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109-557: Jogaila ( Lithuanian: [jɔˈɡâːɪɫɐ] ; c.  1352/1362  – 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło ( Polish: [vwaˈdɨswaf jaˈɡʲɛwwɔ] ), was Grand Duke of Lithuania (1377–1381 and 1382–1401), later giving the position to his cousin Vytautas in exchange for the title of Supreme Duke of Lithuania (1401–1434) and then King of Poland (1386–1434), first alongside his wife Jadwiga until 1399, and then sole ruler of Poland. Raised

218-516: A Lithuanian polytheist , he converted to Catholicism in 1386 and was baptized as Ladislaus (Polish: Władysław ) in Kraków , married the young Queen Jadwiga, and was crowned King of Poland as Władysław II Jagiełło. In 1387, he converted Lithuania to Catholicism. His own reign in Poland started in 1399, upon the death of Queen Jadwiga, lasted a further thirty-five years, and laid the foundation for

327-521: A Gediminas' Cap in the Vilnius Cathedral on his head, despite the Polish nobility 's opposition. Another documented inauguration is the enthronement of Alexander Jagiellon in 1492. Alexander was appointed Grand Duke by his father, nevertheless, a formal election of the ruler was held as part of a general assembly, which was attended for the first time by representatives from all the lands of

436-541: A clause interpreted by historians to mean anything from a personal union between Lithuania and Poland to a complete incorporation of Lithuania into Poland. The agreement at Kreva has been described both as far-sighted and as a desperate gamble. Jogaila was duly baptised at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków on 15 February 1386 and from then on formally used the name Władysław or Latin versions of it. The marriage took place three days later, and on 4 March 1386 Jogaila

545-643: A clause prohibiting the Polish nobility from electing a monarch without the consent of the Lithuanian nobility, and the Lithuanian nobility from electing a grand duke without the consent of the Polish monarch. In 1414, a sporadic new war broke out, known as the " Hunger War " from the Knights' scorched-earth tactics of burning fields and mills; but both the Knights and the Lithuanians were too exhausted from

654-606: A constitutional monarchy in Lithuania and invite Mindaugas II to take his throne. Political commentator Česlovas Iškauskas responded: In 1918, Germany exerted great influence. But now the idea of re-establishing the constitutional monarchy as well as the activities of the "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania" to me seems like a game when you have nothing better to do. At the moment Lithuania has much more important issues—it needs to think how to withstand current threats, not about

763-777: A jointly elected monarch in the Election sejm on his accession to the throne, thus losing its former institutional significance, however the Union of Lublin guaranteed that the institution and the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be preserved. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during

872-544: A measure of support in Lithuania. In late 1401, the new war against the Order overstretched the resources of the Lithuanians, who found themselves fighting on two fronts after uprisings in the eastern provinces. Another of Władysław's brothers, the malcontent Švitrigaila , chose this moment to stir up revolts behind the lines and declare himself grand duke. On 31 January 1402, he presented himself in Marienburg , where he won

981-405: A new monarchy. Prince Inigo von Urach , the grandson of Wilhelm von Urach (Mindaugas II), claims that according to Almanach de Gotha he remains to be the rightful claimant to the Lithuanian throne and is willing to become King of Lithuania, if the nation wants him to. To quote him from an interview for LRT , "It's not my thing to decide it [the idea of officially being crowned King], that's

1090-759: A part of either Prussia or Saxony , which for 123 years remained to be a part of the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the Polish−Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. In an attempt to avoid becoming a province but remain on good terms with Germany, the Council of Lithuania decided to establish a separate constitutional monarchy with Wilhelm von Urach as King with his residence being in Verkiai Palace . According to

1199-698: A pastoral exhortation over him. Then the Grand Marshal of Lithuania Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis handed Alexander a bare sword and a sceptre. Subsequently, the Poles considered electing Alexander Jagiellon as the King of Poland, however instead of him John I Albert was elected as the King of Poland in August 1492 and this led to another termination of the Polish–Lithuanian union. Stryjkowski also relayed

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1308-534: A permanent defensive alliance between the two states, strengthening Lithuania's hand for a new war against the Teutonic Order in which Poland officially took no part. While the document left the liberties of the Polish nobles untouched, it granted increased power to the boyars of Lithuania, whose grand dukes had till then been unencumbered by checks and balances of the sort attached to the Polish monarchy. The Union of Vilnius and Radom therefore earned Władysław

1417-468: A permanent border between Prussia and Lithuania. Lithuania was given the province of Samogitia, with the port of Palanga , but the city of Klaipėda was left to the Order. This border remained largely unchanged for roughly 500 years, until 1920. The terms of this treaty have, however, been seen as turning a Polish victory into defeat, as a result of Władysław's renunciation of Polish claims to Pomerania, Pomerelia, and Chełmno Land , for which he received only

1526-688: A result of the Union of Krewo , the newly formed Polish-Lithuanian union confronted the growing power of the Teutonic Order . The allied victory at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, followed by the Peace of Thorn , secured the Polish and Lithuanian borders and marked the emergence of the Polish–Lithuanian alliance as a significant force in Europe. The reign of Władysław II Jagiełło extended Polish frontiers and

