Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian: Vytautas Didysis ; Belarusian: Vitaŭt; Ruthenian: Vitovt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; c. Trakai Island Castle is located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island on the shores of Lake Galvė. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Ruthenian (also Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. 1350 – October 27, 1430), also known in English by the traditional Polish and German name Witold, was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje With the title Didysis Kunigaikštis, the equivalent of king, he was the supreme ruler of his dominions and also a member of the Order of the Dragon. The Lithuanian nobility was historically a legally privileged class in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania consisting of Lithuanian (from historical The Order of the Dragon ( lat. Societas Draconistrarum, ger. der Drachenorden, hun.
Vytautas was the ruler (1401–1430) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million The term Ruthenians (Русини Rusyny) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used He was also the Prince of Hrodna (1370–1382) and the Prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), postulated king of Hussites. Lutsk (Луцьк translit Luts’k, Łuck is a city located by the Styr River in north-western Ukraine. The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus or John Huss (c [1] In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revered as a national hero and was an important figure in the national rebirth in the early 20th century. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Lithuanian National Revival, alternatively Lithuanian National Awakening (Lietuvių tautinis atgimimas was a period of the History of Lithuania in the 19th century Vytautas is a popular male given name in Lithuania. A Lithuanian personal name, like in most European cultures consists of two main elements the Given name ( vardas) followed by Family name ( Vytautas Magnus University was named after him. Vytautas Magnus University (VMU (Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas(VDU is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. Monuments in his honor were built in many towns in the independent Republic of Lithuania during the interwar period, 1918-1939. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the This article discusses the history of Lithuania and of the Lithuanians.
Contents |
Struggle for power
Early life
Born in 1350 in the castle of present-day Senieji Trakai ("Old Trakai"), Vytautas was the son of Kęstutis with his second wife Birutė, cousin of Jogaila, who became King of Poland as Władysław II, and grandfather of Vasili II of Russia. Senieji Trakai Castle was a Castle in Senieji Trakai (literally Old Trakai in Lithuania. Senieji Trakai (literally "Old" Trakai is a historic Lithuanian village located 3 km east of Trakai, with 1500 inhabitants Kęstutis (kæsˈtuːtıs born ca 1297 died on August 3 or August 15, 1382 in Kreva) was Monarch of medieval Lithuania Birutė (died in 1382 was the second wife of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and mother of Vytautas the Great. 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
1377-1384
Vytautas' father, Kęstutis, and his uncle Algirdas, were brothers and did not compete for power. Lutsk (Луцьк translit Luts’k, Łuck is a city located by the Styr River in north-western Ukraine. 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 Algirdas was the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Kęstutis was primarily responsible for defense against the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. However, after Algirdas' death in 1377, his son Jogaila, became Grand Duke. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. The harmonious relationship of his father and uncle ended, and a struggle for power between them ensued. In 1380, Jogaila signed the secret Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights against Kęstutis. The Treaty of Dovydiškės (Dovydiškių sutartis Traktat w lasach dawidyskich or Traktat w Dawidyszkach; Treaty of Dovydiškės Daudiske, or Daudisken When Kęstutis discovered this in the following year, he seized Vilnius, imprisoned Jogaila, and made himself Grand Duke. However, Jogaila managed to escape and raised an army against Kęstutis, and his son Vytautas. The two opposing sides confronted each other but never engaged in battle. Kęstutis was ready to negotiate, but he and Vytautas were arrested and transported to Kreva castle. Kreva (Крэва 'krɛva Krėva Krevas Krewo is a township in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus. One week later, Kęstutis was found dead. Whether he died of natural causes or was murdered is still a matter of debate amongst historians.
