This method of building the state was, however, unstable. The change of internal politics within a city could pull it out of Lithuania's control, as happened on a number of occasions with Novgorod and other Russian cities.

Lithuania was Christianized in 1387. The Christianization of Lithuania (Lietuvos krikštas was the event that took place in 1387 initiated by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jan Matejko ( (also known as Jan Mateyko; June 24 1838 Free City of Kraków; - November 1 1893 Kraków) was a Polish painter The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie is a Royal palace and official residence of the Polish monarchs, located at the Plac Zamkowy in Christianization was led by Jogaila, who personally translated Christian prayers into the Lithuanian language. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. ^[35] The state reached a peak under Vytautas the Great, who reigned from 1392 to 1430. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Vytautas was one of the most famous rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was the Grand Duke from 1401-1430, also the Prince of Hrodna (1370-1382) and the Prince of Lutsk (1387-1389). The Title grand duke (in Latin, magnus dux; in Spanish, gran duque; in Russian, Великий Герцог Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a Lutsk (Луцьк translit Luts’k, Łuck is a city located by the Styr River in north-western Ukraine. Vytautas was the son of Kęstutis, cousin of Jogaila, who became King of Poland in 1386, and grandfather of Vasili II of Russia. Kęstutis (kæsˈtuːtıs born ca 1297 died on August 3 or August 15, 1382 in Kreva) was Monarch of medieval Lithuania Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. Vasily II Vasiliyevich Tyomniy (Blind (Василий II Васильевич Тёмный in Russian) ( March 10, 1415 – March 27, 1462 In 1410 Vytautas himself commanded the forces of the Grand Duchy in the Battle of Grunwald (also called the Battle of Tannenberg or Žalgirio mūšis). The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by The battle ended in a decisive Polish-Lithuanian victory. Vytautas backed economic development of his state and introduced many reforms. Under his rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania slowly became more centralized, as the governors loyal to Vytautas replaced local princes with dynastic ties to the throne. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Lithuanian nobility. During Vytautas' rule Radziwill and Goštautas families started to gain influence. Radziwiłł in Polish, (Radvila Radziwill Радзівіл Radzivił Radvil is a family of high nobility which has been powerful and important for centuries Goštautai was a Lithuanian noble family one of the most influential families in the 14-16th centuries

"You have made and pronounced a decision over the Samogitian [Lower land] lands that are our inheritance and our fatherland, lawfully passed on by our ancestors. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. And even now we hold it in our possession; it is and always was one and the same land of Lithuania, because there is one language and one people. As the Samogitian land is lower than the Lithuania land, it is called Samogitia, because in the Lithuanian language lowland is called in this name. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Samogitians call Lithuania as Aukštaitija [High land], because looking from the lowland it is a highland. Aukštaitija (literary Highlands; oʊkʃteɪtɪˈjʌ is the name of one of five ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. From ancient times Samogitians call themselves as Lithuanians and never as Samogitians; and for this sameness we do not write about Samogitia, because all is one, one land and one people. "

Vytautas the Great. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Letter to Emperor of Holy Roman Empire Sigismund. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund ( February 14, 1368 – December 9, 1420. 03. 11[36]

Decline

The speedy expansion of Russia soon put it into a position to rival Lithuania, however, and after the annexation of Novgorod in 1478 Russia was unquestionably the preeminent state in Northeast Europe. Between 1492 and 1508 Ivan III, after winning the key Battle of Vedrosha, regained such ancient lands of Rus as Chernigov and Bryansk. Ivan III Vasilevich (Иван III Васильевич ( 22 January 1440, Moscow – 27 October 1505, Moscow also known as Ivan the Great Battle of Vedrosha was one of the greatest Battles in the medieval history of Russia. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan Chernihiv, also referred to as Chernigov (Чернігів Чернигов Чарнігаў is a historic city in northern Ukraine. Bryansk01jpg|thumb|left|200px|Forest Museum in Bryansk]]Ziu-9 Bryansk 2056 The loss of land to Russia and the continued pressure from the expanding Russian state posed a real threat of destroying the state of Lithuania, so it was forced to make closer alliance with Poland, uniting with its western neighbour in the Commonwealth of Two Nations (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) in the Union of Lublin of 1569. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia According to the Union many of the territories formerly controlled by largely Ruthenized^[37] Grand Duchy of Lithuania were transferred to the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, while the gradual Polonization started the slower process of drawing Lithuania itself under Polish domination. Polonization (polonizacja is the acquisition or imposition ^[37][38][39] while, the Grand Duchy retained many rights in that federation (including separate government, treasury and army) until the May Constitution of Poland was passed in 1791. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" The Constitution of May 3 1791 (Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija Канстытуцыя трэцьега траўня is generally recognized as

