This article is about the region in Europe. For other uses see Livonia (disambiguation).

Livonia (Livonian: Līvõmō, Latvian and Lithuanian: Livonija; Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland; Polish: Inflanty, Liwlandia; Russian: Лифляндия / Liflyandiya) was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida. Livonian (Līvõ kēļ belongs to the Baltic Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the 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 The Livonians or Livs are the indigenous inhabitants of Livonia, a large part of what is today the northwestern Latvia and southwestern Metsepole was an ancient Livonian county inhabited by a Finnic people Livonians, on the east coast of the Gulf of Riga, bordered by the Turaida Castle (Turaidas pils Treiden Treyden meaning Thor 's garden in Livonian) is a recently reconstructed medieval castle in Turaida The most prominent ruler of the ancient Livonia was Caupo of Turaida. Caupo of Turaida, or Kaupo (died September 21, 1217) was a leader of the Finnic -speaking Livonian people in the beginning of the 13th

During the Livonian Crusade ancient Livonia was colonized by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, later called Livonian Order and the name Livonia became to designate a much broader territory: Livonian Confederation on the eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea, in present-day Latvia and Estonia. The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 The Livonian Confederation was established in 1418 covering the territories of present day Estonia and Latvia. 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. Its frontiers are the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland in the north-west, Lake Peipus and Russia to the east, and Lithuania to the south. The Gulf of Riga, or Bay of Riga, is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken Lake Peipus (Peipsi-Pihkva järv Чудско-Псковское озеро (Chud Lake Peipussee is a large fresh water lake on the border between Estonia and Russia Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Livonia was inhabited by various Baltic and Finnic peoples, ruled by an upper class of Baltic Germans. 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 Finnic peoples ( Fennic) are a historical linguistic group of peoples Baltic Finns who are Native speakers of Baltic-Finnic The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today Over the course of time some nobles were polonized into the Polish-Lithuanian nobility (Szlachta) or russified into the Russian nobility (Dvoryanstvo). Polonization (polonizacja is the acquisition or imposition Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily The Russian Nobility (Дворянство Dvoryanstvo) arose in the 14th century and essentially governed Russia until the October Revolution

Contents 1 History 1.1 Livonian Brothers of the Sword 1204-1237 1.2 Livonian Crusade 1206-1227 1.3 Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights 1224-1237 1.4 Livonian Confederation 1228-1560 1.5 Livonian Order 1237-1561 1.6 Livonian War 1558-1582 1.7 Duchy of Livonia 1561-1621 1.8 Kingdom of Livonia 1570-1578 1.9 Swedish Livonia 1629-1721 1.10 Livonian Voivodeship 1620s-1772 1.11 Inflanty 1660-1772 1.12 Riga Governorate 1721-1796 1.13 Governorate of Livonia 1796-1918 1.14 Governors-General of Estonia, Livonia, and Courland 1845-1876 1.15 United Baltic Duchy 1918-1919 1.16 Vidzeme in Independent Latvia 1918-1940 1.17 Ostland 1941-1944 1.18 Baltic countries since 1990 2 See also 3 External links 4 Notes and references

History

Beginning in the 12th century, Livonia was an area of economic and political expansion by Danes and Germans, particularly by the Hanseatic League and the Cistercian Order. The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Around 1160, Hanseatic traders from Lübeck established a trading post at the future site of Riga, which Albrecht von Buxthoeven founded in 1201. Lübeck ( is the second largest City in Schleswig-Holstein, in Northern Germany, and one of the major Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia (bīskaps Alberts Albrecht von Buxthoeven c He ordered the construction of a cathedral and became the first Prince-Bishop of Livonia. A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility

Livonian Brothers of the Sword 1204-1237

Main article: Livonian Brothers of the Sword

Bishop Albert of Riga (Albert of Buxhoeveden) founded the military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin: Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, German: Schwertbrüderorden) in 1202; Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia (bīskaps Alberts Albrecht von Buxthoeven c military order is a Christian Order of knighthood that is founded for crusading, i Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks". The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Alternative names of the order include the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren, and The Militia of Christ of Livonia. Following their defeat by Lithuania in the Battle of Saule in 1236, the surviving Brothers merged into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous branch and became known as the Livonian Order

