Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Didi Kunigiste Letuvos Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Kernave (1279-1316)
Trakai (1316-1323)
Vilnius ( Vilna ) ( 1323-1569 )
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Latin Magnus Ducatus Lituania ( e), literally " Grand Duchy of Lithuania " ) was a existing in the Middle Ages and the early modern state, which extends over the territory of the present-day states of Lithuania and Belarus, partly Ukraine, Russia and Poland extended. At the height of its power shortly before 1400 it reached to the steppes of the Black Sea. 1386 was a Union with the Kingdom of Poland. Especially after the Union of Lublin in 1569, with a common state of Poland - Lithuania was founded, it was more and more in the new, Polish -dominated state as a whole. However, as a political entity until it disappeared in the wake of the partitions of Poland-Lithuania.
History
First impetus for state formation existed in the 13th century under the influence of the expansion of the Teutonic Knights, but the Kingdom of Lithuania under Mindaugas remained an episode. A government consolidation took place only in 1300 Gediminas founded in 1323 the capital of Vilnius ( Lithuanian: Vilnius ), which replaced the castle Trakai than princely seat.
The invasion of the Mongols in Eastern Europe and the fragmentation already begun the Kievan Rus left a political vacuum in the region. In addition, Lithuania has remained untouched due to its north-western location of the military campaigns of the Mongols. So to the 14th century, especially under Grand Duke Gediminas and Algirdas and Kestutis his sons, the rise of Lithuania to an Eastern European great power.
Some part of the Rus principalities were subjected to, especially after the Battle of Irpen, some joined voluntarily in a weak phase of the Golden Horde. In 1362 it was defeated at the Battle of Blue Water, Lithuanian Grand Duke moved in and Belarus in Kiev, Ukraine and Western Russia were thus under the supremacy of the Lithuanian Grand Duke. The political structures of the East Slavic principalities were largely maintained, especially in the south, however vassal principalities emerged for the sons of Algirdas '. The Grand Duke of Lithuania saw from now on as the rightful heir to the defunct kingdom of Kievan Rus. Algirdas From the letter of intent has been handed down: " Omnis Russia ad Litwinos deberet simpliciter pertinere " ( German: "The whole Rus is simply the Lithuanians belong "). The later Polish-Lithuanian rulers bore the title magnus dux Littwanie, Samathie et Rusie.
The majority of the population and the nobility accordingly, dominated over time increasingly the East Slavic culture in the Grand Duchy. At the law firm language ( ie about official language ) was formed out Ruthenian, which remained consistently until about 1700 in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The still pagan Grand Duke operated in this phase, a policy of religious tolerance, which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania made attractive for the Jews of Europe as well as numerous smaller groups like the Karaites.
In the west the Lithuanian rulers were faced with a constant threat of the Teutonic Order, these conflicts can be ended in 1410 after the alliance with Poland and the Battle of Tannenberg.
After the Grand Duchy of Moscow, finally solved in 1480 by the Mongol rule, it was because it also looked at himself as the legitimate successor of Kievan Rus, since the end of the 15th century, but especially since the beginning of the 16th century the largest competitors Poland Lithuania in the "Collection of the Russian land ."