In 1382, Vytautas was able to escape from Kreva. The story of his escape is well-known. Vytautas' wife Anna was allowed to visit him in the castle. During one of these visits, Vytautas dressed in the clothes of one of Anna's female servants. After the escape, he sought help from the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. At the time Jogaila was negotiating with the Teutonic Order. They formulated the Treaty of Dubysa, by which Jogaila promised to accept Christianity, become an ally of the Order, and give the Order some territory of Samogitia up to the Dubysa River. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Dubysa However, the treaty was never ratified. In summer 1383, the war between Jogaila and the Order started up again. Vytautas was baptized in the Catholic rite, receiving the name of Wigand (Lithuanian: Vygandas). Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Later, however, he drifted away from Christianity and back towards paganism. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Vytautas participated in several raids against Jogaila. In January 1384, Vytautas again promised to cede part of Samogitia, to the Teutonic Order, up to the Nevėžis River in return for the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania. Nevėžis River However, in July of the same year, Vytautas decided to abandon the Teutonic Knights and reconciled with Jogaila. He then proceeded to burn three important Teutonic castles, and he redeemed all Kęstutis' lands, except for Trakai. Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania
1389-1392
Vytautas participated in the signing of Union of Kreva with Poland in 1385 and he was re-baptized in 1386 in the Catholic rite, receiving the name Alexander. 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 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". This treaty provided for the marriage of Jogaila to Jadwiga of Poland, and for him to become the King of Poland. Jadwiga of Anjou (1373/4 – July 17 1399 was King of Poland from 1384 to her death He left his brother Skirgaila as a regent of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Skirgaila, also known as Ivan; ca 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is a person selected to act as Head of state (ruling or not because the ruler is a minor However, he was unpopular with the people and Vytautas saw an opportunity to become the Grand Duke again. In 1389 he started a war and attacked Vilnius but failed. Vytautas was forced to ask the Teutonic Knights for help for the second time in the beginning of 1390. Vytautas had to promise to keep the original agreement of 1384, and turn over Samogitia to the Order. Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. His army now attacked Lithuanian lands.
To further advance his influence, Vytautas married his only daughter Sophia to Vasili I of Russia in 1391. Sophia (1371–1453 was the only daughter of Vytautas the Great of Lithuania and his first wife Anna. Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich ( Russian: Василий I Дмитриевич 30 December 1371 – 27 February 1425) was Grand Prince The Polish nobility was unhappy that Jogaila, their new king, now Władysław II Jagiełło, spent too much time on the affairs of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was clear that the war could continue for years and would not bring any benefit to the country. In 1392, Wladyslaw II Jagiełło's envoy, Henry of Masovia, offered Vytautas to become his regent instead of Skirgaila. Henry of Masovia (Henryk mazowiecki (1368/1370–1392/1393 was a Noble and a Bishop of the Kingdom of Poland. Vytautas accepted and once again burned three Teutonic castles and returned to Vilnius. Jagiełło and Vytautas signed the Astrava Treaty in which Vytautas redeemed all Kęstutis' lands, including Trakai, and was given more. The Ostrów or Astrava Agreement (Astravos sutartis Ugoda w Ostrowie was a treaty between Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło King of Poland and He could rule Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the name of Wladyslaw II Jagiełło. After Vytautas death all lands and powers were to be returned to the King of Poland.