Albert, bishop of Riga (or Prince-Bishop of Livonia), founded the Brotherhood to aid the Bishopric of Riga in the conversion of the pagan Curonians, Livonians, Semigallians, and Latgalians living on the shores of the Gulf of Riga. The history of Lithuania between 1219 and 1295 deals with the establishment and early history of the first Lithuanian state the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Battle of Saule (Schlacht von Schaulen Saules kauja Saulės mūšis or Šiaulių mūšis was fought on September 22 1236 between the Livonian 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 Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia (bīskaps Alberts Albrecht von Buxthoeven c Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility The Archbishopric of Riga (Archiepiscopatus Rigensis Erzbisdom Riga was an independent Archbishopric established in 1255. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world The Kursenieki are also known as Curonians The Curonians ( Curonian: Kursi; Kuren Kurši Kuršiai Kuralased were The Livonians or Livs are the indigenous inhabitants of Livonia, a large part of what is today the northwestern Latvia and southwestern Semigallians ( Latvian Zemgaļi, also Zemgalians Semigalls Semigalians are one of the Baltic tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral The term Latgalians (latgalieši latgaļi (also spelt Latgallians and sometimes known as Lettigalls, Latgolans, or Lettigallians) The Gulf of Riga, or Bay of Riga, is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. From its foundation the undisciplined Order tended to ignore its supposed vassalage to the bishops. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, In 1218 Albert asked King Valdemar II of Denmark for assistance, but Valdemar instead arranged a deal with the Brotherhood and conquered the north of Estonia for Denmark. "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Duchy of Estonia was a dominion of Denmark during the Middle Ages. The Brotherhood had its headquarters at Fellin (Viljandi) in present-day Estonia, where the walls of the Master's castle still stand. Viljandi (Fellin Felin is a town and municipality in southern Estonia. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Other strongholds included Wenden (Cēsis), Segewold (Sigulda) and Ascheraden (Aizkraukle). Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland Sigulda ( is a city in the Vidzeme Region of Latvia, 53 km from the capital city Riga. Aizkraukle, formerly known by its German name of Ascheraden lies on the right bank of the Daugava River in Latvia. The commanders of Fellin, Goldingen (Kuldīga), Marienburg (Alūksne), Reval (Tallinn), and the bailiff of Weißenstein (Paide) belonged to the five-member entourage of the Order's Master. Kuldīga ( is a city in western Latvia. It is the center of Kuldigas County with a population of approximately 13500 Alūksne ( is a Town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Bailiff (from Late Latin baiulivus, Adjectival form of baiulus) is a Governor or Custodian (cf Paide (Weißenstein Biały Kamień is the capital of Järva County, Estonia.

Pope Gregory IX asked the Brothers to defend Finland from the Novgorodian attacks in his letter of November 24, 1232;^[1] however, no known information regarding the knights' possible activities in Finland has survived. Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was Pope from March 19, 1227 to August Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Finnish-Novgorodian wars were a series of poorly documented conflicts that took place between unspecified Finnic groups and the Republic of Novgorod from the 11th Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal (Sweden eventually took over Finland after the Second Swedish Crusade in 1249. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Second Swedish Crusade was a semi-historical Swedish military expedition to Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century ) In the Battle of Saule in 1236 the Lithuanians and Semigallians decimated the Order. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million Semigallians ( Latvian Zemgaļi, also Zemgalians Semigalls Semigalians are one of the Baltic tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral This disaster led the surviving Brothers to become incorporated into the Order of Teutonic Knights in the following year, and from that point on they became known as 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 They continued, however, to function in all respects (rule, clothing and policy) as an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, headed by their own Master (himself de jure subject to the Teutonic Order's Grand Master). This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. The grand master (Hochmeister Magister generalis is the holder of the supreme office of the Teutonic Order.

Livonian Crusade 1206-1227

Main article: Livonian Crusade

The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia from the 1220s gives a firsthand account of the Christianization of Livonia, granted as a fief by the Hohenstaufen King of Germany, Philip of Swabia, to Bishop Albert of Buxthoeven, nephew of the Archbishop of Bremen, who sailed with a convoy of ships filled with armed crusaders to carve out a Catholic territory in the east during the Livonian Crusade. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia ( Latin: Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) is a historic document describing the history of Livonia and surrounding areas from Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing Philip of Swabia (1177 &ndash June 21, 1208) was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV. Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia (bīskaps Alberts Albrecht von Buxthoeven c The Archdiocese of Bremen is a historical Roman Catholic diocese and a former eccesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia

Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights 1224-1237

Main article: Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights

From 1236 Livonia consisted of the following subdivisions:

• a state ruled by the Livonian Order founded by Albert in 1202, which was assimilated into the Teutonic Knights in 1237;
• the Bishopric of Riga (an archbishopric since 1255);
• the Bishoprics of Courland, Ösel-Wiek, and Dorpat, where Albert's brother Hermann established himself as the prince-bishop (Livonian Confederation). Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Archbishopric of Riga (Archiepiscopatus Rigensis Erzbisdom Riga was an independent Archbishopric established in 1255. The Bishopric of Courland (Episcopatus Curoniensis Low German: Bisdom Curland) was a second largest (4500 km2 Ecclesiastical state in the Livonian The Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek (Saare-Lääne piiskopkond Bistum Ösel-Wiek Low German: Bisdom Ösel-Wiek; contemporary Ecclesia Osiliensis was a semi-independent The Bishopric of Dorpat (Tartu piiskopkond Bisdom Dorpat Ecclesia Tarbatensis was a medieval principality and a Catholic Diocese which existed from 1224 The Livonian Confederation was established in 1418 covering the territories of present day Estonia and Latvia. The conquest of Livonia by the Germans is described in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (Livländische Reimchronik was a Chronicle written in Low German by an anonymous writer

Livonian Confederation 1228-1560

Main article: Livonian Confederation

The different states in Livonia and present day Estonia were organized in the Livonian Confederation from 1228 to the 1560s. The Livonian Confederation was established in 1418 covering the territories of present day Estonia and Latvia. The Livonian Confederation was a confederation of independent states. A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution A diet or Landtag was formed in 1419. A Landtag ( Diet) is a representative assembly or Parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority The city of Walk was chosen as the site of the diet. Walk was the historical German name for the town that is now divided into Valga in Estonia and Valka in Latvia.

Livonian Order 1237-1561

Main article: Livonian Order

The Livonian Order was a largely autonomous branch of the Teutonic Knights (or Teutonic Order) and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1237–1561. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Livonian Confederation was established in 1418 covering the territories of present day Estonia and Latvia. After being defeated by Lithuania in the 1236 Battle of Saule, the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights as the Livonian Order in 1237. The history of Lithuania between 1219 and 1295 deals with the establishment and early history of the first Lithuanian state the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Battle of Saule (Schlacht von Schaulen Saules kauja Saulės mūšis or Šiaulių mūšis was fought on September 22 1236 between the Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 Between 1237 and 1290, the Livonian Order conquered all of Courland, Livonia, and Semigallia, but their attack on northern Russia was repelled in the Battle of Wesenberg (Rakovor) (1268). Courland (Kurzeme Kurland Latin: Curonia / Couronia; Kuršas Kuramaa Kurlandia Курляндия Курляндія Kuurinmaa is one of the historical Zemgale, also known under Latinized names Semigalia or Semigallia (Zemgale Semgallen Žiemgala is an historical region of Latvia, sometimes also including This article is about a 1268 battle See also Battle of Rakvere (1603. In 1346, the Order bought the rest of Estonia from King Valdemar IV of Denmark. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Valdemar Atterdag (c 1320 &ndash October 24, 1375) was a King of Denmark (1340 - 1375 Life within the Order's territory is described in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia and the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia ( Latin: Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) is a historic document describing the history of Livonia and surrounding areas from The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (Livländische Reimchronik was a Chronicle written in Low German by an anonymous writer The Teutonic Order fell into decline following its defeat in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 and the secularization of its Prussian territories by Albert of Brandenburg in 1525, but the Livonian Order managed to maintain an independent existence. 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 Albert (Albrecht Albertus 16 May 1490 – 20 March 1568 was the 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and after converting to Lutheranism, During the Livonian War, however, they suffered a decisive defeat by troops of Muscovite Russia in the Battle of Ergeme in 1560. 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 Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and The Battle of Ergeme (Härgmäe lahing Schlacht bei Ermes сражение при Эрмесе; Ērģemes kauja was fought on 2 August, 1560 in The Livonian Order then sought protection from Sigismund II Augustus, the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, who had intervened in a war between Bishop William of Riga and the Brothers in 1557. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund II Augustus I (Zygmunt II August The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje After coming to an agreement with Sigismund II Augustus and his representatives (especially Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł), the last Livonian Master, Gotthard Kettler, secularized the Order and converted to Lutheranism. Union of Vilnius/Wilno redirects here For the 1499 treaty see Union of Kraków and Vilna. Gotthard von Kettler (also Ketteler; 1517 &ndash 17 May 1587) was the last Master of the Livonian Order and the first Duke of Courland Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther In the southern part of the Brothers' lands he created the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia for his family. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of Most of the remaining lands were seized by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The north of Estonia was taken back by Denmark and Sweden. Sweden was between 1611 and 1718 one of the Great powers of Europe

