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Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Lithuania, 1236–1795. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania. By 1440 the grand duchy had become the largest European state, controlling an area from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south. Algirdas's son Jogaila signed the Union of Krewo in 1386, bringing two major changes in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: the conversion to Christianity of Europe's last pagan state, and the establishment of a dynastic union between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. Eventually, the Union of Lublin of 1569 created a new state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Seat of power: Vilnius

Rulers

Mindaugas

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1236–1253

Mindaugas was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. During the summer of 1253, he was crowned king, ruling between 300,000 and 400,000 subjects, and was nicknamed as Mindaugas the Sapient by the Livonians. He was assassinated in 1263 by his nephew Treniota and another rival, Duke Daumantas of Pskov.

Portrait of Mindaugas: Alexander Guagnini, Public domain, file

Treniota

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1263–1264

Treniota was the nephew of Mindaugas, the first and only king of Lithuania. It is believed that Treniota was trusted to rule Samogitia.

Portrait of Treniota: Alexander Guagnini, Public domain, file

Wojsiełk

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1264–1267

Vaišvilkas was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1264 until his death in 1267. He was a son of Mindaugas, the first and only Christian King of Lithuania.

Portrait of Wojsiełk: Napoleon Orda, Public domain, file

Shvarn

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1267–1269

Shvarn was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1267 to 1269. He was also the prince of Chełm from 1264 to 1269.

Traidenis

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1269–1282

He is the second most prominent grand duke of Lithuania in the 13th century after Mindaugas. His reign ended a seven-year unrest period after King Mindaugas was assassinated in 1263 and firmly established Lithuania as a pagan state for another hundred years.

Portrait of Traidenis: Alexander Guagnini, Public domain, file

Butigeidis

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1282–1292

He assumed power after the death of Daumantas. He is the first known and undisputed member of the Gediminid dynasty.

Portrait of Butigeidis: Мечыслаў Барвіцкі, Public domain, file

Butvydas

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1292–1296

Butvydas is believed to have been the father of Grand Duke Gediminas, under whom Lithuania emerged as a major Northern and Eastern European power.

Portrait of Butvydas: Mečislovas Barvickis, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Vytenis

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1295–1316

He became the first monarch of the Gediminid dynasty to sustain a long-lasting reign, establishing the dynasty's continuity and long-term governance of Lithuania. The rule of Vytenis was marked by constant warfare in an effort to consolidate the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Ruthenians, Masovians, and the Teutonic Order.

Portrait of Vytenis: Aleksander Gwagnin, Public domain, file

Jaunutis

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1341–1345

Jaunutis was Grand Duke of Lithuania after his father Gediminas died in 1341 until he was deposed by his elder brothers Algirdas and Kęstutis in 1345.

Portrait of Jaunutis: Alaksandar Tarasievič (Aleksander Tarasowicz), Public domain, file

Algirdas

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1345–1377

With the help of his brother Kęstutis, he created an empire stretching from the present Baltic states to the Black Sea and to within 80 kilometres of Moscow.

Portrait of Algirdas: en:Alexander Guagnini (1538-1614), Public domain, file

Vytautas

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1392–1430

Vytautas the Great was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, first as regent for his cousin Jogaila (1392–1401) and then as the Grand Duke alongside him (1401–1430). In modern Lithuania, Vytautas was an important figure in the national rebirth in the 19th century and is revered as a national hero.

Portrait of Vytautas: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Švitrigaila / Svidrigiello

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1430–1432

Švitrigaila was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1430 to 1432. He spent most of his life in largely unsuccessful dynastic struggles against his cousins Vytautas and Sigismund Kęstutaitis.

Portrait of Švitrigaila / Svidrigiello: Alessandro Guagnini, Public domain, file

Sigismund Kęstutaitis

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1432–1440

On 1 September 1432, Sigismund became the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He signed the Union of Grodno with Jogaila and ceded some territories in Volhynia and Podolia to Poland.

Portrait of Sigismund Kęstutaitis: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Casimir IV Jagiellon

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1440–1492

Casimir Andrew Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland as Casimir IV from 1447 until his death in 1492. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under him, Poland defeated the Teutonic Knights in the Thirteen Years' War and recovered Pomerania.

Portrait of Casimir IV Jagiellon: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Augustus III of Poland

Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1734–1763

Augustus III of Poland was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763. His rule deepened the social anarchy in Poland and increased the country's dependence on its neighbours.

Portrait of Augustus III of Poland: Louis de Silvestre, Public domain, file

Culture

Picture

Trakai Island Castle is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė.

Image: BigHead, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.