1635-495: A royal crown in 1429—apparently with Władysław's blessing—but Polish forces intercepted the crown in transit and the coronation was cancelled. In 1422, Władysław fought another war, known as the Gollub War , against the Teutonic Order, defeating them in under two months before the Order's imperial reinforcements had time to arrive. The resulting Treaty of Melno ended the Knights' claims to Samogitia once and for all and defined

1744-526: A single bi- federation , known as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , which had existed for the next 226 years. The Union included constitutional changes such as creating a formal elective monarchy , which would simultaneously reign over both parties. Following the death of Sigismund II in 1572, a joint Polish–Lithuanian monarch was to be elected as in the Union of Lublin it was agreed that the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be received by

1853-525: A symbolic declaration of allegiance. Vytautas himself sought to officially establish his reign by coronation at least three times. All three attempts were unsuccessful because the political situation was much more complicated—by this point the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were under a joint rule of Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jogaila ( Władysław II Jagiełło ) with

1962-570: A week later. Vytautas escaped to the Teutonic fortress of Marienburg and was baptised there under the name Wigand. Jogaila formulated the Treaty of Dubysa , which rewarded the Knights for their aid in defeating Kęstutis and Vytautas by promising Christianisation and granting them Samogitia west of the Dubysa river. However, when Jogaila failed to ratify the treaty, the Knights invaded Lithuania in

2071-455: Is often considered the beginning of Poland's Golden Age . Little is known of Jogaila's early life, and even his year of birth is uncertain. Previously historians assumed he was born in 1352, but some recent research suggests a later date—about 1362. He was a descendant of the Gediminid dynasty and was the son of Algirdas , Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife, Uliana of Tver , who

2180-473: The Battle of Grunwald after one of the largest and most ferocious battles of the Middle Ages, the allies won a victory so overwhelming that the Teutonic Order's army was virtually annihilated, with most of its key commanders killed in combat, including Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen and Grand Marshal Friedrich von Wallenrode. Thousands of troops were reportedly slaughtered on either side. The road to

2289-767: The Holy Roman Empire . Władysław turned the deal down with the agreement of both Polish and Silesian nobles, unwilling to burden himself with new military commitments in the west. In December 1408, Władysław and Vytautas held strategic talks in Navahrudak Castle , where they decided to foment a Samogitian uprising against Teutonic rule to draw German forces away from Pomerelia . Władysław promised to repay Vytautas for his support by restoring Samogitia to Lithuania in any future peace treaty. The uprising, which began in May 1409, at first provoked little reaction from

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2398-488: The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle , Mindaugas' father was a great king who "had no equal in his time." As the territory of Lithuania expanded eastwards, other king-titled grand dukes who ruled the country adopted similar titles for introducing themselves abroad. For instance, Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytenis was sometimes regarded as Rex Lethowinorum (King of Lithuanians) while his successor Gediminas took

2507-572: The Peace of Thorn , in which neither Poland nor Lithuania drove home negotiating advantages home to the full, much to the discontent of the Polish nobility. Poland regained Dobrzyń Land , Lithuania regained Samogitia , and Masovia regained a small territory beyond the Wkra river. Most of the Teutonic Order's territory, however, including towns that had surrendered, remained intact. Władysław then released many high-ranking Teutonic Knights and officials for apparently modest ransoms. The cumulative expense of

2616-402: The Polish crown was also announced as a property of both the Polish and Lithuanian nobles. In 1564, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus renounced his rights to the hereditary Lithuanian throne—the separate inauguration ceremony and insignia for Grand Duke of Lithuania were abolished. On 1 July 1569, Sigismund II Augustus united both of the countries into

2725-669: The Principality of Smolensk and granted to his son Dmitrijus to govern it. The territory was in far northeast from the heartlands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and bordered the Grand Duchy of Moscow . In 1370, Dmitri Donskoi , the Grand Duke of Moscow, unsuccessfully attempted to conquer the territory. In 1372, Dmitry witnessed the Treaty of Lyubutsk between Algirdas and Dmitri Donskoi. After his father's death in 1377, Dmitry supported his elder brother Andrei of Polotsk against their younger half-brother Jogaila , who became

2834-497: The Teutonic Order and of Livonia by the Livonian Brothers were coming to an end, both Catholic religious orders began posing an existential threat to then-pagan Lithuania. In response, Duke Mindaugas, who by then had managed to strengthen his grip in various Baltic and Slavic lands, sought to consolidate power and unite Lithuania into one political entity, convert to Christianity , and become king. In 1250 or 1251, he

2943-423: The Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, bishop Merkelis Giedraitis in the Vilnius Cathedral presented Grand Duke Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had

3052-606: The White Horde , were crushed by the Timurids at the Battle of the Vorskla River , ending his imperial ambitions in the east and obliging him to submit to Władysław's protection once more. On 22 June 1399, Jadwiga gave birth to a daughter, baptised Elizabeth Bonifacia , but within a month the mother and daughter died, leaving Władysław sole ruler of the Kingdom of Poland and without an heir nor much legitimacy to rule