Livonian War 1558-1582

Main article: Livonian War

Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor once again asked for help of Gustav I of Sweden, and The Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569) also began direct negotiations with Gustavus, but nothing resulted because on September 29, 1560, Gustavus I Vasa died. Ferdinand I Holy Roman Emperor ( Alcalá de Henares (near Madrid) Kingdom of Castile (now Spain) 10 March 1503 &ndash Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to For Wikipedia's negotiation policy see WikipediaNegotiation. For other uses see Negotiation (disambiguation. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. The chances for success of Magnus and his supporters looked particularly good in 1560 (and 1570). In the former case he had been recognised as their sovereign by The Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek and The Bishopric of Courland, and as their prospective ruler by the authorities of The Bishopric of Dorpat; The Bishopric of Reval with the Harrien-Wierland gentry were on his side; Livonian Order conditionally recognised his right of ownership of Estonia (Principality of Estonia). Recognition (re+ Cognition) is a process that occurs in Thinking when some event, Process, Pattern, or object recurrs A Gold Sovereign is a Gold coin first issued in 1489 for Henry VII of England and still in production as of 2008 The Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek (Saare-Lääne piiskopkond Bistum Ösel-Wiek Low German: Bisdom Ösel-Wiek; contemporary Ecclesia Osiliensis was a semi-independent The Bishopric of Courland (Episcopatus Curoniensis Low German: Bisdom Curland) was a second largest (4500 km2 Ecclesiastical state in the Livonian The Bishopric of Dorpat (Tartu piiskopkond Bisdom Dorpat Ecclesia Tarbatensis was a medieval principality and a Catholic Diocese which existed from 1224 The Bishopric of Reval ( Low German: Bisdom Reval; Latin: Episcopatus Revaliensis) was a Bishopric in Danish Estonia Harju County (Harju maakond or Harjumaa, ( Latin: Harria) nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. Virumaa ( Latin: Vironia; Low German: Wierland; Old Norse: Virland) is a former independent County Gentry generally refers to people of high Social class, especially in the past The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1418&ndash1561 Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Then along with Archbishop Wilhelm von Brandenburg of The Archbishopric of Riga and his Coadjutor Christoph von Mecklenburg, Kettler gave to Magnus the portions of The Kingdom of Livonia, which he had taken possession of, but they refused to give him any more land. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead The Archbishopric of Riga (Archiepiscopatus Rigensis Erzbisdom Riga was an independent Archbishopric established in 1255. A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominally declared state by Ivan IV during the Livonian War. Once Eric XIV of Sweden became king he took quick actions to get involved in the war. Eric XIV (Erik XIV (13 December 1533 &ndash 26 February 1577 was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568 He negotiated a continued peace with Muscovy and spoke to the burghers of Reval city. Peace, in the modern usage is a concept defined by the ideal state of relationship as absence of hostility at the international level that of a War. The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status He offered them goods to submit to him as well as threatening them. By June 6, 1561 they submitted to him contrary to the persuasions of Kettler to the burghers. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Persuasion is a form of Social influence. It is the process of guiding people toward the adoption of an idea attitude or action by rational and symbolic (though not always The King's brother Johan married the Polish princess Catherine Jagiellon. Princess is the feminine form of Prince (from Latin Princeps, meaning principal citizen Catherine Jagiellon (Katarzyna Jagiellonka Katariina Jagellonica Katarina Wanting to obtain his own land in Livonia, he loaned Poland money and then claimed the castles they had pawned as his own instead of using them to pressure Poland. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. After Johan returned to Finland, Erik XIV forbade him to deal with any foreign countries without his consent. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Shortly after that Erik XIV started acting quickly lost any allies he was about to obtain, either from Magnus or the Archbishop of Riga. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Magnus was upset he had been tricked out of his inheritance of Holstein. TRICK is an album released by Panic Channel on March 24, 2005. "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) After Sweden occupied Reval, Frederick II of Denmark made a treaty with Erik XIV of Sweden in August 1561. Frederick II ( 1 July 1534 &ndash 4 April 1588) King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death The brothers were in great disagreement and Frederick II negotiated a treaty with Ivan IV on August 7, 1562 in order to help his brother obtain more land and stall further Swedish advance. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Erik XIV did not like this and The Northern Seven Years' War between The Free City of Lübeck, Denmark, Poland, and Sweden broke out. The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the Nordic Seven Years' War, the First Northern War or the Seven Years War in Scandinavia) was the war The Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck was a city-state that existed from 1226 to 1937 in the present-day German states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern While only losing land and trade, Frederick II and Magnus were not faring well. But in 1568 Erik XIV became insane and his brother Johan III took his place. Traditionally insanity or madness is the behaviour whereby a person flouts societal norms and may become a danger to himself and others Johan III ascended to the throne of Sweden and due to his friendship with Poland he began a policy against Muscovy. This article is about royal thrones for the order of Angels by the same name see Thrones. He would try to obtain more land in Livonia and exercise strength over Denmark. After all parties had been financially drained, Frederick II let his ally, King Sigismund II Augustus of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, know that he was ready for peace. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund II Augustus I (Zygmunt II August 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 On December 15, 1570, the Treaty of Stettin was concluded. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of The Treaty of Stettin ( Szczecin) brought the Northern Seven Years' War to an end on December 13 1570. It is, however, more difficult to estimate the scope and magnitude of the support Magnus received in Livonian cities. Compared to the Harrien-Wierland gentry, the Reval city council, and hence probably the majority of citizens, demonstrated a much more reserved attitude towards Denmark and King Magnus of Livonia. Nevertheless, there is no reason to speak about any strong pro-Swedish sentiments among the residents of Reval. The citizens who had fled to The Bishopric of Dorpat or had been deported to Muscovy hailed Magnus as their saviour until 1571. The analysis indicates that during the Livonian War a pro-independence wing emerged among the Livonian gentry and townspeople, forming the so-called "Peace Party". 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 Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Dismissing hostilities, these forces perceived an agreement with Muscovy as a chance to escape the atrocities of war and avoid the division of Livonia. That is why Magnus, who represented Denmark and later struck a deal with Ivan the Terrible, proved a suitable figurehead for this faction.