Grand Duke of Lithuania
Policy towards the East
Vytautas continued Algirdas' vision to control as many Muscovy lands as possible. Algirdas, (ɑlgərdɑːs known as Olgierd Альгерд Ольгерд b The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and Many lands were already under the Grand Duke's rule, but the rest were controlled by the Mongols. This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. Tokhtamysh, Khan of the Golden Horde, sought Vytautas' help when he was removed from the throne in 1395 after his defeat by Timur. 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 This article refers to the medieval Turkic state For the Irish rock band see The Golden Horde (band. Timur also written Emir Timur or Amir Temur ( Chagatai: تیمور - Tēmōr " Iron " (1336 – 19 February 1405 among An agreement was reached that Vytautas would help Tokhtamysh to regain power, and the Horde would cede more lands to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in return. In 1398, Vytautas' army attacked a part of the Crimea and built a castle there. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Now Lithuania spanned from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. 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. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey A number of Tatar captives were brought to the ethnic Lithuania. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups
Inspired by this successful campaign, Vytautas and Wladyslaw II Jagiełło won support from Pope Boniface IX for organizing a crusade against the Mongols. The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas (Gediminaičių stulpai are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and one of its historical coats of arms History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Pope Boniface IX (1356 &ndash October 1, 1404) born Piero Tomacelli, was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism from November The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents This political move also demonstrated that Grand Duchy of Lithuania had fully accepted Christianity and was defending the faith on its own, and that the Teutonic Knights had no further basis for attacks against Lithuania. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The campaign resulted in total defeat at the Battle of the Vorskla River in 1399. The Battle of the Vorskla River was a great battle in the medieval history of Eastern Europe. Over twenty princes, including two brothers of Wladyslaw II Jagiełło, were killed, and Vytautas himself barely escaped alive. This came as a shock to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland. A number of territories revolted against Vytautas, and Smolensk was retaken by its hereditary ruler, George of Smolensk and not re-conquered by Lithuanians until 1404. Smolensk (Смоленск is a city in western Russia, located on the Dnieper River, the administrative centre of Smolensk Oblast. Yury Svyatoslavich or Georgy Svyatoslavovich (Юрий Святославович or Георгий Святославович was the last sovereign ruler of Smolensk Vytautas waged a war in 1406-1408 against his son-in-law Vasili I of Moscow and Švitrigaila, a brother of Jogaila who with the support of the Teutonic Order had declared himself grand prince. Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich ( Russian: Василий I Дмитриевич 30 December 1371 – 27 February 1425) was Grand Prince Švitrigaila (ca 1370 – 10 February 1452) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432 A major stand-off between the two armies ended without a battle in the Treaty of Ugra, by which Velikiy Novgorod was granted to Jogaila's brother Simeon Lingwen, and the important city of Pskov to Jogaila's envoy Jerzy Nos, the latter settlement a clear violation of the treaty of Raciąż. Ugra (Угра is a river in Smolensk and Kaluga Oblasts in Russia left tributary of the Oka River. Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Lengvenis ( Simeon Lingwen, born ca 1360 – died after 1431 was one of the sons of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and the ruler of Great Pskov (Псков ancient Russian spelling Пльсковъ Pleskov) in Latvian Pleskava, in Estonian Pihkva, is an ancient city located in Jerzy Nos was a mediaeval Polish and Lithuanian politician Originally a Starost of Drohiczyn and Mielnik, he also held numerous posts in the administration [2][3]The war with Muscovy ended in December 1408, on terms which made further conflict with the Teutonic Order inevitable, despite Hermann II of Celje's attempt to negotiate a solution. Hermann II (Herman II Celjski Hermann Graf von Cilli Ortenburg und Seger (c [4]
Wars against the Teutonic Order
In 1398 in preparation for the crusade against the Golden Horde, Vytautas had signed the Salynas peace treaty with the Teutonic Knights and transferred Samogitia to them. Jan Matejko ( (also known as Jan Mateyko; June 24 1838 Free City of Kraków; - November 1 1893 Kraków) was a Polish painter 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 Samogitia ( Samogitian: Žemaitėjė, Žemaitija literally lowlands) is one of the five Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania. Samogitia was especially important for the order because it separated Teutonic Knights, based in Prussia, from the Livonian Order, based in Latvia. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. The two orders desired to unite and form a mighty force. However, the knights ruled Samogitia only for three years, because in 1401 the Samogitians, supported by Vytautas, rebelled and burned two castles. The knights received support from Švitrigaila, brother of Jagiełło, who desired to take Vytautas' title. Švitrigaila (ca 1370 – 10 February 1452) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432 In 1404 another treaty was signed which, in essence, repeated the Salynas treaty: Samogitia was transferred to the Teutonic Knights. Poland promised not to support Lithuania in case of another war. The knights promised to support Vytautas in the east and not to support any Gediminid who could have claims to the Grand Duke of Lithuania title. The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania However, the treaty did not solve the problems, and all the parties prepared for a war.