3161-511: The council of lords . The cap was placed on the ruler's head by the Bishop of Vilnius, while the Grand Marshal presented him with a sword. Following the Union of Lublin , which formed the federative Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, and the death of the last Gediminid ruler Sigismund II Augustus in 1572, separate inaugurations in Vilnius Cathedral were abolished, therefore Gediminas' Cap lost its ceremonial significance. The insignias of

3270-427: The diocese of Vilnius under bishop Andrzej Wasilko , the former confessor of Elizabeth of Poland . The bishopric, which included Samogitia, then largely controlled by the Teutonic Order, was subordinated to the see of Gniezno and not to that of Teutonic Königsberg . The decision may not have improved Władysław's relations with the Order, but it served to introduce closer ties between Lithuania and Poland, enabling

3379-659: The 14th century, Gediminas would send his letters proclaiming to be "King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians." In November 1918, the State Council left the question of Mindaugas II to the Constituent Assembly . And while it is true that the latter declared Lithuania to be a democratic republic on 15 May 1920, I have never heard of the Constituent Assembly officially denouncing the State Council's declaration of 11 July 1918, which called to create

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3488-546: The Catholics to convert to Catholicism. Władysław II Jagiello and Jadwiga reigned as co-monarchs; and though Jadwiga probably had little real power, she took an active part in Poland's political and cultural life. In 1387, she led two successful military expeditions to Red Ruthenia , recovered lands her father, Louis I of Hungary , had transferred from Poland to Hungary, and secured the homage of Voivode Petru I of Moldavia . In 1390, she also personally opened negotiations with

3597-490: The Crown being in Kraków , Poland. As a consequence, the idea of a fully-fledged Lithuanian monarchy as well as Poland losing its influence over its neighbour was met with fierce resistance from the Polish nobles. The first time coronation was planned on 8 September 1430, but after one of the delegations that transported the crown learned that the first delegation was robbed on its way to Lithuania, they returned to Nuremberg . In

3706-467: The Grand Duchy. The course of the ceremony was documented by Maciej Stryjkowski , who reported that after the election lords elevated Alexander in the cathedral. The newly elected ruler was dressed "in a ducal cap with pearls and precious stones set in it, also the usual robe that today the princes of the Reich wear at the imperial coronation ." Then Bishop of Vilnius Wojciech Tabor blessed him and held

3815-416: The Grand Duke of Lithuania. Andrei, believing that he is the rightful heir to the throne, organized a coalition against Jogaila, which included Polotsk , Pskov , Livonian Order , and Grand Duchy of Moscow. Dmitry took a more passive role in the coalition: he did not wage a direct war against Lithuania and did not defend his domain when it was attacked by Moscow's army in 1379. Dmitry and his family followed

3924-455: The Great by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , and Mindaugas II by Pope Benedict XV . Others were seen as kings of Lithuania even though they had only considered it and never took further action to claim the throne, as in the case of Gediminas who was recognised as king of Lithuania by Pope John XXII . The hereditary monarchy in Lithuania was first established in the 13th century during

4033-402: The Great consisted of Gediminas' Cap, sword, ring, flag, and seal. The first inauguration ceremony of a Lithuanian Grand Duke about which there is reliable information is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon , as reported by Jan Długosz . Casimir IV was sent by his older brother King of Poland and Hungary, Supreme Duke of Lithuania Władysław III , to Lithuania to rule in his name. But instead he

4142-488: The Knights, who had not yet consolidated their rule in Samogitia by building castles; but by June their diplomats were busy lobbying Władysław's court at Oborniki , warning his nobles against Polish involvement in a war between Lithuania and the Order. Władysław, however, bypassed his nobles and informed new Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen that if the Knights acted to suppress Samogitia, Poland would intervene. This stung

4251-502: The Latin title of Rex Lithuanorum et Multorum Ruthenorum (King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians ). Teutonic Knights referred to Algirdas and his wife Uliana ( Julijona ) as "Grand King of Lithuania" and "Grand Queen of Lithuania". Even though it is traditionally accepted that Mindaugas was the only true king, all historical records, with the exception of Slavic annals, mention Lithuanian rulers as kings until 1386. Officially,

4360-705: The Lithuania Following the Act of Krėva with Poland in 1385, the full Latin title was changed to Dei Gratia Rex Poloniae Magnus Dux Lithuaniae ( By the Grace of God , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania). The title of the Grand Duke of Lithuania mostly came into force during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great , who concluded the Ostrów Agreement with his cousin Jogaila in 1392 and

4469-503: The Lithuanian monarchy. According to the senate marshal of the organization "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania", Stanislovas Švedarauskas: Can we present the specific date when the Kingdom of Lithuania of the Middle Ages ceased to exist and when did the Lithuanian 20th-century constitutional monarchy end? In the words of historians, when Mindaugas I died in 1263, the Kingdom had disappeared as well. However, after almost 100 years, in

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4578-610: The Lithuanian rulers were not preserved and following the Union of Lublin only the seal (kept by the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania ) and the flag (carried near the ruler by the Grand Flag Bearer of Lithuania) remained. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during