Napoleonic period

Following the Partitions of Poland, most of the lands of the former Grand Duchy were directly annexed by Imperial Russia rather than attached to the Kingdom of Poland, a rump state in personal union with Russia. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Congress Poland Kongresówka, officially and formally Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie {{IPA-pl|'|p|o|l|s|kʲ|e}} Царство Польское Tsarstvo Polskoye However, in 1812, soon before the French invasion of Russia, the lands of the former Grand Duchy revolted against the Russians. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Soon after his arrival to Vilna, Napoleon proclaimed the creation of a Commissary Provisional Government of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which in turn renewed the Polish-Lithuanian Union. The term Polish–Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland ^[40] However, the union was never formalized as only half a year later Napoleon's Grande Armee was pushed out of Russia and forced to retreat further eastwards. In December of 1812 Vilna was recaptured by Russian forces, bringing all plans of recreation of the Grand Duchy to the end. ^[40]

Languages

The chancellery languages of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were Ruthenian (Old Belarusian or Old Ukrainian),^[41] Latin, German and Polish. Ruthenian (also The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Until 1697, the first one was used to write laws (Statutes of Lithuania) and to correspond with Eastern countries; Latin and German were used in foreign affairs. The Statutes of Lithuania originally known as the Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( Lithuanian: Lietuvos statutai, Belarusian: Статуты ^[42] In 1697, Polish replaced Ruthenian as the chancellery language.

Although usage of Lithuanian language in ruling the state after Vytautas and Jogaila (sons of Kęstutis and Algirdas, respectively) is sometimes disputed, it is stated that King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander I still could understand and speak Lithuanian. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. Kęstutis (kæsˈtuːtıs born ca 1297 died on August 3 or August 15, 1382 in Kreva) was Monarch of medieval Lithuania Algirdas, (ɑlgərdɑːs known as Olgierd Альгерд Ольгерд b Alexander Jagiellon ( Lithuanian: Aleksandras Jogailaitis; Polish: Aleksander Jagiellończyk; 5 August 1461 – 19 August There are no valid later evidences. Also, at the time nationalism was not present, and nobles who migrated from one place to another would adapt to a new locality and take local religion and culture. Therefore those Lithuanian nobles who moved to Slavic areas in generations took up their culture. There is no available information what languages these nobles spoke in their everyday lives.

At the birth of the state, ethnical Lithuanians made 70% of population. With the acquisition of new Slavic territories, this part decreased to 50% and later to 30%. Other important nations were Jews and Tatars. Lithuanian Jews (known in Yiddish and Yeshivish as Litvish (adjective or Litvaks (noun are Ashkenazi Jews with roots in the The Lipka Tatars (also known as Lithuanian Tatars, Belarusian Tatars, Lipkowie or Muślimi) are a group of Tatars living on the lands By the time of the late Grand Duchy, Slavs made overall majority, and Slavic languages were used to write laws. This is the reason why the late GDL is often called a Slavic country, among Poland, Russia etc. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Military

Despite Lithuania's mainly peaceful acquisition of much of its Ruthenian holdings it could call upon military strength if needed and it was the only power in Eastern Europe that could effectively contend with the Golden Horde. Ulrich von Jungingen (1360 &ndash July 15 1410) was the 26th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1407-10 Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. When the Golden Horde did try to prevent Lithuanian expansion they were often rebuffed. In 1333 and 1339 Lithuanians defeated large Mongol forces attempting to regain Smolensk from the Lithuanian sphere of influence. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. By about 1355, the State of Moldavia had formed. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians The Golden Horde did little to re-vassalize the area. In 1387, Moldavia became a vassal of Poland and in a broader sense, Lithuania. By this time, Lithuania had conquered territory of the Golden Horde all the way to the Dnieper River. In a crusade against the Golden Horde in 1398, (In an alliance with Tokhtamysh), Lithuania invaded northern Crimea and won a decisive victory. Tokhtamysh (d ca 1406 was the last khan of the White Horde, who unified the White Horde and Blue Horde subdivisions of the Golden Horde into Then in 1399, Lithuania (Intent on placing Tokhtamish on the Golden Horde throne) moved against the Horde. In the Battle of the Vorskla River however, Lithuania was crushed by the Horde and lost the steppe region. The Battle of the Vorskla River was a great battle in the medieval history of Eastern Europe.

Religion and Culture

After the baptism in 1252 and coronation of King Mindaugas in 1253, Lithuania was recognized as a Christian state until 1260, when Mindaugas supported an uprising in Courland and (according to the German order) renounced Christianity. Mindaugas (ˈmındoʊgʌs ca 1203 – 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania, a title he gained ca Courland (Kurzeme Kurland Latin: Curonia / Couronia; Kuršas Kuramaa Kurlandia Курляндия Курляндія Kuurinmaa is one of the historical Up until 1387, Lithuanian nobles professed their own religion, which was a pagan belief based on deification of natural phenomena. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Ethnic Lithuanians were very dedicated to their faith. The pagan beliefs needed to be deeply entrenched to survive strong pressure from missionaries and foreign powers. Until the seventeenth century there were relics of old faith, like feeding grass snakes or bringing food to graves of ancestors. This article is about the European Grass Snake or Ringed Snake Natrix natrix The lands of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine, as well as local dukes (princes) in these regions, were firmly Orthodox Christian (Greek Catholic after the Union of Brest), though. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Union of Brest ( Belarusian: Берасьцейская унія, Ukrainian: Берестейська унія, Unia brzeska refers to the While pagan beliefs in Lithuania were strong enough to survive centuries of pressure from military orders and missionaries, they did eventually succumb. In 1387, Lithuania converted to Catholicism, while most of the Ruthenian lands stayed Orthodox. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described There was an effort to polarize Orthodoxes after the Union of Brest in 1596, by which Orthodox Greek Catholics acknowledged papal authority and Catholic catechism, but preserved Orthodox liturgy.