In 1408 Vytautas reached peace in the east and returned to Samogitia matters. In 1409 a second rebellion, backed by Vytautas, against the Teutonic Knights started. The rebels burned Skirsnemunė castle. Skirsnemunė is a village on the Neman River in Tauragė County, Lithuania. Since both Poland and Lithuania supported the rebels, the war started. Vytautas gathered a large army from 18 lands under his control. The army joined Polish forces and advanced towards the Teutonic headquarters at the castle of Marienburg (present-day Malbork). Malbork (Marienburg in Westpreußen Civitas Beatae Virginis is a Town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region with 41000 inhabitants (2001 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. Even though the siege of Marienburg was unsuccessful, the Teutonic Knights never regained their strength and from then on posed a reduced threat to Poland-Lithuania.
As a result of the Peace of Thorn of 1411, Vytautas received Samogitia for his lifetime. The (First Peace of Thorn (1411 was like the Second Peace of Thorn (1466, a Peace treaty between allied Poland and Lithuania fom However, the parties could not agree on the border. Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, agreed to mediate the dispute. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund ( February 14, 1368 – December 9, In 1413, it was declared that the whole right bank of the Neman River was Samogitia and therefore belonged to Lithuania. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. The Teutonic Knights disagreed and a new war started in 1414. The war lasted for just a couple of months and the dispute was brought to the Council of Constance. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Constance is the 16th Ecumenical council. Even though the dispute was not resolved, the Samogitians had a chance to present their case to the leaders of Europe. It is seen as an important event in the diplomatic history of Lithuania. Several other mediation attempts failed and yet another war with the Teutonic Order started in 1422. After a couple of months of fighting, the Treaty of Lake Melno was signed. The Treaty of Melno (Melno taika Pokój melneński or Treaty of Lake Melno (Friede von Melnosee was a Peace treaty ending the Gollub War. Samogitia was returned to Lithuania in perpetuity, while the city of Memel (present-day Klaipėda) and surrounding territories stayed with the Order. Klaipėda ( ˈklaɪpɛdə Memel is a City in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea This border, as established by the treaty, remained stable for some 500 years until the Memel Territory dispute of 1923. The Klaipėda Region (Klaipėdos kraštas or Memel Territory (Memelland or Memelgebiet Territoire de Memel was defined by the Treaty of Versailles With peace established, Vytautas could now concentrate on reforms and the relationship with Poland.
Relationship with Poland
In 1399 Jadwiga of Poland and her newborn died in childbirth. Kaunas ( ˈkoʊnəs is the second largest City in Lithuania and a former temporary capital. Jadwiga of Anjou (1373/4 – July 17 1399 was King of Poland from 1384 to her death Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a Human Pregnancy or Jogaila's power in Poland was jeopardized as he was a foreigner king with no other ties to the throne but his wife. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland. Also, the defeat at Vorskla forced a re-evaluation of the relationship between Poland and Lithuania. The result was the Union of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. The Union of Vilnius and Radom was a set of acts passed in 1401 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and confirmed by the Crown Council in Radom later the Vytautas was granted wide autonomy, but after his death the title and powers of Grand Duke of Lithuania were to be transferred to the king of Poland. In case Jagiełło died first without an heir, the Polish nobility agreed not to elect a new king without consulting Vytautas. The unique feature of this union was that the Lithuanian nobility presented their own document: for the first time somebody other than dukes played a role in the state matters.