4687-492: The Lithuanian succession which stuttered on for years after Władysław's death. At the dying request of the childless Jadwiga he married a Styrian lady, Anna of Celje . She died in 1416, leaving a daughter : In 1417, Władysław married Elisabeth of Pilica , who died in 1420 without bearing him a child. Two years later, he married Sophia of Halshany (niece of Uliana Olshanska ), who bore him two surviving sons : The death in 1431 of his daughter Hedwig (Jadwiga),

4796-724: The Order and declared war against Poland on 12 July, though his Hungarian vassals refused his call to arms. When the war resumed in June 1410, Władysław advanced into the Teutonic heartland at the head of an army of about 20,000 mounted nobles, 15,000 armed commoners, and 2,000 professional cavalry mainly hired from Bohemia. After crossing the Vistula over the pontoon bridge at Czerwińsk , his troops met up with those of Vytautas , whose 11,000 light cavalry included Lithuanians, Ruthenians, and Tatars . The Teutonic Order's army had about 18,000 cavalry, mostly Germans, and 5,000 infantry. On 15 July, at

4905-461: The Order into issuing a declaration of war against Poland on 6 August, which Władysław received on 14 August in Nowy Korczyn . The castles guarding the northern border were in such bad condition that the Knights easily captured those at Złotoryja, Dobrzyń and Bobrowniki , the capital of Dobrzyń Land, while German burghers invited them into Bydgoszcz (German: Bromberg). Władysław arrived on

5014-526: The Piasts. During an excursion into Przemyśl Land in the 48th year of his reign, Władysław caught a cold from which he was unable to recover. He finally died in Grodek in 1434, leaving Poland to his elder son, Władysław III, and Lithuania to his younger, Casimir, both still minors at the time. The Lithuanian inheritance, however, could not be taken for granted. Władysław's death ended the personal union between

5123-540: The Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, a ceremony was held in the Vilnius Cathedral during which bishop Merkelis Giedraitis presented Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested

5232-410: The Polish church to freely assist its Lithuanian counterpart. In 1389, Władysław's rule in Lithuania faced a revived challenge from Vytautas, who resented the power given to Skirgaila in Lithuania at the expense of his own patrimony. Vytautas started a civil war in Lithuania , aiming to become the Grand Duke. On 4 September 1390, the joint forces of Vytautas and Grand Master Konrad von Wallenrode of

5341-580: The Supreme Duke of Lithuania title when his son Sigismund II Augustus was his vicegerent in Lithuania. The inaugurations of the Lithuanian monarchs were held in Vilnius Cathedral and consisted of the placement of Gediminas' Cap on the Lithuanian monarch's head and the presentation of a sword . The cap was placed on the head by the Bishop of Vilnius and the sword was presented by the Grand Marshal of Lithuania . The regalia of Vytautas

5450-588: The Teutonic Knights was ended on 12 October 1398 by the Treaty of Salynas , named after the islet in the Neman River where it was signed. Lithuania agreed to cede Samogitia and assist the Teutonic Order in a campaign to seize Pskov , while the Order agreed to assist Lithuania in a campaign to seize Novgorod . Shortly afterwards, Vytautas was crowned as a king by local nobles; but the following year his forces and those of his ally, Khan Tokhtamysh of

5559-406: The Teutonic Knights, who claimed his conversion was a sham, perhaps even a heresy, and renewed their incursions on the pretext that pagans remained in Lithuania. From then on, however, the Order found it harder to sustain the cause of a crusade and faced the growing threat to its existence posed by the Kingdom of Poland and a genuinely Christian Lithuania alliance. Władysław sponsored the creation of

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5668-463: The Teutonic Order, laid siege to Vilnius, which was held by Władysław's regent Skirgaila with combined Polish, Lithuanian and Ruthenian troops. Although the Knights lifted the siege of the castle after a month, they reduced much of the outer city to ruins. This bloody conflict was eventually brought to a temporary halt in 1392 with the Treaty of Ostrów , by which Władysław handed over the government of Lithuania to his cousin in exchange for peace: Vytautas

5777-465: The Teutonic Order. Most political responsibilities, however, fell to Jagiello, with Jadwiga attending to the cultural and charitable activities for which she is still revered. Soon after Jagiello's accession to the Polish throne, Jagiello granted Vilnius a city charter like that of Kraków , modeled on the Magdeburg Law ; and Vytautas issued a privilege to a Jewish commune of Trakai on almost

5886-468: The Teutonic capital Marienburg now lay open, the city undefended; but for reasons the sources do not explain, Władysław hesitated to pursue his advantage. On 17 July, his army began a laboured advance, arriving at Marienburg only on 25 July, by which time the new Grand Master, Heinrich von Plauen , had organised a defence of the fortress. The apparent half-heartedness of the ensuing siege, called off by Władysław on 19 September, has been variously ascribed to

5995-562: The agreement was confirmed in the Pact of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. Since then Jogaila was titled the Supreme Duke of Lithuania ( supremus dux Lithuaniae ). Vytautas the Great gained the factual rule of Lithuania, which was recognized by the treaties. In 1398, the Lithuanian nobility declared Vytautas the Great as the King of Lithuania and, following the Congress of Lutsk in 1429,