In 1579, Stefan Batory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Eastern Europe. This article is about the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Vilnius University (Vilniaus Universitetas formerly known as Vilnius State University, earlier - Stefan Batory University and before that Almae Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Due to the work of the Jesuits during the Counter-Reformation the university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centers of the region and the most notable scientific center of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the ^[43]

Legacy

According to some historians (especially in Russia), one of the most crucial effects of Lithuanian rule was ethnic divisions amongst the inhabitants of former Kievan Ruthenia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan From this point of view, the creation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania played a major role in the division of Eastern Slavs. The East Slavs are a Slavic ethnic group, the speakers of East Slavic languages. After the Mongolian conquest of Ruthenia, Mongols attempted to keep Eastern Slavs unified and succeeded in conquering most of Ruthenian lands. Rus’ (Русь rusʲ Русичи Русы are an ancient people whose name survives in the cognates Russians, Rusyns, and Ruthenians

Prussian tribes (of Baltic origin) were attacking Masovia, and that was the reason Duke Konrad of Masovia invited the Teutonic Knights to settle near the Prussian area of settlement. "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European Masovia or Mazovia (Mazowsze is a geographic and historic region situated in eastern Poland 's Masovian Plain. Attempted conquests of Prussia Konrad unsuccessfully attempted to conquer pagan Prussia in a 1209 crusade and several times after, 1219 1222 Pg 45 The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The fighting between Prussians and the Teutonic Knights gave the more distant Lithuanian tribes time to unite. Because of strong enemies in the south and north, the newly formed Lithuanian state concentrated most of its military and diplomatic efforts on expansion eastward.

The rest of former Ruthenian lands (Belarusian principalities) joined the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the very beginning. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Some other lands in Ukraine were vassalized by Lithuania later. The subjugation of Eastern Slavs by two powers created substantial differences that persist to this day. According to this claim, while under Kievan Ruthenia there were certainly substantial regional differences, it was the Lithuanian annexation of much of southern and western Ruthenia that led to the permanent division between Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries

Others argue, that the ethnic and linguistic divisions amongst inhabitants of Ruthenia were not initiated by division of this area between Mongols and Lithuania, and are older than the creation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the They state that until the twentieth century, ethnic and linguistic frontiers between Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians coincided with no political borders.

Notwithstanding the above, Lithuania was a Kingdom under Mindaugas I, who was conditionally crowned by authority of Pope Innocent IV in 1253. Gediminas and Vytautas the Great also assumed the title of King, although uncrowned. A failed attempt was made in 1918 to restore the Kingdom under German Prince Urach. Mindaugas II of Lithuania (otherwise known as William Charles Florestan Gero Crescentius 2nd Duke of Urach ( Herzog von Urach) and Count of Wurttemberg May 30

See also

History of Ukraine  v • d • e  Ancient times Cucuteni-Trypillian culture Yamna culture Catacomb culture Cimmeria Taurica Scythia Sarmatia Zarubintsy culture Cherniakhov culture Hunnic Empire Medieval era Early East Slavs Onoghuria White Croatia Khazars Kievan Rus' Halych-Volhynia Cumania Mongol invasion of Rus' Golden Horde Principality of Moldavia Grand Duchy of Lithuania Cossacks Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Crimean Khanate Cossack revolts Khmelnytsky Uprising The Ruin Right-bank Ukraine Left-bank Ukraine: Sloboda Ukraine Cossack Hetmanate Zaporizhia Danube Imperial rule Ottoman Empire Russian Empire: Little Russia New Russia Habsburg Monarchy: Kingdom of Galicia Bukovina Carpathian Ruthenia Modern times Ukraine in World War I Ukraine after the Revolution: Ukrainian People's Republic Western Ukrainian Republic Hetmanate Directorate Galician SSR Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic Free Territory (Ukraine) Ukrainian War of Independence Soviet Union: Ukrainian SSR Crimean Autonomous SSR Ukraine in World War II Carpatho-Ukraine Reichskommissariat Ukraine Independent Ukraine

• Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• Lithuania
• Lithuania proper
• History of Lithuania
• Duchy of Lithuania
• Belarus
• Ukraine
• Crimea
• Cities of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
• List of Belarusian rulers
• List of Lithuanian rulers

Notes and references

General:

1. S. C. Rowell. Chartularium Lithuaniae res gestas magni ducis Gedeminne illustrans. Gedimino laiškai. Vilnius, 2003
2. Norman Davies. God's Playground. Columbia University Press; 2 edition (December 15, 2002) ISBN 0-231-12817-7

External links

• Cheryl Renshaw. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1253-1795
• Grand Duchy of Lithuania

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