Vytautas was one of the creators of the Union of Horodło with Poland in 1413. Kaunas ( ˈkoʊnəs is the second largest City in Lithuania and a former temporary capital. The Pact of Horodlo or Union of Horodło was a set of acts introduced in the town of Horodło in 1413. This union was more important culturally than politically because Lithuanian Christian nobles received the same rights as Polish szlachta. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal This act did not include orthodox nobles. This paved the way for more contacts and cooperation between the nobles and for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. 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 January of 1429 Vytautas already had received the title of King of Lithuania with the backing of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, but the envoys who were transporting the crown were stopped by Polish magnates in autumn of 1430. For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund ( February 14, 1368 – December 9, Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man itself from Latin magnus 'great' designates a noble or other man in a high social position Another crown was sent, but Vytautas died in the Trakai Island Castle several days before it reached Lithuania. Trakai Island Castle is located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island on the shores of Lake Galvė. He was buried in the Cathedral of Vilnius. Vilnius Cathedral (Vilniaus Šv Stanislovo ir Šv Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. The knowledge about his remains has been lost.
According to 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vytautas "was certainly the most imposing personality of his day in Eastern Europe, and his martial valour was combined with statesmanlike foresight. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica "
Reforms
Vytautas backed the economic development of his state and introduced many reforms. The litas ( ISO currency code LTL symbolized as Lt plural litai or litų) is the currency of Lithuania. Under his rule the Grand Duchy of Lithuania gradually became more centralized, as local princes with dynastic ties to the throne were replaced by the governors loyal to Vytautas. The governors were rich landowners who formed the basis for the Lithuanian nobility. During Vytautas' rule, the influential Radziwiłł and Goštautai families began their rise. 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
Title
- Latin: magnus dux Lithuanie terrarumque Russie etc
- English translation: Grand duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia etc
(Breviary excerpt from a document in 1422: Nos Alexander alias Witoldus eadem < Dei > gracia, magnus dux Lithwanie terrarumque Russie etc. )
Observe: Technically, Vytautas was most of his reign a nominal vassal of his cousin Jogaila, then king of Poland, who used an additional title Supreme Prince of Lithuania. Jogaila, later Władysław II Jagiełło (b about 1362 d 1 June 1434 was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
See also
- Gediminids
- House of Kęstutis – family tree of Vytautas
- Order of Vytautas the Great
Notes
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2004). The Gediminids ( Lithuanian: Gediminaičiai, singular Gediminaitis) were a Dynasty of Monarchs of the medieval Lithuania House of Kęstutis refers to the siblings children and grandchildren of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1381–1382 The Order of Vytautas the Great is the Lithuanian Presidential Award The Hussite Wars 1419-36. Ospreypublishing, p. 11. ISBN 1841766658.
- ^ (Polish) Paweł Jasienica (1988). Paweł Jasienica was the Pen-name of Leon Lech Beynar ( November 10, 1909 – August 19, 1970) a Polish amateur Historian "Władysław Jagiełło", Polska Jagiellonów. Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy. ISBN 83-06-01796-X.
- ^ (Polish) Tekla Wołowska (1860). Historya Polska (Polish History). Paris: L. Martinet, 433.
- ^ (Polish) Antoni Prochaska (1908). Król Władysław Jagiełło. Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, 240. The Polish Academy of Learning ( Polish: Polska Akademia Umiejętności) headquartered in Kraków, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having
References
- (Lithuanian) Inga Deidulė, Vytauto Didžiojo įvaizdžio genezės mįslė, - "ieškokite moterų", Vartiklis. Accessed May 20, 2006.
- (Lithuanian) Andrius Mingėla, Vytautas Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis, Juventa high school. Accessed May 20, 2006.
- Oscar Halecki, Borderlands of Western Civilization: A History of East Central Europe, 2nd edition, Chapter 8, Simon Publications, July 2001, ISBN 0-9665734-8-X
- Vytautas and Karaims, Lithuanian Karaims Culture Community. Accessed May 20, 2006.
| Preceded by Skirgaila |
Grand Duke of Lithuania 1392-1430 |
Succeeded by Švitrigaila |
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