6104-400: The backing of the Knights with concessions similar to those made by Jogaila and Vytautas during earlier leadership contests in the Grand Duchy. The war ended in the Treaty of Raciąż on 22 May 1404. Władysław acceded to the formal cession of Samogitia and agreed to support the Order's designs on Pskov ; in return, Konrad von Jungingen undertook to sell Poland the disputed Dobrzyń Land and

6213-448: The cap was: "of red velvet with gold spheres set with precious stones". The last ceremony to elevate a grand duke took place on 18 October 1529, when Sigismund Augustus was elevated to this dignity during his father's lifetime. The ceremony occurred in the great hall of the newly built lower castle , as the cathedral burned down that same year. The young Sigismund Augustus sat on the throne between his parents, surrounded by members of

6322-505: The centuries-long Polish–Lithuanian union . He was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Poland that bears his name and was previously also known as the Gediminid dynasty in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . The dynasty ruled both states until 1572, and became one of the most influential dynasties in late medieval and early modern Europe . Jogaila was the last pagan ruler of medieval Lithuania . After he became King of Poland, as

6431-732: The clergy, who came to Samogitia with Jogaila, were able to communicate with the natives, therefore Jogaila himself taught the Samogitians about the Catholicism , thus he was able to communicate in the Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian language. According to the Teutonic Order's testimonial, he could not read nor write, and had to listen to others reading for him. Jogaila's Russian mother Uliana of Tver urged him to marry Sofia, daughter of Prince Dmitri of Moscow , who required him first to convert to Orthodoxy. That option, however,

6540-557: The country's official language as well as not leaving the state for more than two months per year without the permission of the government. As the war ended, it became clear that Germany was losing. On 5 October 1918, in the Reichstag , the new Chancellor of Germany Maximilian of Baden announced that his state acknowledged the right of nations to self-determination and supported their efforts of becoming independent countries. Soon afterwards, Germany expressed its official support for

6649-514: The crown to Władysław on condition that he accept the religious principles of the Four Articles of Prague , which he was not prepared to do. After Władysław's refusal, Vytautas was postulated (elected in absentia) as Bohemian king, but he assured the pope that he opposed the heretics. Between 1422 and 1428, Władysław's nephew, Sigismund Korybut , attempted a regency in war-torn Bohemia, with little success. Vytautas accepted Sigismund's offer of

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6758-584: The crowning was sanctioned by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor . However, Vytautas died before the crown arrived. Jogaila's son Władysław III also titled himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania. John I Albert unilaterally declared himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania in 1492, but this title was rejected by the Lithuanian Council of Lords . In 1544–1548, Sigismund I the Old expressed his supreme monarchical authority in Lithuania by again using

6867-525: The current Constitution of Lithuania , and has no monarchy. The full title held by king of Lithuania from 1253 to 1263 was: In Lithuanian : Iš Dievo malonės, Lietuvos karalius In Latin : Dei Gratia Rex Lettowiae In English : By the Grace of God, King of the Lithuania The first mention of a Lithuanian king predates the establishment of the Christian kingdom itself: according to

6976-400: The election and inauguration of Sigismund I as Grand Duke of Lithuania on 20 October 1509. The ceremony was again attended by Bishop Wojciech Tabor, who this time not only blessed but also placed a cap on the ruler's head. In turn, Grand Marshal Michael Glinski presented him with a sword. Sigismund received the oath of the Lithuanian lords while sitting on the throne. According to Stryjkowski,

7085-414: The end of that year to express their preference for being "baptised with water and not with blood". The Polish envoys, among them Mikołaj Trąba , Zawisza Czarny , and Paweł Włodkowic , lobbied for an end to the forced conversion of heathens and to the Order's aggression against Lithuania and Poland. As a result of the Polish–Lithuanian diplomacy, the council, though scandalised by Włodkowic's questioning of

7194-606: The fertile territories of Galicia–Volhynia . The Polish nobles saw the offer as an opportunity for increasing their privileges and avoiding Austrian influence, brought by Jadwiga's previous fiancé William, Duke of Austria . On 14 August 1385 in Kreva Castle , Jogaila confirmed his prenuptial promises in the Union of Krewo (Union of Kreva). The promises included the adoption of Christianity, repatriation of lands "stolen" from Poland by its neighbours, and terras suas Lithuaniae et Russiae Coronae Regni Poloniae perpetuo applicare ,

7303-505: The final Christianization of Lithuania . Though the ethnic Lithuanian nobility were the main converts to Catholicism—both paganism and the Orthodox rite remained strong among the peasants—the king's conversion and its political implications created lasting repercussions for the history of both Lithuania and Poland. On 22 February 1387, he banned Catholics from marriages with Orthodox , and demanded those Orthodox who previously married with

7412-525: The idea of being a satellite monarchy and establish a fully independent republic instead. Although there are no monarchist parties in modern Lithuania, there is a monarchist movement, which is in favor of re-establishing the short-lived monarchy of 1918. The movement alongside the Lithuanian Royal Union of Nobility believe that the current Lithuanian state did not undergo all of the complicated and necessary procedures to truly abolish