The Peace Party, however, had its own armed forces – scattered bands of household troops (Hofleute) under diverse command, which only united in action in 1565 (Battle of Pärnu, 1565 and Siege of Reval, 1565), in 1570 – 1571 (Siege of Reval, 1570-1571; 30 weeks), and in 1574 – 1576 (first on Sweden’s side, then came the sale of Wiek to the Danish Crown, and the loss of the territory to Muscovites). Wiek may refer to the old German name for Lääne County, Estonia Wiek Rügen, a municipality on the island of Rügen Germany In 1575 after Muscovy attacked Danish claims in Livonia, Frederick II dropped out of the competition as well as the Holy Roman Emperor. After this Johan III held off on his pursuit for more land due to Muscovy obtaining lands that Sweden controlled. He used the next two years of truce to get in a better position. In 1578, he resumed the fight for not only Livonia, but also everywhere due to an understanding he made with Rzeczpospolita. 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 1578 Magnus retired to Rzeczpospolita and his brother all but gave up the land in Livonia.

Duchy of Livonia 1561-1621

Main article: Duchy of Livonia

In 1561 during the Livonian War, Livonia fell to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania^[2][3][4] with vassal dependency from Lithuania. The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia (Herzogtum Preußen Prūsijos kunigaikštystė Prusy Książęce was a Duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of The Duchy of Estonia was a dominion of Denmark during the Middle Ages. 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 Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje ^[4] Eight years later, in 1569, when the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland formed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Livonia became a joint domain administered directly by the king and grand duke. 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 ^{[4][2][5][6][7][8]} Having rejected peace proposals from its enemies, Ivan the Terrible found himself in a difficult position by 1579, when Crimean Khanate devastated Muscovian territories and burnt down Moscow (see Russo-Crimean Wars), the drought and epidemics have fatally affected the economy, Oprichnina had thoroughly disrupted the government, while The Grand Principality of Lithuania had united with The Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569) and acquired an energetic leader, Stefan Batory, supported by Ottoman Empire (1576). The Crimean Khanate or the Khanate of Crimea (Qırım Hanlığı|قريم خانلغى Крымское ханство - Krymskoye khanstvo; Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Russo-Crimean Wars were fought between the forces of the Muscovy and the invading Tatars of the Crimean Khanate. A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a The Oprichnina (Опричнина formed the domestic portion of Russian territory ruled directly by Ivan the Terrible. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Union of Lublin (Liublino unija Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія Polish: Unia The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to This article is about the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Stefan Batory replied with a series of three offensives against Muscovy, trying to cut The Kingdom of Livonia from Muscovian territories. The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominally declared state by Ivan IV during the Livonian War. During his first offensive in 1579 with 22,000 men he retook Polotsk, during the second, in 1580, with 29,000-strong army he took Velikie Luki, and in 1581 with a 100,000-strong army he started the Siege of Pskov. Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Velikiye Luki (Вели́кие Лу́ки name also romanized as Velikie Luki, is a city on the meandering Lovat River in the southern The Siege of Pskov, known as the Pskov Defense in Russia ( оборона Пскова in Russian) took place between August of 1581 Frederick II had trouble continuing the fight against Muscovy unlike Sweden and Poland. Frederick II may refer to Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor (1194&ndash1250 king 1211/12&ndash1250 emperor since 1220 Frederick II of Austria "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. He came to an agreement with John III in 1580 giving him the titles in Livonia. That war would last from 1577 to 1582. Muscovy recognized Polish-Lithuanian control of Ducatus Ultradunensis only in 1582. After Magnus von Lyffland died in 1583, Poland invaded his territories in The Duchy of Courland and Frederick II decided to sell his rights of inheritance. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. Except for the island of Œsel, Denmark was out of the Baltic by 1585. Saaremaa, Œselia, Œsel was an Ancient Estonian independent county The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Baltic Seven Islandsgif|right|thumb|330px|A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the islands of the Baltic countries As of 1598 Inflanty was divided onto:

• Wenden Voivodeship (województwo wendeńskie, Kieś)
• Dorpat Voivodeship (województwo dorpackie, Dorpat)
• Parnawa Voivodeship (województwo parnawskie, Parnawa)

Kingdom of Livonia 1570-1578

Main article: Kingdom of Livonia

The armies of Ivan the Terrible were initially successful, taking Polock (1563) and Parnawa (1575) and overrunning much of Grand Duchy of Lithuania up to Vilnius. Wenden Voivodeship (Województwo wendeńskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland The Dorpat Voivodeship (Województwo dorpackie or województwo derpskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, Tartu is the second largest City of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual The Parnawa Voivodeship (Województwo parnawskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Pärnu (Pernau Пярну formerly Пернов Parnawa is a City in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay an inlet of the Gulf of Riga The Kingdom of Livonia was a nominally declared state by Ivan IV during the Livonian War. The noun Polack (pō'lāk' used in the English language is a Derogatory reference to a person of Polish descent and an Onomatopoeia imitating the sound Pärnu (Pernau Пярну formerly Пернов Parnawa is a City in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay an inlet of the Gulf of Riga Eventually, Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland formed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569 under the Union of Lublin. 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 Eric XIV of Sweden did not like this and The Northern Seven Years' War between Free City of Lübeck, Denmark, Poland, and Sweden broke out. Eric XIV (Erik XIV (13 December 1533 &ndash 26 February 1577 was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568 The Northern Seven Years' War (also known as the Nordic Seven Years' War, the First Northern War or the Seven Years War in Scandinavia) was the war The Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck was a city-state that existed from 1226 to 1937 in the present-day German states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern While only losing land and trade, Frederick II of Denmark and Magnus von Lyffland of Œsel-Wiek were not faring well. Frederick II ( 1 July 1534 &ndash 4 April 1588) King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death The Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek (Saare-Lääne piiskopkond Bistum Ösel-Wiek Low German: Bisdom Ösel-Wiek; contemporary Ecclesia Osiliensis was a semi-independent But in 1569 Erik XIV became insane and his brother John III of Sweden took his place. Traditionally insanity or madness is the behaviour whereby a person flouts societal norms and may become a danger to himself and others John III (Johan III Juhana III (20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592 was King of Sweden from 1568 until his death After all parties had been financially drained, Frederick II let his ally, King Zygmunt II August, know that he was ready for peace. Frederick II may refer to Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor (1194&ndash1250 king 1211/12&ndash1250 emperor since 1220 Frederick II of Austria For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund II Augustus I (Zygmunt II August On December 15, 1570, the Treaty of Stettin was concluded. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of The Treaty of Stettin ( Szczecin) brought the Northern Seven Years' War to an end on December 13 1570.

In the next phase of the conflict, in 1577 Ivan IV took opportunity of the Commonwealth internal strife (called the war against Gdańsk in Polish historiography), and during the reign of Stefan Batory in Poland invaded Livonia, quickly taking almost the entire territory, with the exception of Riga and Rewel. Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland This article is about the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names In 1578 Magnus of Livonia recognized the sovereignty of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (not ratified by the Sejm of Poland-Lithuania, or recognized by Denmark). Recognition (re+ Cognition) is a process that occurs in Thinking when some event, Process, Pattern, or object recurrs Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself Ratification is the act of giving official sanction or approval to a formal document such as a treaty or constitution The Kingdom of Livonia was beaten back by Muscovy on all fronts. In 1578 Magnus of Livonia retired to The Bishopric of Courland and his brother all but gave up the land in Livonia. The Bishopric of Courland (Episcopatus Curoniensis Low German: Bisdom Curland) was a second largest (4500 km2 Ecclesiastical state in the Livonian