Language
In the 13th century the majority of the population in the center of the Principality of Lithuanian, but that was only in the 16th century to the written language spoke. In the other parts of the state and in the written documents dominated the Ruthenian language. Besides acted Latin and German diplomatic communications with Western states, for issues with eastern countries use the yard Ruthenian. The three codifications of the law of Lithuania from the 16th century, the Lithuanian Statute of 1529, 1566 and 1588
In the late period of the Grand Duchy Polish gained more and more importance, especially after the union with Poland. Between 1697 and Ruthenian was largely replaced as the official court language by Polish, but was still used until the second half of the 18th century in a few documents. The top layer, that is, the nobility of Lithuania became increasingly Polonized during the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Union, that is, took over Polish language and culture.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as it was called in other languages:
- Вялікае Княства Літоўскае, Рускае, Жамойцкае - (Belarusian )
- Leedu Suurvürstiriik - ( Estonian )
- Magnus Ducatus Lituaniae - (Latin )
- Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė - ( Lithuanian)
- Didi Kunigiste Letuvos - ( Altlitauisch )
- Lietuvas Lielkunigaitija / Lietuvas Lielkņaziste - ( Latvian )
- Wielkie Księstwo Litewskie - ( Polish)
- Великое князство Литовское, Руское, Жомойтское и иных - ( Ruthenian )
- Великое княжество Литовское, Русcкое, Жемойтское и иных - ( Russian)
- Велике Князівство Литовське, Руське і Жемайтійське - ( Ukrainian)
Although Lithuania acquired much of his Ruthenian territories peacefully, it could, if necessary, fall back on military strength. It was the only country in Eastern Europe, who could fight the Golden Horde effectively. Their attempts to prevent further expansion of Lithuania, often failed. In the years 1333 and 1339 Lithuanians defeated large Mongol forces in their attempt to Smolensk to snatch the Lithuanian sphere of influence. Until 1355 Lithuania conquered territory of the Golden Horde up to the Dnieper. In a crusade against the Golden Horde in 1398 ( in an alliance with Toktamisch ), Lithuania invaded the north of the Crimea and won a clear victory. Later, in 1399, Lithuania was (with the intention to set Toktamisch to the throne of the Golden Horde ) again against the horde. In the Battle of the Vorskla However, Lithuania was defeated and lost the eastern steppes and its access to the Black Sea.
Religion and Culture
After the baptism ( 1251 ) and Coronation of King Mindaugas in 1253, Lithuania was until 1260 a Christian state. After the Battle of the Durbe in which the German Order suffered a severe defeat, Mindaugas was convinced of Treniota to renounce Christianity again. Until 1387 Lithuanian nobles committed their own polytheistic religion. Ethnic Lithuanians were very connected to their faith. The Pagan beliefs and customs had to be deeply rooted to be able to withstand strong pressure from missionaries and foreign powers can. Until the 17th century there were relics of the ancient faith.
The territories of present-day Belarus and Ukraine were mostly Orthodox. While the pagan beliefs in Lithuania was strong enough for centuries to resist the pressure of knightly orders and missionaries, he was defeated but ultimately Christianity. In 1387, Lithuania converted to Catholicism, but most Ruthenian territories remained Orthodox.
In contrast to Latvia and Estonia, the Reformation had little success, mainly because of the close ties to the Catholic Poles in Lithuania.
Union with Poland
1386 ascended the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila after his baptism as Władysław II Jagiello the Polish throne, which led to the Union of Krewo, in which an alliance between Poland and Lithuania, as well as a personal union of the rulers of both areas has been installed. Regent of Lithuania was Jogailas cousin Vytautas, but continue to operate an independent great power politics and under his reign Lithuania reached its greatest extent. His alliance and marriage policy gave him great influence both in the direction of Moscow as well as in the ongoing power struggles within the Golden Horde. The conflicts in the southern and the eastern border stopped, however, so a backup was at least offered to the West, against the German Reich. So was followed by other reformulations of the alliance with Poland in the Union of Horodło and the Union of Vilnius and Radom.
From about 1450 the pressure from Moscow, as well as the Ottoman Empire began to increase, which could bring the resulting from the breakup of the Golden Horde Crimean Khanate under his suzerainty. This required an ever closer cooperation between the alliance partners. The formulated in the previous contracts, personal union was expanded in 1569 in the Lublin Union into a real union, the result of the Polish- Lithuanian state double ( " Republic of both nations " ) was. In this case, however, Lithuania joined his territories in what is now Ukraine from the Polish crown. The defense of the southern periphery against the Ottoman Empire and its vassals, the Crimean Tatars, now fell to the Polish part of the empire.
The implemented at the time of the Union Association of Polish and Lithuanian nobility in a common Sejm, which more and more became the focus of the policy in the course of the 16th century, the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania began to be a mere formality. There was, however, its own institutions by the end of the 18th century. In particular, the Polish Krontribunal was not responsible for Lithuania, there was in Grodno own Lithuanian Tribunal. Only with the Constitution of May 3, 1791, the dualism between Poland and Lithuania, and thus indirectly abolished the Grand Duchy; However, in the short time remaining until the downfall of the entire state, it reached a total of no great effect.