7521-433: The impregnability of the fortifications, high Lithuanian casualties, to Władysław's unwillingness to risk further casualties, or to his desire to keep the Order weakened but undefeated so as to not upset the balance of power between Poland (which would most likely acquire most of the Order possessions if it was totally defeated) and Lithuania; but a lack of sources precludes a definitive explanation. The war ended in 1411 with

7630-412: The independence of Lithuania. Furthermore, the diplomats of France had also unambiguously proclaimed to the Council of Lithuania and the Parliament that having a monarch of German descent would be seen as unacceptable. On 2 November 1918, as it became apparent that King-elect Mindaugas himself was hesitant to arrive in Lithuania for his coronation due to political unrest, the Council decided to abandon

7739-466: The kingdom. Jadwiga's death undermined Władysław's right to the throne, and as a result old conflicts between the nobility of Lesser Poland , generally sympathetic to Władysław, and the gentry of Greater Poland began to surface. In 1402, Władysław answered the rumblings against his rule by marrying Anna of Cilli , a granddaughter of Casimir III of Poland , a political match that re-legitimised his reign. The Union of Vilnius and Radom of 1401 confirmed

7848-428: The last heir of Piast blood, released Władysław to make his sons by Sophia of Halshany his heirs, though he had to placate the Polish nobility with concessions to ensure their agreement, since the monarchy was elective. In 1427 the Polish nobles had initiated an anti-Jagiellonian movement, seeking to have Władysław and Casimir excluded from the Polish throne as they had no blood link to the previous ruling Polish dynasty,

7957-627: The legitimacy of the monastic state, denied the Order's request for a further crusade and instead entrusted the conversion of the Samogitians to Poland–Lithuania. The diplomatic context at Constance included the revolt of the Bohemian Hussites , who looked upon Poland as an ally in their wars against Sigismund , the emperor elect and new king of Bohemia. In 1421, the Bohemian Diet declared Sigismund deposed and formally offered

8066-518: The meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. Nevertheless, per Union of Lublin the rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were elected in joint Polish–Lithuanian election sejms until the Third Partition in 1795 and received separate titles of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. During the coronations of joint Polish–Lithuanian monarchs ,

8175-537: The monarchical head of state of Lithuania , which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy . Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties —the House of Mindaugas , the House of Gediminas , and the House of Jagiellon . Despite this, the one and only crowned king of Lithuania was King Mindaugas I . In two more instances, royal nobles were not crowned due to political circumstances, but held de jure recognition abroad — Vytautas

8284-418: The monarchs of Europe, preaching their usual crusade against the heathens; Władysław countered with his own letters to the monarchs, accusing the Order of planning to conquer the whole world. Such appeals successfully recruited many foreign knights to each side. Wenceslas IV of Bohemia signed a defensive treaty with the Poles against the Teutonic Order; his brother, Sigismund of Luxembourg , allied himself with

8393-465: The negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. Nevertheless, before the 1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from

8502-432: The negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. On 20 April 1576 a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of

8611-489: The north-west and the vast Ruthenian territories of former Kievan Rus' , comprising the lands of modern Ukraine, Belarus, and parts of western Russia. At first, Jogaila—like his father—based his rule in the southern and eastern territories of Lithuania, while his uncle, Kęstutis , the Duke of Trakai , continued to rule the north-western region. Jogaila's succession, however, soon placed this system of dual rule under strain. At

8720-588: The opposing faction, bishop Mikołaj Trąba , to the archbishopric of Gniezno in autumn 1411 and replaced him in Kraków with Vytautas supporter Wojciech Jastrzębiec . He also sought to create more allies in Lithuania. The Union of Horodło on 2 October 1413 decreed that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was "tied to our Kingdom of Poland permanently and irreversibly", and granted the Catholic nobles of Lithuania privileges equal to those of Polish szlachta . The act included

8829-478: The plan, the Lithuanian Civil War began. He seized Vilnius, overthrew Jogaila, and pronounced himself grand duke in his place. In 1382, Jogaila raised an army from his father's vassals and confronted Kęstutis near Trakai. Kęstutis and his son Vytautas entered Jogaila's encampment for negotiations but were tricked and imprisoned in the Kreva Castle , where Kęstutis was found dead, probably murdered,

8938-472: The previous war to risk a major battle, and the fighting petered out in the autumn. Hostilities did not flare up again until 1419, during the Council of Constance , when they were called off at the papal legate's insistence. The Council of Constance proved a turning point in the Teutonic crusades, as it did for several European conflicts. Vytautas sent a delegation in 1415, including the metropolitan of Kiev and Samogitian witnesses; they arrived at Constance at

9047-409: The ransoms, however, proved a drain on the Order's resources. This failure to exploit the victory to his nobles' satisfaction provoked growing opposition to Władysław's regime after 1411, further fueled by the granting of Podolia , disputed between Poland and Lithuania, to Vytautas , and by the king's two-year absence in Lithuania. In an effort to outflank his critics, Władysław promoted the leader of