Swedish Livonia 1629-1721

Main article: Swedish Livonia

Sweden gained control over the northern Estonian and central Latvian regions of Livonia, including Riga, after fighting the Polish-Swedish War during the 1620s, and incorporated it into the Swedish realm as the dominion Swedish Livonia. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Dominions of Sweden or Svenska besittningar were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish Crown, but never became fully integrated

Livonian Voivodeship 1620s-1772

Main article: Livonian Voivodeship

The Livonian Voivodeship (Lithuanian: Livonijos vaivadija; Polish: Województwo inflanckie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, since it was formed in the 1620s out of the Wenden Voivodeship till the First Partition of Poland in 1772. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language 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 Wenden Voivodeship (Województwo wendeńskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the 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 Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Inflanty 1660-1772

Main article: Inflanty

The portion of Livonia remaining in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Treaty of Oliva in 1660 was known as Polish Livonia, or Inflanty. The Treaty of Oliva, (or Peace of Oliva; Vertrag von Oliva pokój oliwski Freden i Oliva was a Peace treaty ending the "Deluge" (Swedish It consisted mainly of the southern Latvian region Latgale within the Livonian Voivodeship with the capital of Daugavpils, or Dyneburg. Latgale or Latgalia (Latgale Latgale language: Latgolā) is one of the four cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution Daugavpils (daugavpils) is the second largest City in Latvia. This division of Livonia was codified in the Treaty of Oliva in 1660.

Riga Governorate 1721-1796

Main article: Riga Governorate

The Russian Empire conquered Swedish Livonia during the course of the Great Northern War and acquired the province at the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The Treaty of Nystad (Ништадтский мир Uudenkaupungin rauha was signed in 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad (which is called Uusikaupunki Russia then added Polish Livonia in 1772 during the Partitions of Poland. 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

Governorate of Livonia 1796-1918

Main article: Governorate of Livonia

In 1796 the Riga Governorate was renamed as the Governorate of Livonia (Russian: Лифляндская губерния / Liflyandskaya guberniya, Latvian: Vidzemes guberņa, Estonian: Liivimaa kubermang). Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Livonia remained within the Russian Empire until the end of World War I, when it was split between the newly independent states of Latvia and Estonia. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In 1918–1920 both Soviet troops and German Freikorps fought against Latvian and Estonian troops for control over Livonia, but their attempts were defeated. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century

Governors-General of Estonia, Livonia, and Courland 1845-1876

From 1845 to 1876, the Baltic governorates of Estonia, Livonia, and Courland—an area roughly corresponding to the historical Livonian Confederation—were administratively subordinated to a common Governor-General. The Governorate of Est(honia (Эстляндская губерния or Estlyandskaya guberniya) or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia The Governorate of Courland, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland (Kurzemes guberņa Курля́ндская губерния and The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription ^[9] Amongst the holders of this post were Count Alexander Arkadyevich Suvorov^[10] and Count Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov. Count Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov (граф Пётр Андреевич Шувалов (1827 - 1889 was an influential Russian statesman and a counselor to Tsar

United Baltic Duchy 1918-1919

Main article: United Baltic Duchy

The United Baltic Duchy (German: Vereinigtes Baltisches Herzogtum) was a short-lived state constructed in 1918. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The duchy's creation was made possible through the German Empire's occupation of the territory covering what are now Latvia and Estonia before the end of World War I. A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Belligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All On March 8 and April 12, 1918 the local Baltic German-dominated Kurländische Landesrat and the Vereinigter Landesrat of Livland, Estland, Riga, and Ösel had declared themselves independent states, known as the Duchy of Courland (Herzogtum Kurland) and Baltic State (Baltischer Staat), respectively. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Saaremaa is the largest Island belonging to Estonia, measuring 2673 km². The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of The United Baltic Duchy (Vereinigtes Baltisches Herzogtum Apvienotā Baltijas hercogiste Ühendatud Balti Hertsogiriik was a proposal to unite the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia Both states proclaimed themselves to be in personal union with the Kingdom of Prussia, although the German government never responded to acknowledge that claim. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising These Baltic lands were nominally recognized as a sovereign state by Kaiser William II only on September 22, 1918, half a year after Soviet Russia had formally relinquished all authority over its former Imperial Baltic provinces to Germany in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Kaiser is the German title meaning " Emperor " with Kaiserin being the female equivalent " Empress " Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Baltic governorates were the governorates (or Guberniyas of the Russian Empire on the territory of what in 1918 became and is now independent Estonia Not to be confused with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (February 9 1918, a similar treaty involving Ukraine and the Central Powers. On November 5, 1918, a temporary Regency Council (Regentschaftsrat) for the new state led by Baron Adolf Pilar von Pilchau was formed on a joint basis from the two local Land Councils. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Adolf Konstantin Jakob Pilar von Pilchau ( 23 May 1851 &ndash 17 June 1925) was a Baltic German Politician, Regent