9156-520: The reign of Mindaugas I and officially re-established as a constitutional monarchy on 11 July 1918, only to be abandoned soon afterwards on 2 November 1918. During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs until 1569, Gediminas' Cap was placed on the monarch's head by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral . Lithuania in the present day is a representative democracy in a semi-presidential system based on popular sovereignty , as defined in

9265-653: The retreating Russian army into Moscow where Dmitri Donskoi granted him Pereslavl-Zalessky . In 1380, Dmitry led a Russian banner in the Battle of Kulikovo against the Golden Horde . Russian chronicles praise his and his brother's tactical skills. After 1380, Dmitry is mentioned in written sources only twice. After his brother Andrei was captured by Skirgaila 's forces and imprisoned in Poland, Dmitry reconciled with Jogaila, now King of Poland, in 1388. He returned to his former domain in Bryansk. Dmitry died in 1399 in

9374-537: The same terms as privileges issued to the Jews of Poland in the reigns of Boleslaus the Pious and Casimir the Great . Władysław's policy of unifying the two legal systems was partial and uneven at first but achieved a lasting influence. By the time of the Union of Lublin in 1569, there was not much difference between the administrative and judicial systems in force in Lithuania and Poland. One effect of Jagiello's measures

9483-570: The same year of October, Vytautas up until his death had planned his coronation at least two more times but with no success. In 1526, the Lithuanian Council of Lords suggested King Sigismund I the Old to grant the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the status of a kingdom, but such a proposal was rejected by the ruling Jagiellonian dynasty. During the First World War , the German Empire wanted Lithuania proper to be annexed and become

9592-526: The scene in late September, retook Bydgoszcz within a week, and came to terms with the Order on 8 October. During the winter, the two armies prepared for a major confrontation. Władysław installed a strategic supply depot at Płock in Masovia and had a pontoon bridge constructed and transported north down the Vistula . Meanwhile, both sides unleashed diplomatic offensives. The Knights dispatched letters to

9701-731: The sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. During the Deluge of the Second Northern War , the Commonwealth temporarily disintegrated in 1655 when the magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania signed the Union of Kėdainiai with the Swedish Empire and became its protectorate with Charles X Gustav serving as Grand Duke of Lithuania. It

9810-491: The start of his reign, Jogaila was preoccupied with unrest in the Lithuanian Rus' lands. In 1377–78, Andrei of Polotsk , the eldest son of Algirdas, challenged Jogaila's authority and sought to become Grand Duke. In 1380, Andrei and another brother, Dmitry , sided with Prince Dmitri of Moscow against Jogaila's alliance with emir Mamai , de facto khan of the Golden Horde . Jogaila failed to support Mamai, lingering in

9919-425: The status of Vytautas as grand duke under Władysław's overlordship, while assuring the title of grand duke to the heirs of Władysław rather than those of Vytautas: should Władysław die without heirs, the Lithuanian boyars were to elect a new monarch. Since no heir had yet been produced by either monarch, the implications of the union were unforeseeable, but it forged bonds between the Polish and Lithuanian nobility and

10028-610: The summer of 1383. In 1384, Jogaila reconciled with Vytautas promising to return his patrimony in Trakai. Vytautas then turned against the Knights, attacking and looting several Prussian castles. It is known that Jogaila, being ethnic Lithuanian by the man's line, himself knew and spoke in the Lithuanian language with Vytautas, his cousin from the Gediminids dynasty. Also, during the Christianization of Samogitia , none of

10137-404: The support of the Teutonic Order and dissatisfied Rus' nobles, rebelled against Polish overlordship in Lithuania, the Poles, under the leadership of Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków, occupied Podolia , which Władysław had awarded to Lithuania in 1411, and Volhynia . In 1432, a pro-Polish party in Lithuania elected Vytautas's brother Žygimantas as grand duke, leading to an armed struggle over

10246-434: The thing of the population here, of the citizens of Lithuania. It's not my thing [to decide]. But I promise—if they want me, I would be ready for this job." He also mentioned that Wilhelm von Urach expressed his will in his Testament of "keeping the claim of the throne" of Lithuania as well as Monaco . Demetrius I Starshy In 1356, Algirdas took the region of Bryansk , which included Trubetsk and Starodub , from

10355-514: The title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was introduced after the Pact of Horodło in 1413. Until then, previous monarchs were called by different titles, including kings. This was because in Lithuania, unlike in the majority of other European monarchies, the Grand Duke was a sovereign monarch who was accountable to no one, thus de facto king. The full title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was: In Lithuanian : Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis In Latin : Magnus Dux Lithuaniae In English : Grand Duke of

10464-526: The town of Nieszawa in return. The Treaty of Melno closed a chapter in the Knights' wars with Lithuania but did little to settle their long-term issues with Poland. Further sporadic warfare broke out between Poland and the Knights between 1431 and 1435. Cracks in the cooperation between Poland and Lithuania after the death of Vytautas in 1430 had offered the Knights a revived opportunity for interference in Poland. Władysław supported his brother Švitrigaila as grand duke of Lithuania, but when Švitrigaila, with

10573-590: The town of Złotoryja , once pawned to the Order by Władysław Opolski , and to support Vytautas in a revived attempt on Novgorod . Both sides had practical reasons for signing the treaty at that point: the Order needed time to fortify its newly acquired lands, the Poles and Lithuanians to deal with territorial challenges in the east and in Silesia . Also in 1404, Władysław held talks at Vratislav with Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia , who offered to return Silesia to Poland if Władysław supported him in his power struggle within

10682-447: The twelve-point document resembling the rudiments of a Constitution, the Kingdom of Lithuania was supposed to have had a bicameral legislature with a representative role of the monarch. Wilhelm von Urach was also presented with conditions such as adopting the title of Mindaugas II, letting his children to a Lithuanian school, only appointing courtiers , ministers and other high-ranking public officials who are Lithuanian citizens and speak

10791-546: The two realms, and it was not clear what would take its place. Władysław is depicted on the obverse of the modernized 100 Polish złoty banknote. The Jagiełło Oak, an ancient tree in Białowieża Forest , is named in honour of the fact that he initiated the tradition of royal hunting in the area. In 2021, asteroid 2004 TP17 was officially named as Jogaila (the Lithuanian language variant of his name). Grand Duke of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned

10900-508: The vicinity of the battlefield, which led to Mamai's army's significant defeat at the hands of Prince Dmitri in the Battle of Kulikovo . The Muscovites' Pyrrhic victory over the Golden Horde, in the long term, signified, however, the beginning of a slow climb to power by the Grand Duchy of Moscow , which became within a century the most serious rival and threat to the integrity, well-being and survival of Lithuania. However, in 1380 Muscovy

11009-596: Was baptised as a Roman Catholic. In 1253, probably in Vilnius or Novogrudok , he and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen, thus establishing a short-lived alliance with the Livonian Order . This laid the basis for the international recongnition of the newly created Kingdom of Lithuania as a Western country. Some historical documents suggest that at the time of signing the Treaty of Salynas in 1398, Lithuanian nobles had acknowledged Vytautas as their King as

11118-400: Was crowned King Władysław by archbishop Bodzanta . He was also to be legally adopted by Jadwiga's mother, Elizabeth of Bosnia , so retaining the throne in the event of Jadwiga's death. He was the first Lithuanian to be crowned as the King of Poland. The royal baptism triggered the conversion of most of Jogaila's court and noblemen, as well as mass baptisms in Lithuanian rivers, a beginning of

11227-581: Was elected as Grand Duke upon his arrival to Vilnius on 29 June 1440, with the ringing of church bells and the singing of the Te Deum laudamus . This was breaching the agreements of the Union of Grodno (1432) and terminating the Polish–Lithuanian union . It manifested Lithuania as a sovereign state and its ruler Casimir IV Jagiellon stressed himself as a "free lord" ( pan – dominus ). According to historian Edvardas Gudavičius , Bishop of Vilnius put

11336-548: Was greatly weakened by tremendous losses suffered during the battle and thus, in the same year, Jogaila was free to begin a struggle for supremacy with Kęstutis. In the north-west, Lithuania faced constant armed incursions from the Teutonic Knights —founded after 1226 to fight and convert the pagan Baltic tribes of Prussians , Yotvingians and Lithuanians . In 1380, Jogaila concluded the secret Treaty of Dovydiškės , directed against Kęstutis. When Kęstutis discovered

11445-416: Was short-lived because Sweden lost the war. The Commonwealth permanently ceased to exist in 1795, following its third partition by the neighbouring powers, Prussia , Russia and Austria . Following the partitions, the lands of ethnic Lithuania were divided— Lithuania proper became a part of the Russian Empire while Sudovia became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia . As the conquests of Prussia by

11554-525: Was the daughter of the Yaroslavichi prince Alexander of Tver . His name had a meaning of more courageous and superior than others, he spent most of his early time in Vilnius , at his father's manor. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania to which Jogaila succeeded as Grand Duke in 1377 was a political entity composed of two leading, but very different nationalities and two political systems: ethnic Lithuania in

11663-411: Was to be the advancement of Catholics in Lithuania at the expense of Orthodox elements; in 1387 and 1413, for example, Lithuanian Catholic boyars were granted special judicial and political privileges denied to the Orthodox boyars. As this process gained momentum, it was accompanied by the rise of both Rus' and Lithuanian identity in the fifteenth century. Jagiello's baptism failed to end the crusade of

11772-453: Was to rule Lithuania as the grand duke ( magnus dux ) until his death, under the overlordship of the Supreme Duke ( dux supremus ) in the person of the Polish monarch. Skirgaila was moved from the Duchy of Trakai to become prince of Kiev. Vytautas initially accepted his status but soon began to pursue Lithuania's independence from Poland. The protracted period of war between the Lithuanians and

11881-444: Was unlikely to halt the crusades against Lithuania by the Teutonic Knights, who regarded Orthodox Christians as schismatics and little better than heathens. Jogaila chose therefore to accept a Polish proposal to become a Catholic and marry the eleven-year-old Queen Jadwiga of Poland . The nobles of Lesser Poland made this offer to Jogaila for many reasons. They wanted to neutralize the dangers posed by Lithuania itself and to secure

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