Vidzeme in Independent Latvia 1918-1940

Main article: Vidzeme

In independent Latvia between the World Wars, southern Livonia became an administative region under the tradtionial Latvian name Vidzeme, encompassing the then much larger counties of Riga, Cēsis, Valmiera, and Valka. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Vidzeme is one of the cultural and historical Regions of Latvia. The Riga District (Rīgas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Semigallia and Vidzeme regions in the centre of the The Cēsis District (Cēsu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Valmiera district (Valmieras rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Valka district (Valkas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east

Ostland 1941-1944

Main article: Reichskommissariat Ostland

Ostland was one of the Reichskommissariats established, by a Decree of the Führer dated 17 July 1941, as administrative units of the "Großdeutsches Reich" (Greater Germany). Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They were subject to Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg, Minister für die besetzten Ostgebiete (Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories). Reichsleiter (National Leader was the second highest political rank of the NSDAP next only to the office of Führer (12 January 1893 16 October 1946 was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. The structure of the Reichskommissariats was defined by the same decree. Local administration in the Reichskommissariats was to be organized under a "National Director" (Reichskomissar) in Estonia, a "General Director" in Latvia and a "General Adviser" in Lithuania. The local administration of the Reichskommissariat Ostland was under Reichskomissar Hinrich Lohse. Hinrich Lohse (born 2 September 1896 in Mühlenbarbek, Schleswig-Holstein; died 25 February 1964 in Mühlenbarbek was Below him there was an administrative hierarchy: a Generalkomissar led each Generalbezirke, Gebietskomissars and Hauptkommissars administered Kreigsbietes and Hauptgenbietes, respectively. Rosenberg's ministerial authority was, in practice, severely limited. The first reason was that many of the practicalities were commanded elsewhere: the Wehrmacht and the SS managed the military and security aspects, Fritz Saukel (Reich Director of Labour) had control over manpower and working areas, Hermann Göring and Albert Speer had total management of economic aspects in the territories and the Reich postal service administered the East territories' postal services. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World These German central government interventions in the affairs of Ostland, overriding the appropriate ministries was known as "Sonderverwaltungen" (special administration). Later, from September, the civil administration that had been decreed in the previous July was actually set up. Lohse and, for that matter, Koch would not bow to his authority seeking to administer their territories with the independence and authority of gauleiters. on 1 April 1942 an arbeitsbereich (lit. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "working sphere", a name for the party cadre organisation outside the reich proper) was established in the civil administration part of the occupied Soviet territories, whereupon Koch and Lohse gradually ceased communication with him preferring to deal directly with Hitler through Martin Bormann and the party chancellery. Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945 In the process they also displaced all other actors including notably the SS, except in central Belarus where HSSPF 'Erich von dem Bach-Zelewsky had a special command encompassing both military and civil administration territories and engaged in "anti-partisan" atrocities. Erich Julius Eberhard von Zalewski and also known as Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski (1 March 1899 - 8 March 1972 was a Nazi official and a member of the

Baltic countries since 1990

Main articles: Estonia and Latvia

The historical land of Livonia has been split between Latvia and Estonia ever since. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region The native Livonian language is still spoken by some individuals (far less than 100), but is understood to be fast approaching extinction. Livonian (Līvõ kēļ belongs to the Baltic Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. According to some definitions an extinct language is a Language which no longer has any speakers, whereas a dead language is a language which is no longer spoken The anthem (unofficial) of Livonians is Min izāmō, min sindimō sharing the melody of Finnish and Estonian anthems. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region

See also

Bishopric of Reval Courland Duchy of Courland

History of Estonia History of Latvia History of Lithuania History of Poland

External links

Deutsch-Baltische Ritterschaften in Livland, Kurland, Estland, Oesel Die Geschichte der Deutschen im Baltikum Die Livländische Ritterschaft Joann Portantiuse Liivimaa kaart 1573. aastast Karten LETTLAND: GESCHICHTE

ЛИФЛЯНДИЯ Liivimaa kaart Livland Livonian History by Uldis Balodis Estonian Manors Portal the English version includes the description of 438 well-preserved historical manors of nowadays Estonia (historically - northern part of Old-Livonia/Alt-Livland)

Notes and references

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic